Vertical Hydroponic Tower Harvesting System Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional farming methods face challenges in providing adequate, nutritious, and flavorful produce due to reliance on pesticides and fertilizers, leading to decreased nutritional content and flavor in transported fruits and vegetables, while hydroponic systems offer advantages but require cost-effective harvesting solutions for large-scale adoption.
Innovation Solution
A plant harvesting system for vertical hydroponic towers, featuring a motorized payload lift system, harvester with guide rails and actuator for precise positioning, and cutting blades to efficiently collect and cut plant leaves, with a payload transport system allowing for automated or semi-automated operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional farming techniques are used, then production costs are lower, but nutritional content and flavor of produce decrease due to pesticides and fertilizers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual harvesting labor with an automated robotic system that uses sensors, motors, and control systems to identify, approach, grasp, and harvest plants. This automation reduces labor costs while maintaining the ability to carefully handle delicate hydroponic plants, thereby preserving nutritional quality without increasing production costs significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The harvesting system incorporates sensors and vision systems that enable the robot to autonomously identify plants, determine optimal harvest timing, navigate to plants, and execute harvesting actions without continuous human intervention. This self-service capability reduces operational costs while maintaining high-quality harvest standards.
2Productivity
If manual harvesting is used, then system complexity is lower, but labor costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The harvesting system is divided into distinct functional modules: a vision system for plant identification, a navigation system for movement, a grasping mechanism for harvesting, and a control system for coordination. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while working together to achieve high productivity, reducing overall system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic harvesting system is designed with universal components that can adapt to different plant types and hydroponic configurations. The gripper mechanism can adjust its force and configuration, the navigation system can handle various tower layouts, and the control system can process different plant identification patterns, enabling one system to perform multiple harvesting functions efficiently.
3Ease of operation
If automated harvesting systems are implemented, then labor costs decrease, but initial investment and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The harvesting system incorporates sensors and vision systems that provide real-time feedback to the control system. The vision system continuously monitors plant positions and conditions, the force sensors feedback grasping forces, and the navigation system provides position feedback. This feedback loop enables the complex automated system to operate simply and reliably, adjusting to variations in plant placement and conditions without requiring complex programming or manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system simplifies and automates the harvesting process, reducing labor and costs, enabling competitive pricing with conventional farming and maintaining high-quality produce, while allowing for precise control and efficient navigation between hydroponic towers.
Implementation Method 1
a motorized payload lift system configured to move an interface plate in upward and downward directions
Implementation Method 2
an actuator coupled to the harvester and the mounting plate, the actuator configured to move the harvester on the assembly of guide rails in a forward direction towards the hydroponic tower and in a rearward direction away from the hydroponic tower
Implementation Method 3
a pair of guides configured to maintain the harvester in a preset harvesting position relative to the hydroponic tower as the motorized payload lift system moves the harvester upwards along the face of the tower
Data Source
AI summary
A plant harvesting system for use with a vertical hydroponic tower, the hydroponic tower containing a plurality of vertically aligned plants. The harvesting system includes a payload transport system and a harvester. The payload transport system, which is configured to be positioned at a location adjacent to the hydroponic tower, includes a base and a lift tower, the lift tower including a motorized lift system configured to move the harvester upward and downward. In addition to cutting plant stalks while moving upwards along the face of the hydroponic tower, the harvester also groups and collects the plant leafs.