Vertical Shelf Plant Growing System with Robotic Transplantation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional plant transplantation methods are inefficient, leading to plant deterioration, root damage, and low yields due to manual labor, inadequate spacing, and exposure to extreme weather conditions.
Innovation Solution
A plant growing system featuring a grow room with vertical shelves and a processing room with robotic arms and conveyor belts, allowing for controlled environment cultivation and multiple transplantations at predetermined stages of the plant lifecycle, ensuring optimal spacing and minimizing human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual transplanting methods are used, then human intervention is flexible and adaptable, but plant deterioration and root damage occur leading to lower yields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical transplanting with an automated robotic system featuring a robotic arm with specialized end effectors. The robotic arm uses vision-guided precision positioning and controlled gripping forces to handle plants, eliminating human-caused deterioration while maintaining transplanting functionality. The system substitutes human labor with automated mechanical systems that can perform multiple transplantings without damaging roots.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables plants to receive optimal care through automated monitoring and multi-stage transplanting based on their growth stages. The robotic system automatically determines when transplanting is needed and executes it at precise intervals, allowing plants to thrive without human intervention errors. The closed-loop control system continuously monitors plant conditions and adjusts transplanting timing accordingly.
2Productivity
If traditional farming methods are used, then large areas of land are available for cultivation, but the system requires extensive space and is vulnerable to weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal land use to vertical space utilization by implementing multi-level shelving systems and stacked tray arrangements. Plants are cultivated on multiple vertical levels within a controlled environment chamber, dramatically increasing production capacity per unit floor area. This vertical farming approach eliminates weather exposure while maximizing space efficiency through three-dimensional plant arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a controlled environment chamber that creates a protected, weather-independent atmosphere for plant growth. Environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and gas composition are regulated to optimize plant health and productivity. This controlled inert environment shields plants from harmful external weather conditions while maintaining ideal growth conditions year-round.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional farming methods are used, then freshwater is readily available, but large volumes of water are lost to evaporation and ground absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes hydroponic cultivation with recirculating water systems where nutrient-rich solutions are delivered directly to plant roots through hydraulic channels and reservoirs. Water is pumped and circulated in closed loops, allowing multiple plants to access the same water supply repeatedly. This hydraulic approach reduces water loss through evaporation and ground absorption by eliminating traditional soil-based cultivation and implementing controlled fluid delivery to root zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The water system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides hydration, delivers nutrients, enables temperature control, and facilitates waste removal. The recirculating hydroponic solution acts as a multi-functional medium that addresses several plant needs in one system, maximizing water utilization efficiency and minimizing loss through evaporation or ground absorption.
4Ease of operation
If traditional transplanting methods are used, then the process is simple and quick, but optimal spacing and uniform plant density cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual transplanting with vision-guided robotic systems that use cameras and sensors to detect plant positions and calculate optimal spacing. The robotic arm executes precisely controlled movements to place each plant at mathematically determined locations, ensuring uniform density across all trays. This automated mechanical system maintains simplicity of operation while achieving precision spacing that manual methods cannot accomplish.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates vision systems and sensors that continuously monitor plant positions and provide feedback to the control algorithm. The feedback loop allows the system to adjust plant placement in real-time, compensating for variations and ensuring uniform spacing. The control system uses this feedback to maintain precise spacing accuracy while automatically adapting to different plant sizes and growth stages.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a plant growing system, comprising a grow room comprising a plurality of vertical shelves, the plurality of vertical shelves holding trays filled with growing plants; a processing room comprising at least one robotic arm and at least two conveyor belts; wherein growing plants are allowed to grow in a controlled environment while being positioned on the plurality of vertical shelves; and wherein the at least one robotic arm is adapted to perform multiple transplantation of the growing plants in the processing room at pre-determined stages of the growing plants' lifecycle. Also disclosed is a plant growing process using at least two transport robots operatively positioned in a grow room.