Robotic platform and method for performing multiple functions in agricultural systems

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle platform system and method configured to perform various in-season management tasks, including selectively applying fertilizer, mapping growth zones and seeding cover crop within an agricultural field, while self-navigating between rows of planted crops and beneath the canopy of the planted crops on the uneven terrain of an agricultural field, allowing for an ideal in-season application of fertilizer to occur once the planted crop is well established and growing rapidly, in an effort to limit the loss of fertilizer.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An autonomous vehicle platform system for selectively applying at least one of herbicide, pesticide or fungicide in an agricultural field planted with rows of an annual crop spaced not more than thirty-six inches apart, the autonomous vehicle platform system comprising:
 one or more unmanned, autonomous vehicle platforms, wherein each autonomous vehicle platform includes a base operably coupled to a plurality of ground engaging wheels or tracks, each autonomous vehicle platform having a width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space defined between two adjacent rows of the annual crop, wherein each autonomous vehicle platform is programmed with a self-direction program to autonomously navigate the autonomous vehicle platform within the space between two adjacent rows of the annual crop and to avoid obstacles, including other autonomous vehicle platforms, while selectively applying at least one of herbicide, pesticide or fungicide within the agricultural field.   
     
     
         22 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , further comprising a sensor configured to characterize plant conditions to detect which of the planted annual crops are in need of pesticide and/or fungicide. 
     
     
         23 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 22 , wherein the sensor is an optical sensor. 
     
     
         24 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 22 , wherein the sensor is mounted on one of a robotic arm, fixed mast, or extendable mast. 
     
     
         25 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 24 , wherein the sensor is configured to enable access to plant material above the autonomous vehicle platform. 
     
     
         26 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 22 , wherein data collected by the sensor is utilized to create a base map of the agricultural field. 
     
     
         27 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , further comprising a sprayer configured to apply the pesticide and/or fungicide mounted on a robotic arm. 
     
     
         28 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , wherein the pesticide and/or the fungicide is applied directly to the planted annual crops. 
     
     
         29 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , further comprising one or more onboard cameras configured to detect obstacles, such as rocks, and other features of the field, including weeds. 
     
     
         30 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , wherein the herbicide is applied to at least one of the area between the base of the planted crops within a row, within the space between two adjacent rows of the annual crop, or directly targeted at weeds using a machine vision system. 
     
     
         31 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , wherein each autonomous vehicle platform includes a user interface configured to transmit data to a user of the autonomous vehicle platform, and further configured to receive command data from the user of the autonomous vehicle platform from a remote location for selectively overriding the self-direction program. 
     
     
         32 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 21 , wherein the self-direction program of each autonomous vehicle platform is configured to autonomously navigate each autonomous vehicle platform while selectively applying at least one of herbicide, pesticide or fungicide based in part on received field orientation information and detected obstacles. 
     
     
         33 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 32 , wherein the detected obstacles can be communicated to a remote user through a user interface for each autonomous vehicle platform. 
     
     
         34 . The autonomous vehicle platform system of  claim 33 , wherein the self-direction program can be selectively overridden remotely through a user interface for each autonomous vehicle platform.