Robotic platform and method for performing multiple functions in agricultural systems

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle platform and system for selectively performing an in-season management task in an agricultural field while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, the autonomous vehicle platform having a vehicle base with a width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops, the vehicle base having an in-season task management structure configured to perform various tasks, including selectively applying fertilizer, mapping growth zones and seeding cover crop within an agricultural field.

1 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . An agricultural mapping system, comprising:
 an unmanned robotic platform having a width of thirty inches or less, so as to be insertable between rows of an annual planted crop spaced not more than thirty-six inches apart;   a navigation module comprising one or more sensors operably coupled to the unmanned robotic platform, the one or more sensors configured to sense a position of the rows of annual planted crop relative to the unmanned robotic platform;   a microprocessor in communication with the navigation module, the microprocessor programmed with a self-direction program configured to navigate the autonomous robotic platform within the space defined between two adjacent rows of annual planted crop, wherein a nominal spacing between respective sides of the unmanned robotic platform and the rows of the annual crop is not more than five inches when the unmanned robotic platform is centered between the two adjacent rows of annual planted crop; and   a mapping module comprising at least one crop health sensor, the mapping module configured to observe and record one or more conditions of one or several individual planted crops within the rows of annual planted crops as the unmanned robotic platform navigates within an agricultural field.   
     
     
         5 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 4 , wherein the mapping module is further configured to create new features of a base map of the agricultural field using the recorded one or more conditions of the individual planted crops. 
     
     
         6 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 5 , wherein the new features include details regarding a relative location of individual plants within the agricultural field. 
     
     
         7 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 5 , wherein the new features further include expert knowledge data regarding the recorded one or more conditions of the individual planted crops gathered via a user interface. 
     
     
         8 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 4 , wherein the mapping module is further configured to communicate with an aerial sensor operably coupled to one of a mast extending above the unmanned robotic platform or an aerial vehicle, the aerial sensor configured to collect data relating to creation of new features of a base map. 
     
     
         9 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor of the mapping module is configured to record one or more conditions of the individual planted crops in various heights of the individual planted crops. 
     
     
         10 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor of the mapping module is configured to measure at least one of a height, size and/or shape of the individual planted crops. 
     
     
         11 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor comprises at least one of a camera, infrared sensor, ultrasonic sensor, plant pigment sensor, LIDAR sensor, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor is operably coupled to a top portion of a mast extending vertically above the unmanned robotic platform. 
     
     
         13 . The agricultural mapping system of  claim 4 , wherein the navigation module is configured to communicate sensor data to networked devices supporting a remote user interface, with networks constrained to the physical area surrounding a field and/or extending to include a cloud computing infrastructure. 
     
     
         14 . An agricultural robot, comprising:
 a base having a width of thirty inches or less, so as to be insertable between rows of an annual planted crop spaced not more than thirty-six inches apart;   a navigation module comprising one or more sensors operably coupled to the base, the one or more sensors configured to sense a position of the rows of annual planted crop relative to the base;   a self-direction module operably coupled to the base and in communication with the navigation module, the self-direction module configured to navigate the agricultural robot within the space defined between two adjacent rows of the annual planted crop, wherein a nominal spacing between respective sides of the base and the rows of the annual crop is not more than five inches when the agricultural robot is centered between the two adjacent rows of annual planted crop; and   at least one crop health sensor configured to observe one or more conditions of one or several individual planted crops within the rows of annual planted crops, as the unmanned robotic platform navigates within an agricultural field.   
     
     
         15 . The agricultural robot of  claim 14 , wherein the mapping module is further configured to create new features of a base map of the agricultural field using the recorded one or more conditions of the individual planted crops. 
     
     
         16 . The agricultural robot of  claim 15 , wherein the new features include details regarding a relative location of individual plants within the agricultural field. 
     
     
         17 . The agricultural robot of  claim 15 , wherein the new features further include expert knowledge data regarding the recorded one or more conditions of the individual planted crops gathered via a user interface. 
     
     
         18 . The agricultural robot of  claim 14 , wherein the mapping module is further configured to communicate with an aerial sensor operably coupled to one of a mast extending above the unmanned robotic platform or an aerial vehicle, the aerial sensor configured to collect data relating to creation of new features of a base map. 
     
     
         19 . The agricultural robot of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor of the mapping module is configured to record one or more conditions of the individual planted crops in various heights of the individual planted crops. 
     
     
         20 . The agricultural robot of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor of the mapping module is configured to measure at least one of a height, size and/or shape of the individual planted crops. 
     
     
         21 . The agricultural robot of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one crop health sensor comprises at least one of a camera, infrared sensor, ultrasonic sensor, plant pigment sensor, LIDAR sensor, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The agricultural robot of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one or more crop health sensor is operably coupled to a top portion of a mast extending vertically above the unmanned robotic platform. 
     
     
         23 . A method of creating an agricultural map, comprising:
 deploying an unmanned robotic platform within an agricultural field, the unmanned robotic platform having a navigation module comprising one or more sensors operably coupled to the base configured to sense a position of rows of annual planted crops, and a self-direction module configured to navigate the unmanned robotic platform within the space defined between two adjacent rows of the annual planted crop, wherein a nominal spacing between respective sides of the base and the rows of the annual crop is not more than five inches when the unmanned robotic platform is centered between the two adjacent rows of annual planted crop;   collecting data via at least at least one crop health sensor regarding one or more conditions of one or several individual planted crops within the rows of annual planted crops as the unmanned robotic platform navigates within an agricultural field; and   creating a geospatial data map based on the data sensed by the at least one crop health sensor.