Vertical farming systems and methods

Abstract

An automatic vertical farming system may include a frame defining at least one growth area and configured to support a plurality of vertical plant growth structures within the at least one growth area. The system may include at least one light, at least one liquid conduit, and at least one gas conduit. The system may include at least one robot disposed on a top side of the frame and movably supported by the frame. The at least one robot may include at least one tool configured to manipulate the plurality of vertical plant growth structures. The system may include a control system including at least one processor configured to automatically control illumination by the at least one light, liquid flow through the at least one liquid conduit, gas flow through the at least one gas conduit, and operation of the at least one robot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automated robotic device configured to operate within an automatic vertical farming system, the device comprising:
 a frame;   one or more wheels coupled to the frame and configured to engage with and traverse a top side of a farm facility frame defining at least one growth area and configured to support a plurality of vertical plant growth structures within the at least one growth area, wherein the top side of the frame is above the at least one growth area and the robot is movably supported so that it is movable above the at least one growth area;   a propulsion system configured to drive at least one of the wheels and thereby cause the robotic device to traverse the farm facility frame;   at least one tool configured to manipulate the plurality of vertical plant growth structures; and   a control system configured to automatically control movement of the robotic device and operation of the at least one tool.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes at least one tool payload configured to be removably coupled to the robotic device. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a gripping tool payload configured to grip, raise, lower, and release at least one of a plurality of growth modules. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes at least one sensor payload configured to gather data within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to send the data to at least one external computing device not on board the robot. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor payload includes at least one of the following: a multispectral camera, a hyperspectral camera, a monospectral camera, an IR camera, a CO2 sensor, an O2 sensor, a humidity sensor, an airflow sensor, an audio spectrum sensor, an inertial measurement unit sensor, a temperature sensor, a barometric sensor, a turbidity sensor, a movement sensor, a light sensor, a distance sensor, a LiDAR sensor, and a power laser. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a cleaning payload configured to sanitize the at least one growth area, remove debris from within the at least one growth area, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a seeding payload configured to place seeds into a growth medium located in the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a light movement payload configured to move light elements into, out of, and within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a trimming payload configured to trim plant roots, plant shoots, or a combination thereof within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a pollinating payload configured to remotely pollinate plants in the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tool includes a harvesting payload configured to harvest plants, excise parts of plants, or a combination thereof within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control system includes:
 a camera configured to capture image data of an environment surrounding the robotic device; and   a processor in communication with the camera configured to detect fiducial features within the image data and determine a location of the robotic device from the fiducial markings based on stored information defining known locations of the fiducial features .   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the stored information by controlling the movement of the robotic device in a stepwise fashion and, at each step, recording locations of imaged fiducial markings to form a map of the environment. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control system includes:
 at least one hall effect sensor configured to capture magnetic field data of an environment surrounding the robotic device; and   a processor in communication with the at least one hall effect sensor configured to detect a signature or reference magnetic flux or spatial distribution of magnetic flux from at least one magnet in at least one defined location, detect and count a number of encoder-counts past the signature or reference magnetic flux or spatial distribution of magnetic flux that are traversed by the robotic device as it moves, and determine from the count a position of the robotic device relative to the at least one magnet.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more wheels are configured to be raised and lowered, and the control system is configured to control raising and lowering of the one or more wheels. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the control system is configured to control the raising and lowering using one or more direction change actuators. 
     
     
         18 . An automatic vertical farming system comprising:
 the robotic device of  claim 1 ; and   the farm facility frame, wherein the farm facility frame comprises one or more rail tracks on the top side of the farm facility frame configured to engage with the one or more wheels.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more rail tracks include at least one rail track arranged in an X direction and at least one rail track arranged in a Y direction. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one rail track arranged in the X direction and the at least one rail track arranged in the Y direction are co-planar and perpendicular to one another. 
     
     
         21 . A method of controlling an automated robotic device configured to operate within an automatic vertical farming system, the method comprising:
 automatically controlling, by a control system of the robotic device, a propulsion system to drive at least one of one or more wheels coupled to a frame and thereby cause the robotic device to traverse a top side of a farm facility frame defining at least one growth area and configured to support a plurality of vertical plant growth structures within the at least one growth area, wherein the top side of the frame is above the at least one growth area and the robot is movably supported so that it is movable above the at least one growth area; and   automatically controlling, by the control system, operation of at least one tool configured to manipulate the plurality of vertical plant growth structures.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a gripping tool payload to grip, raise, lower, and release at least one of a plurality of growth modules. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing at least one sensor payload to gather data within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising sending, by the control system, the data to at least one external computing device not on board the robot. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a cleaning payload to sanitize the at least one growth area, remove debris from within the at least one growth area, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a seeding payload to place seeds into a growth medium located in the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a light movement payload to move light elements into, out of, and within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a trimming payload to trim plant roots, plant shoots, or a combination thereof within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a pollinating payload to remotely pollinate plants in the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein automatically controlling the at least one tool includes causing a harvesting payload to harvest plants, excise parts of plants, or a combination thereof within the at least one growth area. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 capturing, by a camera, image data of an environment surrounding the robotic device;   detecting, by the control system, fiducial features within the image data; and   determining, by the control system, a location of the robotic device from the fiducial markings based on stored information defining known locations of the fiducial markings.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising generating, by the control system, the stored information by controlling the movement of the robotic device in a stepwise fashion and, at each step, recording locations of imaged fiducial markings to form a map of the environment. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 capturing, by at least one hall effect sensor, magnetic field data of an environment surrounding the robotic device;   detecting, by the control system, a signature or reference magnetic flux or spatial distribution of magnetic flux from at least one magnet in at least one defined location;   detecting and counting, by the control system, a number of encoder-counts past the signature or reference magnetic flux or spatial distribution of magnetic flux that are traversed by the robotic device as it moves; and   determining from the count, by the control system, a position of the robotic device relative to the at least one magnet.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising controlling, by the control system, raising and lowering of the one or more wheels.