US 12,219,948 B1
Autonomous laser weed eradication
Paul Mikesell, Bellevue, WA (US); Jonathan Mey, Bellingham, WA (US); and Cory Gabrielsen, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Carbon Autonomous Robotic Systems Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Carbon Autonomous Robotic Systems Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/915,038.
Application 18/915,038 is a continuation of application No. 18/893,097, filed on Sep. 23, 2024.
Application 18/893,097 is a continuation of application No. 18/382,294, filed on Oct. 20, 2023, granted, now 12,127,547.
Application 18/382,294 is a continuation of application No. 18/106,026, filed on Feb. 6, 2023, granted, now 12,108,752, issued on Oct. 8, 2024.
Application 18/106,026 is a continuation of application No. 17/022,483, filed on Sep. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,602,143, issued on Mar. 14, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/901,641, filed on Sep. 17, 2019.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A01M 21/02 (2006.01); A01M 21/04 (2006.01); G01P 15/08 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G06T 1/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01)
CPC A01M 21/04 (2013.01) [G01P 15/08 (2013.01); G02B 26/0816 (2013.01); G06T 1/0014 (2013.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 2207/30188 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30252 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for damaging or killing weeds, the system comprising:
a camera configured to capture images of plants in a field;
a light source configured to emit a light beam with a wavelength within a range from 300 nm to 100 μm;
a control system comprising:
a first actuator and a first mirror for directing a path of the light beam,
a second actuator and a second mirror for directing the path of the light beam,
wherein the control system is configured to direct the path of the light beam towards a target using the first and second mirrors;
a housing configured to at least partially enclose the light source and the control system;
a computing system; and
a frame configured to move over the field, wherein the camera, the housing, the light source, the control system, and the computing system are supported, directly or indirectly, by the frame,
wherein the computing system is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving an image of at least one plant in the field captured by the camera at a first time,
detecting a weed in the image of the at least one plant, wherein the detecting is performed using a neural network configured to differentiate between a weed and a crop,
predicting a target location of the weed in the field at a second time later than the first time, wherein the predicted target location accounts for motion of the camera relative to the weed during an elapsed time between the first time and the second time,
causing one or both of the first or second actuators to control one or both of the first or second mirrors to direct the path of the light beam toward the predicted target location of the weed in the field,
causing the light source to emit the light beam along the path towards the predicted target location of the weed, and
causing the light source to continue emitting the light beam for a length of time sufficient to damage or kill the weed.