US 11,957,096 B2
Autonomous aircraft system for pollinating plants
Kyle Tabor Norland, Tucson, AZ (US); Mitzy Oros, Tucson, AZ (US); and Evan Westman, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Tucson, AZ (US)
Filed by Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/243,484.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/016,782, filed on Apr. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0329865 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. A01H 1/02 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64D 1/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06V 10/44 (2022.01); G06V 20/10 (2022.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 101/00 (2023.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC A01H 1/027 (2021.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64D 1/00 (2013.01); G05D 1/0204 (2013.01); G05D 1/106 (2019.05); G06V 10/443 (2022.01); G06V 20/188 (2022.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 2101/00 (2023.01); H04N 7/18 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to pollinate plants, comprising:
a storage device associated with an autonomous aircraft;
an image capture device onboard the autonomous aircraft;
a pollen dispensing system;
a flight control system onboard the autonomous aircraft; and
a processor onboard the autonomous aircraft and communicatively coupled to the autonomous aircraft storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to:
operate the flight control system to maneuver the autonomous aircraft higher than a plant and in the general vicinity of the plant;
operate the image capture device to capture an image below the autonomous aircraft and including a top view of the plant;
process the image onboard the autonomous aircraft to differentiate between the plant and ground below the plant by:
converting the image to RGB format;
blurring the image with a low pixel brush;
creating a mask comprising the RGB values from dark to light green; and
applying the mask to obtain a binary black and white image;
determine a center of the plant based on the processed image;
operate the flight control system to position the autonomous aircraft above the plant and relative to the center of the plant; and
operate the pollen dispensing system to dispense pollen from the autonomous aircraft.