US 12,433,286 B2
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 Jan. 31, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/043,250.
Application 19/043,250 is a continuation of application No. 18/915,038, filed on Oct. 14, 2024, granted, now 12,219,948.
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, issued on Oct. 29, 2024.
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.
Prior Publication US 2025/0176525 A1, Jun. 5, 2025
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01B 11/26 (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)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
21. A system for damaging or killing target plants, the system comprising:
a camera configured to capture images;
a plurality of emitters, each emitter configured to emit a respective light beam;
a control system comprising one or more movable mirrors for directing a path of a light beam emitted from a targeting emitter of the emitters;
a housing at least partially enclosing the control system;
a computing system; and
a frame supporting the camera, the control system, the housing, and the computing system,
wherein the computing system is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving an image of one or more plants captured by the camera at a first time,
detecting a target plant in the image, using an imaging detection module configured to differentiate between a target plant and a non-target plant,
predicting a target location of the target plant at a second time later than the first time, based at least in part on a pixel coordinate of the target plant in the image, wherein the predicted target location accounts for:
motion of the camera relative to the target plant, the motion including a magnitude and a direction, and
an elapsed time between the first and second time,
causing the control system to move at least one of the one or more mirrors to direct the path of the light beam of the targeting emitter toward the predicted target location of the target plant, and
causing the targeting emitter to emit the light beam along the path toward the predicted target location of the target plant, for an amount of time sufficient to damage or kill the target plant.