| CPC A01C 1/04 (2013.01) [B65B 5/105 (2013.01); B65B 35/18 (2013.01); B65B 57/10 (2013.01); A01C 2001/048 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A device for inserting seeds in a capsule, comprising:
a seed bin for storing a plurality of plant seeds;
a materials bin for storing a growing medium;
a first tray configured to hold a plurality of capsule bodies;
a second tray configured to hold a plurality of capsule cap portions, each capsule cap portion configured to couple to a corresponding capsule body in response to a force being applied between a capsule cap portion and a corresponding capsule body;
a motor, coupled to the first tray and the second tray, configured to enable the first tray and the second tray to move to a plurality of positions within the device;
at least one vacuum needle configured to generate a vacuum suction at a tip of the at least one vacuum needle sufficient to extract a plant seed from the seed bin;
a robot arm, coupled to the at least one vacuum needle, and configured to move the at least one vacuum needle to a plurality of positions within the device; and
circuitry configured to:
control the motor to move the first tray to a first position to receive and hold the plurality of capsule bodies;
control the motor to move the second tray to a second position to receive and hold the plurality of capsule cap portions;
control the motor to move the first tray adjacent to the materials bin that enables each of the plurality of capsule bodies to receive and store growing medium extracted from the materials bin;
control the robot arm to move the at least one vacuum needle adjacent to the seed bin to pick up a seed from the seed bin; and
control the robot arm to move the at least one vacuum needle adjacent to the first tray; and
remove the vacuum suction from the at least one vacuum needle such that the seed picked up by the at least one vacuum needle is released into a capsule body in the first tray.
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11. A method for inserting seeds in a capsule in a device having a seed bin for storing a plurality of plant seeds, a materials bin for storing a growing medium, a first tray configured to hold a plurality of capsule bodies, a second tray configured to hold a plurality of capsule cap portions, each capsule cap portion configured to couple to a corresponding capsule body in response to a force being applied between a capsule cap portion and a corresponding capsule body, a motor, coupled to the first tray and the second tray, configured to enable the first tray and the second tray to move to a plurality of positions within the device, at least one vacuum needle configured to generate a vacuum suction at a tip of the at least one vacuum needle sufficient to extract a plant seed from the seed bin, and a robot arm coupled to the at least one vacuum needle and configured to move the at least one vacuum needle to a plurality of positions within the device, the method comprising:
controlling the motor to move the first tray to a first position to receive and hold the plurality of capsule bodies;
controlling the motor to move the second tray to a second position to receive and hold the plurality of capsule cap portions;
controlling the motor to move the first tray adjacent to the materials bin that enables each of the plurality of capsule bodies to receive and store growing medium extracted from the materials bin;
controlling the robot arm to move the at least one vacuum needle adjacent to the seed bin to pick up a seed from the seed bin; and
controlling the robot arm to move the at least one vacuum needle adjacent to the first tray; and
removing the vacuum suction from the at least one vacuum needle such that the seed picked up by the at least one vacuum needle is released into a capsule body in the first tray.
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