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US 10,881,081 B2Granted
Autonomous feed delivery platform for insects
AssigneeAspire Food Group Ltd
InventorsMichael Todd Hall, Gabriel Mott, Mohammed Ashour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An autonomous feed delivery platform configured to navigate through a facility and deliver insect feed to multiple insect habitats located within the facility. In some cases, the feed delivery platform may be configured to deliver the feed to multiple insect habitats at substantially the same time.
Claims20
A feed delivery platform comprising:
- a communication interface for receiving signals from a control system;
- a base having at least one conveying device for propelling the feed delivery platform through an environment;
- a hopper extending upward from and physically coupled to the base, the hopper to hold insect feed;
- a support tower extending upward from and physically coupled to the base and adjacent to the hopper;
- a first extendable feed delivery apparatus connected to the support tower and positioned above the hopper;
- a first sensor mounted to a bottom surface of the base, the first sensor to collect first data, the first data associated with a floor of environment surrounding the feed delivery platform;
- a second sensor mounted to a front surface of the base, the second sensor to collect second data, the second data associated with an aisle way of the environment surrounding the feed delivery platform;
- a second extendable feed delivery apparatus connected to the support tower, the second extendable feed delivery apparatus positioned above the hopper and horizontally adjacent to the first extendable feed delivery apparatus;
- an image capture device;
- a feed distribution tube configured to deliver the insect feed from the hopper to the first extendable feed delivery apparatus and the second extendable feed delivery apparatus via a first feed chute connected to the feed distribution tube, wherein the first feed chute includes a first path that distributes the insect feed to the first extendable feed delivery apparatus and a second path that distributes the insect feed to the second extendable feed delivery apparatus;
- one or more processors;
- and
- computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
- initiate a feed delivery to one or more habitats in response to receiving a signal at the communication interface, individual ones of the one or more habitats associated with insect populations and wherein the signal includes a navigation path and a list of habitats that are low on feed;
- identify a first habitat of the one or more habitats within an environment, based at least in part on the second data;
- identify at least one of a marker or identifier within the environment, based at least in part on the first data;
- cause the image capture device to collect habitat data associated with at least one habitat of the one or more habitats;
- cause the communication interface to wirelessly communicate the habitat data to the control system;
- cause the first feed delivery apparatus to orientate with the at least one habitat;
- and
- cause the first feed delivery apparatus to deliver a first desired amount of feed into the first habitat.
18 more elements
A feed delivery platform comprising:
- a base having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface, the top surface opposite the bottom surface;
- a tower extending upward from the top surface;
- at least one conveying device mounted to the side surface of the base;
- a sensor mounted to the bottom surface of the base, the sensor to collect data associated with a floor of environment surrounding the feed delivery platform;
- a first feed delivery apparatus mounted to the tower;
- a second feed delivery apparatus mounted to the tower;
- a feed distribution tube mounted to the tower;
- a chute connected to the feed distribution tube, the chute having a first path and a second path;
- one or more processors;
- and
- computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
- receive a signal from control system, the signal includes a navigation path and a list of habitats that are low on feed;
- determine that the power level associated with the feed delivery platform has met or exceeded a first power threshold;
- initiate a feed delivery to one or more habitats in response to determine that the power level is above the first power threshold and receiving the signal from control system;
- receive the data from the sensor;
- cause the at least one conveying device to orient the feed delivery platform with a first habitat, a second habitat, and at least one of a marker or identifier based at least in part on the navigation path, the list of habitats, and the data;
- cause the feed distribution tube to deliver first feed to the first feed delivery apparatus via the first path of the chute and deliver second feed to the second feed delivery apparatus via the second path of the chute;
- cause the first feed delivery apparatus to dispense the first feed into the first habitat;
- cause the second feed delivery apparatus to dispense the second feed into the second habitat;
- determine that a power level associated with the feed delivery platform is below a first power threshold, the first power threshold different than the second power threshold;
- identify an available recharge station in response to determining that the power level is below the first power threshold;
- and
- cause the delivery platform to engage with the recharge station to initiate a recharge operation in response to identifying the available recharge station.
20 more elements
A delivery platform comprising:
- a communication interface for receiving signals from a control system;
- a first feed delivery apparatus;
- a second feed delivery apparatus;
- a feed distribution tube configured to deliver feed from a hopper associated with the delivery platform to the first feed delivery apparatus and the second feed delivery apparatus via a chute connected to the feed distribution tube, wherein the chute includes a first feed path that distributes feed to the first feed delivery apparatus and a second feed path that distributes feed to the second feed delivery apparatus;
- an image capture device;
- one or more processors;
- and
- computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
- initiate a feed delivery to one or more habitats in response to receiving a signal at the communication interface, individual ones of the one or more habitats associated with insect populations and wherein the signal includes a navigation path and a list of habitats that are low on feed;
- identify a first habitat of the one or more habitats within an environment, based at least in part on the data associated with the environment and the list of habitats;
- identify at least one of a marker or identifier within the environment, based at least in part on the data associated with the environment;
- cause the image capture device to collect habitat data associated with the first habitat;
- cause the communication interface to wirelessly communicate the habitat data to the control system;
- cause the first feed delivery apparatus to orientate with the first habitat and the at least one of the marker or identifier;
- and
- cause the first feed delivery apparatus to deliver a first desired amount of feed into the first habitat.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.