System and method for monitoring plants in plant growing areas

A monitoring system for monitoring plants' conditions in one or more plant growing areas, the system comprising:

• a data collection system configured and operable to provide characterization data about plants in said one or more plant growing areas, the data collection system comprising data collection modules of at least first and second different types, the first type data collection module comprising a first imaging device of predetermined first optical properties and the second type data collection module comprising a second imaging device of predetermined second optical properties different from the first optical properties, the characterization data provided by at least one of the first and second imaging devices being indicative of various parameters of the plants being imaged;
• a control system configured and operable to selectively activate the second type imaging device to apply the second type imaging to at least a part of said one or more plants, based on operational data obtained from the characterization data derived from first image data provided by the first imaging device, the control system having either one of the following configurations:
• the control system is configured and operable to be in data communication with an analyzer located at a central station and is responsive to the operational data received from the analyzer and selectively activate the second type imaging device to apply the second type imaging to at least a part of said one or more plants;
• and
• the control system comprises an analyzer configured and operable for analyzing the first image data provided by the first imaging device and generating said operational data to selectively activate the second type imaging device to apply the second type imaging to at least a part of said one or more plants;
• wherein the first and second optical properties comprise, respectively first and second fields of view and resolutions, the second field of view and second resolution being, respectively, narrower and higher than the first field of view and resolution;
• wherein the first imaging device is configured and operable to acquire multiple overlapping images during an image acquisition session while travelling along a movement path extending substantially parallel to a row along which plants are arranged in a spaced-apart fashion and performing relative movement with respect to each plant being imaged, with an optical axis of the first imaging device being oriented substantially perpendicularly to said movement path, said first image data being therefore indicative of said multiple overlapping images,
• wherein the operational data obtained from the first image data provided during the image acquisition session of the first imaging device comprising navigation data for a movement path of the second imaging device towards one or more selected plants from a position and direction enabling an unencumbered approach for capturing images of suspect locations of said one or more selected plants while enabling to minimize physical interaction with said one or more selected plants;
• characterized by one or more of the following:
• at least one of the first type data collection module and the control system is configured and operable to periodically vary a velocity of the relative movement such that the velocity drops down to below a certain value when an image capture is required;
• the first type data collection module comprises an angular motion mechanism, which is associated with at least one first type imaging device and is configured and operable to controllably rotate the optical axis of said at least one first type imaging device such that the optical axis is perpendicular to the plant being imaged during an image capture and velocity of angular rotation of the optical axis compensates for the movement of said at least one first type imaging device;
• the first type data collection module comprises an angular motion mechanism associated with a pair of the first type imaging devices carried by said first type data collection module and being accommodated such that their optical axes are parallel, the angular motion mechanism comprising a controllable oscillator configured and operable to perform controllable oscillation of said optical axes in an alternating fashion such that oscillation velocity compensates for the movement of each of the first type imaging devices while maintaining the optical axes perpendicular to the row of plants during an image capture;
• wherein the first type data collection module comprises an angular motion mechanism associated with a pair of the first type imaging devices carried by said first type data collection module and being accommodated such that their optical axes are parallel, the angular motion mechanism comprising a controllable oscillator configured and operable to perform controllable oscillation of said optical axes in an alternating fashion such that oscillation velocity compensates for the movement of each of the first type imaging devices while maintaining the optical axes perpendicular to the row of plants during an image capture, the system being characterized by either one of the following:
• the pair of the first type imaging devices are accommodated such that their optical axes while being parallel pointing in opposite directions;
• the angular motion mechanism further comprises a pair of light directing elements in the optical axes of said pair of the first type imaging devices, respectively, to redirect optical paths defined by the optical axes to opposite pointing directions, wherein the controllable oscillator is associated with either the pair of the light directing elements or the pair of the first type imaging devices.