Device and method for propagating plants

A method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), comprising the steps of:

• recording a plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) at least in regions by an image recognition device;
• recognizing plant-specific features by a control unit (17, 35, 47) on the basis of items of information obtained by the image recognition device about the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64);
• in dependence on the recognized features, cutting at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) automatically by a cutting means from the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) for propagation;
• selecting a type and physical properties of the cutting means in accordance with the recognized plant-specific features of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) to increase a propagation rate of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), wherein, in dependence on the recognized plant-specific features, a blade, a laser beam (23, 36, 48), a water jet, a plasma beam, or a hot wire is used as the cutting means, wherein the physical properties of the cutting means are adapted specifically to an application;
• automatically modulating the cutting means in dependence on the plant-specific features recognized by the control unit (17, 35, 47);
• recording the at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) by an image recognition device and, by a neural network;
• ascertaining an optimum position for grasping the at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) and ascertaining an optimum cutting line for cutting the component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64);
• and
• cutting the at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) along the cutting line into clones using the cutting means,
• wherein the plant-specific features of each plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) are recognized by the control unit (17, 35, 47), fully automatically and by the neural network, on the basis of the items of information obtained by the image recognition device and on the basis of corresponding previously stored features of a similar plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64),
• wherein the cutting means is modulated in dependence on a recognized one of the plant-specific features in such a way that a pattern for cutting the plant is ascertained on the basis of the items of information obtained by the image recognition device and on the basis of corresponding previously stored features of a similar plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), whereby the pattern for cutting the plant is optimized for root development and subsequent accelerated growth and propagation of the clones generated so as to cut the plant without contact and without crushing the plant,
• wherein modulation of the physical properties of the cutting means is selected according to a tissue type of the plant in such a way that exposed plant tissue is stimulated by the cutting means cutting the at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) for enhanced growth, and
• wherein the at least one component (24, 40, 51) cut from the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or a clone of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is transported away on a sterile conveying means (25, 41, 43),
• wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is recorded by at least two cameras (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62), namely camera pairs, of the image recognition device from various perspectives to create an at least partially three-dimensional representation of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64),
• wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), during the recording by the image recognition device, hangs on a gripping means (18) or lies or stands on the conveying means (14, 25, 41, 43) or is held by a person,
• wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is first grasped by a first gripping means (18) and isolated, the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is deliberately cut into multiple individual clones while hanging on the first gripping means (18), and the multiple individual clones are automatically transported away by a second gripping means (26) for further processing,
• wherein a coordinate set is assigned to the clone of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) and/or the at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) during the transport or transport away on the conveying means (14, 25, 41, 43), to be able to uniquely identify the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or the at least one component (24, 40, 51) during the method,
• wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is reoriented by rotation by a gripping means (18) between two image recordings by the image recognition device, in order to record the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) by way of the image recognition device from various perspectives.