Intelligent turf maintenance system for divot detection and repair

A turf repair and condition-management system configured for automated detection, filling, and monitoring of divots and turf surface irregularities, the system comprising:

• a modular frame having a mechanical interface configured for removable coupling to a host vehicle;
• a hopper mounted on the modular frame and configured to store a dry repair material comprising sand, seed, or a mixture thereof;
• an air-assisted manifold coupled to the hopper and configured to propel the dry repair material through a plurality of conduits;
• a dispensing array comprising a plurality of dispensing nozzles, each dispensing nozzle fluidly coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of conduits and including an individually controllable valve;
• a liquid-mist subsystem co-located with the dispensing array and configured to operate in a selectable mode, including at least one of the following:
• a dry mode in which the dry repair material is delivered without liquid addition;
• a mist mode in which atomized water is emitted to reduce dust and hydrate seed upon impact;
• a binder mode in which a tackifier solution is emitted to create semi-permanent cohesion of the deposited repair material;
• or
• a growth mode in which a grass-growth solution containing at least one of a biostimulant, nutrient complex, or microbial accelerant is atomized onto the repaired divot area to promote accelerated turf regrowth;
• a control system operatively coupled to the air-assisted manifold, the dispensing array, and the liquid-mist subsystem, the control system configured to:
• receive input from one or more sensors detecting at least one of airflow, humidity, temperature, vehicle speed, material-discharge rate, or divot geometry;
• dynamically, based on the selectable mode, modulate a mist flow rate, a droplet size, and a binder or a growth-solution concentration based on the received sensor input or stored operational data;
• and
• maintain a dry internal delivery path while providing external wetting of the repair material for deposition stability.

A turf repair and condition-management system configured for automated detection, filling, and monitoring of divots and turf surface irregularities, the system comprising:

• a ground unit including:
• a hopper configured to store a dry repair material comprising sand, seed, or a mixture thereof;
• an air-assisted manifold coupled to the hopper and configured to propel the dry repair material through a plurality of conduits;
• a plurality of dispensing nozzles each fluidly coupled to a corresponding one of the conduits and including an individually controllable valve;
• a liquid-mist subsystem positioned proximate the plurality of dispensing nozzles and configured to emit a liquid mist into a propelled repair-material plume during discharge such that the liquid and the dry repair material mix in flight or upon impact with a turf surface;
• and
• a control system configured to synchronize actuation of the air-assisted manifold, the individually controllable valves, and the liquid-mist subsystem based on detected divot geometry and platform speed;
• at least one aerial drone configured to perform aerial mapping of divots and to transmit geographic coordinate data to the ground unit;
• a GPS-linked control interface in communication with the ground unit and the at least one aerial drone, the GPS-linked control interface configured to associate each mapped divot with a recorded repair event;
• an analytics processor configured to track turf-regrowth conditions using optical or multispectral data and to predict high-wear zones based on historical and environmental information;
• and
• a wireless communication module configured to enable synchronized operation between the ground unit and the at least one aerial drone during automated or semi-autonomous repair cycles.