Tree seedling inventory system
AssigneeAuburn University
InventorsYin Bao, James L. Johnson, Bobby Bradford, Rafael Bidese Puhl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present tree seedling inventory system includes both a mobile platform used to obtain images of seedlings and a tree seedling inventory system to count the seedlings. A recurrent neural network can receive processed imaging data and utilize a model to accurately count the seedlings as the mobile platform passes along a seedling bed. The system may also provide additional accurate seedling quality data about the seedlings, such as shoot height, root collar diameter, and needle coloration.
Claims19
A method for conducting an inventory of a plurality of seedlings planted in a seedling bed, the method comprising:
- moving a mobile platform along the seedling bed;
- bending over each of the plurality of seedlings with a rolling push bar mounted on the mobile platform as the mobile platform moves along the seedling bed, wherein the rolling push bar is mounted substantially horizontally to the mobile platform at a height relative to the height of the seedlings which allows the rolling push bar to bend the seedlings to expose their stems, while also permitting the seedlings to spring back when released from contact with the rolling push bar;
- acquiring actual imaging data of the plurality of seedlings from at least one imaging sensor located on the mobile platform above the rolling push bar as the mobile platform moves along the seedling bed;
- cropping the actual imaging data of the plurality of seedlings to smaller clips of each of the plurality of seedlings in a preprocessing component to form at least one video input showing each of the plurality of seedlings bent over;
- computing at least one optical flow input between imaging frames of the actual imaging data using the preprocessing component;
- and
- providing the at least one video input and the at least one optical flow input to an inventory model of a modeling component to determine a seedling count of the plurality of seedlings.
A system for conducting an inventory of a plurality of seedlings planted in a seedling bed, the system comprising:
- a memory comprising computer readable instructions;
- a processor configured to read the computer readable instructions that when executed causes the system to:
- move a mobile platform along the seedling bed;
- bend over each of the plurality of seedlings with a rolling push bar mounted on the mobile platform as the mobile platform moves along the seedling bed, wherein the rolling push bar is mounted substantially horizontally to the mobile platform at a height relative to the height of the seedlings which allows the rolling push bar to bend the seedlings to expose their stems, while also permitting the seedlings to spring back when released from contact with the rolling push bar;
- acquire actual imaging data of the plurality of seedlings from at least one imaging sensor located on the mobile platform above the rolling push bar as the mobile platform moves along the seedling bed;
- crop the actual imaging data of the plurality of seedlings to smaller clips of each of the plurality of seedlings in a preprocessing component to form at least one video input showing each of the plurality of seedlings bent over;
- compute at least one optical flow input between imaging frames of the actual imaging data using the preprocessing component;
- and
- provide the at least one video input and the at least one optical flow input to an inventory model of a modeling component to determine a seedling count of the plurality of seedlings.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable code to conduct an inventory of a plurality of seedlings planted in a seedling bed on a system that when executed by a processor, causes the system to:
- move a mobile platform along the seedling bed above the plurality of seedlings;
- bend over each of the plurality of seedlings with a rolling push bar mounted on the mobile platform as the mobile platform moves along the seedling bed, wherein the rolling push bar is mounted to the mobile platform at a height relative to the height of the seedlings which allows the rolling push bar to bend the seedlings to expose their stems, while also permitting the seedlings to spring back when released from contact with the rolling push bar;
- acquire actual imaging data of the plurality of seedlings from at least one imaging sensor located on the mobile platform above the rolling push bar as the mobile platform moves along the seedling bed;
- crop the actual imaging data of the plurality of seedlings to smaller clips of each of the plurality of seedlings in a preprocessing component to form at least one video input showing each of the plurality of seedlings bent over;
- compute at least one optical flow input between imaging frames of the actual imaging data using the preprocessing component;
- and
- provide the at least one video input and the at least one optical flow input to an inventory model of a modeling component to determine a seedling count of the plurality of seedlings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.