Method for managing an agricultural vehicle during harvesting process in a plantation of fruit trees, such as an orange orchard

A non-transitory computer-readable media, comprising:

• a memory encoding processor-executable routines;
• a processing system configured to access the memory and to execute the processor-executable routines, wherein the processor-executable routines, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
• perform a process of recognizing trunks of fruit trees of a plantation to be worked by means of a first three-dimensional (3D) sensor system interfaced with a processor of an agricultural vehicle, wherein the agricultural vehicle is shaped to have a portal configured to move over a crop row as the agricultural vehicle moves over the crop row and the agricultural vehicle comprises a couple of rotors arranged to work simultaneously on opposite sides of each plant of the crop row, and wherein the first 3D sensor system comprises a couple of 3D sensors arranged in a lower portion of the agricultural vehicle on opposite sides of the agricultural vehicle and oriented to converge on a common point approximately on a vehicle center line axis in front of the agricultural vehicle, the process comprising the following steps of:
• simultaneously acquiring two point clouds obtained from the couple of 3D sensors;
• merging of the two point clouds to obtain a cumulative point cloud;
• processing of the cumulative point cloud to obtain a first two-dimensional map as a horizontal slice approximately parallel with a ground;
• and
• performing a first fitting of pseudo-ellipsoids in the first two-dimensional map in order to identify the trunks of plants being worked in the crop row.

An agricultural vehicle, comprising:

• a propulsion system;
• a braking and steering system, wherein the agricultural vehicle is shaped to have a portal configured to move over a crop row as the agricultural vehicle moves over the crop row;
• a couple of rotors arranged to work simultaneously on opposite sides of each plant of the crop row;
• a processor;
• and
• a first three-dimensional (3D) sensor system interfaced with the processor, wherein the first 3D sensor system comprises a couple of 3D sensors arranged in a lower portion of the agricultural vehicle on opposite sides of the agricultural vehicle and oriented to converge on a common point approximately on a vehicle center line axis in front of the agricultural vehicle,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• simultaneously acquire two point clouds obtained from the couple of 3D sensors;
• merge the two point clouds to obtain a merged point cloud;
• process the merged point cloud to obtain a first two-dimensional map as a horizontal slice approximately parallel with a ground;
• and
• perform a first fitting of pseudo-ellipsoids in the first two-dimensional map in order to identify trunks of plants being worked in the crop row.