Plant imaging and spectral scanning system and method
AssigneeDow AgroSciences LLC
InventorsKirsti A. Golgotiu, Brent Allen Gibson, Cory A. Christensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for imaging and scanning a plurality of plants to capture information related to plant performance. Plants move through the system on a conveyor belt in specialized plant container pot holders.
Claims26
An imaging booth for taking images of a plant located within a plant container moving on a conveyor belt through the imaging booth, the imaging booth comprising:
- a housing having an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant container to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt, respectively, the housing having a generally planar wall located on a first side of the conveyor belt and an arcuate wall located on a second, opposite side of the conveyor belt, the arcuate wall having a concave shape directed toward the generally planar wall;
- a plurality of lights located on the arcuate wall to illuminate the plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt in front of the generally planar wall;
- and
- a camera located in the housing above the conveyor belt to capture images of the illuminated plant in the plant container located on the conveyor belt.
A hyperspectral scanning booth for a plant located in a plant container moving through the scanning booth on a conveyor belt, the scanning booth comprising:
- a housing having an interior region, an entrance opening and an exit opening to permit the plant containers to enter and exit the housing on the conveyor belt passing through a bottom portion of the housing;
- at least one high intensity lamp located in the interior region of the housing above the conveyor belt to illuminate the plant located in the plant container on the conveyor belt;
- a spectroradiometer probe located in the interior region of the housing above the conveyor belt to capture a reflected spectral signature from the illuminated plant;
- and
- at least one shield located in the housing above the conveyor belt and below the at least one high intensity lamp and the probe, the at least one shield being configured to obscure the conveyor belt from the probe.
A holding apparatus for a plant located within a plant container, the apparatus comprising:
- a semi-spherical base having a flat bottom surface and a flange defining a top opening;
- and
- an upwardly extending tube coupled to the base, the tube having a first end located in the top opening of the base to secure the tube to the base, and the tube having a second open end configured to receive the plant container therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.