Apparatuses and methods for managing agricultural crops

A method of managing an agricultural crop, including:

• obtaining a map of the crop to be managed;
• utilizing the map and a navigation system to move a vehicle through the crop;
• specifying a type of item to be removed from the crop;
• storing an image of the type of item to be removed in a data storage system;
• capturing an image of a portion of the crop;
• comparing the captured image with the stored image and determining whether the captured image includes the type of item to be removed from the crop;
• if the captured image includes the type of item to be removed from the crop, aiming a removal tool at the item to be removed from the crop shown in the captured image;
• and
• attempting to remove the item to be removed from the crop shown in the captured image by activating the removal tool.

A method of managing an agricultural crop, including:

• obtaining a map of the crop to be managed;
• utilizing the map and a navigation system to move a vehicle through the crop;
• specifying a type of item to be removed from the crop;
• storing an image of the type of item to be removed in a data storage system;
• capturing a first image of a portion of the crop with a first camera;
• capturing a second image of the portion of the crop with a second camera;
• comparing the first image with the stored image and determining whether the first image includes the type of item to be removed from the crop;
• if the first image includes the type of item to be removed from the crop:
• rectifying the first image and the second image;
• aligning the first image and the second image horizontally;
• translating the coordinates of the item to be removed from the crop in the first image to account for rectification of the images;
• defining a virtual boundary around the item to be removed from the crop in the first image;
• extracting a visual feature located inside the boundary;
• reviewing the second image for a visual feature corresponding to the visual feature extracted from the first image;
• if the second image includes a visual feature corresponding to the visual feature extracted from the first image, filtering the corresponding visual features and confirming that the matching visual features appear on the surface the item to be removed from the crop in both images;
• determining if the corresponding visual features appear on a common horizontal line in the first and second images, and if so, calculating the pixel difference between the first image and the second image and determining a raw pixel shift value;
• determining a conversion factor and converting the raw pixel shift value to a depth estimate;
• utilizing the x,y coordinates of the item to be removed from the crop shown in the first image;
• calculating a depth estimate for the location of the item to be removed from the crop shown in the first image;
• mapping in three dimensional space the location of the item to be removed from the crop shown in the first image in relation to the position of a removal tool;
• aiming a removal tool at the item to be removed from the crop shown in the first image;
• and
• attempting to remove the item to be removed from the crop shown in the first image by activating the removal tool.

A method of identifying the location of an item, including:

• specifying a type of item to be identified;
• storing an image of the type of item to be identified in a data storage system;
• capturing a first image of an area with a first camera;
• capturing a second image of the area with a second camera;
• comparing the first image with the stored image and determining whether the first image includes the type of item to be identified;
• if the first image includes the type of item to be identified:
• rectifying the first image and the second image;
• aligning the first image and the second image horizontally;
• translating the coordinates of the item to be identified in the first image to account for rectification of the images;
• defining a virtual boundary around the item to be identified in the first image;
• extracting a visual feature located inside the boundary;
• reviewing the second image for a visual feature corresponding to the visual feature extracted from the first image;
• if the second image includes a visual feature corresponding to the visual feature extracted from the first image, filtering the corresponding visual features and confirming that the matching visual features appear on the surface the item to be identified in both images;
• determining if the corresponding visual features appear on a common horizontal line in the first and second images, and if so, calculating the pixel difference between the first image and the second image and determining a raw pixel shift value;
• determining a conversion factor and converting the raw pixel shift value to a depth estimate;
• utilizing the x,y coordinates of the item to be identified shown in the first image;
• calculating a depth estimate for the location of the item to be identified shown in the first image;
• and
• mapping in three dimensional space the location of the item to be identified shown in the first image.

A method of identifying an item, including:

• specifying a type of item to be identified;
• storing an image of the type of item to be identified in a data storage system;
• capturing an image of a location;
• and
• comparing the captured image with the stored image and determining whether the captured image includes the type of item to be identified.