Robotic weed control apparatus and method
AssigneeGreenfield Robotics Corporation
InventorsClinton W. Brauer, Royce A. Steinert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for weed removal includes a chassis and at least two end effectors mechanically coupled to the chassis, each end effectors including a rotary axle, each rotary axle coupled to a drive unit for receiving a mechanical force to cause the rotary axle to rotate. The rotary axles, along with weed abrasion members coupled thereto, are at least partially covered by a deflector. A front end effector is configured to dislodge a crown and/or stem portion of unwanted plant material from the ground, while another end effector is configured to convert the unwanted plant material that has been dislodged from the ground into mulch.
Claims21
-17. (canceled)
A method for weed control, comprising:
- disturbing a top portion of soil using a first plurality of abrasion members of a first end effector, thereby dislodging at least a portion of an unwanted plant material from a ground, the first end effector comprising a first deflector covering the first plurality of abrasion members;
- converting the at least the portion of the unwanted plant material into mulch using a second plurality of abrasion members of a second end effector;
- and
- depositing the mulch back onto the ground, at least in part by a rotational motion of the second plurality of abrasion members within a second deflector of the second end effector covering the second plurality of abrasion members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.