Autonomous system for grain sampling and grading
OwnerJerry Hartema, Richard George Struve +1inventors
InventorsJerry Hartema, Richard George Struve, Robert Franklin Rasmus
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Abstract
Processes for an autonomous grain facility are described herein. The process could include sampling and grading. For sampling, the system controls a robot to capture position data of a trailer and area data of grain, determines one or more sampling areas within the trailer, and controls the robot to obtain a sample from each of the sampling areas. For grading, the system measures data with both a near infrared sensor and a second sensor, analyzes all of the data to determine a dispositive action to be performed on the respective sample, and controls the system to perform the dispositive action.
Claims20
A method for autonomously sampling grain, the method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more processors, an indication that a trailer containing the grain is stationary within a sampling system, the sampling system comprising at least a robot with a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor system;
- controlling, by the one or more processors, the robot to capture position data of the trailer and area data of the grain;
- determining, by the one or more processors, and based at least in part on the position data of the trailer and the area data of the grain, one or more sampling areas within the trailer for the grain;
- and
- controlling, by the one or more processors, the robot to obtain a sample of the grain from one or more of the one or more sampling areas within the trailer.
A sampling system:
- a robot comprising a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor system;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- receive an indication that a trailer containing the grain is stationary within the sampling system;
- control the robot to capture position data of the trailer and area data of the grain;
- determine, based at least in part on the position data of the trailer and the area data of the grain, one or more sampling areas within the trailer for the grain;
- and
- control the robot to obtain a sample of the grain from one or more of the one or more sampling areas within the trailer.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a sampling system to:
- receive an indication that a trailer containing the grain is stationary within the sampling system, the sampling system comprising at least a robot with a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor system;
- control the robot to capture position data of the trailer and area data of the grain;
- determine, and based at least in part on the position data of the trailer and the area data of the grain, one or more sampling areas within the trailer for the grain;
- and
- control the robot to obtain a sample of the grain from one or more of the one or more sampling areas within the trailer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.