Agricultural autonomous vehicle platform with articulated base
AssigneeRowBot Systems LLC
InventorsMatthew Camacho-Cook, John E. Bares, Kent Cavender-Bares
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autonomous vehicle platform and system for selectively performing an in-season management task in an agricultural field while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, the autonomous vehicle platform having a vehicle base with a width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops, the vehicle base having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is pivotably coupled to the second portion, and each of portion is operably coupled to at least one ground engaging wheel.
Claims20
An autonomous vehicle platform for selectively performing an in-season management task in an agricultural field while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, comprising:
- a vehicle base having a width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops, the vehicle base comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion each include at least one ground engaging wheel, and are pivotably coupled to one another by an active pivotal coupling configured to enable pivoting of the first portion relative to the second portion to affect steering of the autonomous vehicle platform;
- at least one powertrain fixedly coupled to the vehicle base and operably coupled to at least one of the ground engaging wheels;
- an in-season management task structure;
- a navigation module;
- and
- a microprocessor in communication with the in-season management task module and the navigation module, programmed with a self-direction program configured to control the active pivotal coupling to autonomously steer the autonomous vehicle platform while performing an in-season management task.
An autonomous vehicle platform system for selectively performing an in-season management task in an agricultural field while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, comprising:
- one or more autonomous vehicle platform comprising:
- a base having a width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops, the vehicle base comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion each include at least one ground engaging wheel, and are pivotably coupled to one another by an active pivotal coupling configured to enable pivoting of the first portion relative to the second portion to affect steering of the autonomous vehicle platform;
- at least one powertrain fixedly coupled to the vehicle base and operably coupled to at least one of the ground engaging wheels;
- an in-season management task module;
- a navigation module;
- and
- a microprocessor in communication with the in-season management task module and the navigation module, programmed with a self-direction program configured to control the active pivotal coupling to autonomously vehicle platform while performing an in-season management task.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.