Abstract: Systems and methods for the automated aerial application of chemicals onto agricultural areas. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are configured to selectively attach to modular sprayer payloads, each payload having a payload reservoir, a spray nozzle, a pump, and a battery. A ground station having landing pads for the UAVs is configured to coordinate and automatically fill at least one payload reservoir from a material tank and provide the payload to a given UAV. A control subsystem can determine a mission plan and command the UAV to selectively deliver the contents of the payload reservoir to at least a portion of one or more agricultural areas.

Abstract: Systems and methods to analyze visible, near infrared, and thermal imagery of a land parcel in order to track and report changes to that land. A set of image processing techniques and algorithms can be utilized to generate composite images, align the imagery, compute differences, detect which features have changed, and meaningfully display the changed features. A moving window calculates differences in intensity between a first composite image and a second composite image and compares the differences against a threshold value. An interactive overlay user interface allows a user to adjust the magnitude and particular areas to be analyzed and presents the change.

Abstract: A cane harvester including sugar cane lifting, gathering and severing structure operative to engage, lift and sever the tops and bottoms of cane oriented in a row along which the harvester is advanced with the cut cane subsequently being conveyed in an upright position and then discharged rearwardly and downwardly, in a rearwardly and upwardly inclined position, into a forwardly and upwardly opening cutter assembly operative to simultaneously sever the cane into billet lengths at points spaced predetermined distances therealong with leaf portions of the cane being simultaneously severed at the same points spaced along the cane to thereby provide cleanly cut cane billets having had a majority of the leaf portions severed therefrom and thus substantially ready for processing in the manufacture of cane sugar.

Abstract: A cane harvester including sugar cane lifting, gathering and severing structure operative to engage, lift and sever the tops and bottoms of cane oriented in a row along which the harvester is advanced with the cut cane subsequently being conveyed in an upright position and then discharged rearwardly and downwardly, in a rearwardly and upwardly inclined position, into a forwardly and upwardly opening cutter assembly operative to simultaneously sever the cane into billet lengths at points spaced predetermined distances therealong with leaf portions of the cane being simultaneously severed at the same points spaced along the cane to thereby provide cleanly cut cane billets having had a majority of the leaf portions severed therefrom and thus substantially ready for processing in the manufacture of cane sugar.

Abstract: A two-row sugar cane harvester utilizing a single crossing arm for conveying two rows of cane rearwardly, merging the two rows of cane and discharging the two rows of cane at laterally adjusted positions in relation to the path of travel of the harvester with the crossing arm including a laterally adjustable discharge mechanism enabling six-row heaps of sugar cane to be formed without rolling over the initial row. The crossing arm includes a unique powered sticker chain arrangement oriented in opposed relation to a non-powered roller chain for gripping and conveying the sugar cane stalks in relation to the harvester. The forward end of the harvester includes a novel arrangement of lower and upper pairs of scroll-type gathering and lifting devices and a novel cutting and shredding assembly for cutting and chopping the immature upper end portions of the sugar cane stalks.