Abstract: An AI-based system and method for feed monitoring in a land-based fish farm, where the fish farm has a tank containing fish and an effluent pipe that is coupled to the tank where uneaten feed pellets and non-pellet objects flow through the effluent pipe to an exit port. A feed camera is mounted to an effluent pipe for capturing a video feed having images of objects that traverse a field of view of the feed camera when each image is acquired. A special-purpose computer executes a pellet-tracking algorithm that employs a region of interest (ROI) proposal module, an ROI classification module, an ROI tracking module, and a trajectory classification module for at least counting uneaten feed pellets. The computer generates in real time a pellet count based on the pellet trajectories.

Abstract: An automated mushroom harvesting system for mounting to a vertical mushroom rack comprises a robot having a frame mounted to a vertical carriage assembly. A SCARA arm is slidably mounted to the vertical carriage assembly by a vertical stage, operable to move the SCARA arm along a vertical mast. The SCARA arm moves the end effector in a horizontal plane for harvesting mushrooms, above the surface of the mushroom bed and into and out of the confines of the mushroom rack, and the vertical stage moves the SCARA arm in a vertical direction so as to access the mushrooms in a bed and to access mushroom beds on different levels of the vertical mushroom rack. An end effector having a helically reinforced neck and a graduated elasticity modulus, with a lower elasticity modulus in the neck and a higher elasticity in the cup, is also provided.

Abstract: A mushroom growing appliance includes a grow chamber defined within a cabinet and a climate control system for regulating the humidity and gas concentrations within the grow chamber. The climate control system includes a water reservoir positioned within the grow chamber for receiving water; a wicking filter positioned at least partially within the water reservoir for wicking the water into the wicking filter; a water supply system comprising a water storage tank that is mounted adjacent the cabinet above the water reservoir, the water storage tank fluidly coupled to the water reservoir through a water supply opening defined through the cabinet; a recirculation fan positioned adjacent the wicking filter for selectively urging a flow of recirculation air through the wicking filter and back into the grow chamber; and a fresh air fan positioned adjacent the wicking filter for urging a flow of fresh air through the wicking filter and into the grow chamber.

Abstract: An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow tower mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A hydration assembly is positioned within a root chamber and includes a nozzle support frame mounted at a top of the root chamber, the nozzle support frame comprising a plurality of support arms, at least one of the plurality of support arms being off-axis relative to the central axis of the grow tower, an upper nozzle mounted to the nozzle support frame proximate a top of the root chamber, a lower nozzle mounted to the nozzle support frame proximate a bottom of the root chamber, and a water supply for supplying a flow of fluid to at least one of the upper nozzle or the lower nozzle.

Abstract: A production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects includes at least one breeding surface used for breeding insects and laying out feed for the insects. An underfloor feed heating and/or cooling system with a closed flow of heating-cooling medium is used for heating/cooling the feed on the breeding surface. A method for breeding insects uses such a production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects. Another method for breeding insects lays out feed on the breeding surface and uses an underfloor feed heating and/or cooling system to heat and/or cool the feed. Such a method uses a heated production surface for rearing and/or breeding insects and/or larval forms of insects. The heated production surface features an electrical underfloor feed heating system.

Abstract: An animal storage and transportation device with an upper enclosure having a floor, a set of supports which elevate the upper enclosure above a horizontal surface, and a primary hole placed within the floor. One or more small animals within the upper enclosure are gravity fed into a transport container via a connection assembly positioned within the primary hole and attached to the floor and an aperture closing mechanism positioned underneath the primary hole which is adapted to open an aperture through which the small animals are transferred.

Abstract: Continuous insect-based biowaste processing apparatus has a tubular drum; a drive for rotatably driving the drum; a shaftless screw conveyor fixedly connected to an inner surface of the drum; circumferentially spaced cantilevered blades that (a) are connected to the inner drum surface and (b) each longitudinally extends throughout the drum; and a mechanism for introducing a conglomerate portion that includes biowaste and insect larvae into the drum interior. The screw conveyor is subdivided into longitudinally spaced chambers for the introduced insect larvae, each of the chambers being defined by two adjacent flights of the screw conveyor and by the blades. The size of the insect larvae progressively increases within a more distally located rearing chamber. Two or more blades firmly hold and unify the conglomerate portion throughout its residing time within the drum interior while being distally conveyed.

Abstract: Aeration and drying of subsurface soils with a subsurface irrigation system. An air inlet and bypass pressure regulator allow pressurized gas to be introduced into a zone of the system to aerate and dry a field. Pressurized gas or aerosolized agrochemicals are delivered through emitters integrated into the driplines within the system. Emitters integrated into the driplines allow aeration and drying of subsurface soils during times of season when high amounts of precipitation or localized flooding interfere with the systems use for irrigation.

Abstract: An insect breeding device comprising at least one insect cage; a bin for holding drinking water or a tap for providing drinking water; a first pipe connected to the tap for receiving the drinking water, wherein the pipe is entering the at least one insect cage through a first opening; a nozzle, coupled to the first pipe, positioned inside the at least one insect cage configured to deliver the drinking water to the interior of the at least one insect cage; and a second pipe, coupled to a second opening, different from the first opening and located in the top wall of the cage or in a side wall of the cage, in the at least one insect cage, configured to deliver conditioned air into the at least one insect cage; and a third pipe, coupled to a third opening, different from the first and second opening and located in the top wall of the cage or in a side wall of the cage opposite to the second opening, in the at least one insect cage, configured to receive the conditioned air from the at least one insect cage.

Abstract: A door for use with a cage for transporting poultry including a door assembly for mounting the door to the cage which is configured to limit vibration associated with the transporting of poultry in the cage and prevent the unintentional opening of the door.

Abstract: An insect breeding system (1) for the breeding of insect larvae, comprising a multitude of similar, stackable crates (20, 30, 40), a climate housing (2), and crate stacking equipment (3), wherein the multitude of similar, stackable crates each have a same width (D1), a same length (D2), a same corner structure (4) that comprises complementary lower elements (5) and upper elements (6), configured to allow stacking of the crates on top of each other by allowing the upper elements of a lower crate to interact with lower elements of an upper crate, and a containment area (7) defined by the width, the length, and a height of the crate.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus which houses and facilitate insect breeding, including but not limited to the breeding of black soldier flies (Hermetia Illucens). Embodiments of the invention house insects before, during, and after the mating process. Insects are inserted into the invention usually in a pre-sexually mature state (e.g. the larvae, prepupae, or pupae state). After a period of time, the insects become sexually mature and are able to mate. After mating, the insects are attracted to lay eggs (oviposit) onto egg collection substrates within the invention. Embodiments of the invention allow for the insect eggs to be collected periodically, and/or allows for the insect eggs to hatch in which case the newly emerged insects (e.g. larvae) are retrieved as frequently as desired.

Abstract: A plant water pot that automatically provides regular water to a plant and indicates a reduced water level. The plant water pot includes an inner wall that terminates at a lower end of a platform defining a receptacle in communication with an upper opening of the container. An interior volume is defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, while the interior volume retains a fluid. Nozzles are disposed about the inner wall and the nozzles are in fluid communication with the interior volume. A pump is disposed within an interior volume and is operably connected to each of the nozzles. An inlet is disposed through the upper wall and the inlet provides access to the interior volume.

Abstract: An automatic egg turner for an incubator includes an egg turning assembly mounted on an incubator base, the egg turning assembly includes an egg troughs, a connecting plate and an egg turning motor, the egg troughs is configured for holding several eggs and being respectively overlapped with the incubator base and the connecting plate, the connecting plate is movably connected into the incubator base, and the egg turning motor is mounted on a bottom of the incubator base and is configured for driving the connecting plate to slide left and right in the incubator base so as to drive the egg troughs to swing left and right in the incubator base.

Abstract: An apparatus, systems, and methods of providing enrichment to poultry during raising or maintaining of the poultry. One or more light sources project beams to generate laser spots at and around the poultry. A control regimen moves the light spots relative the poultry in generally random fashion during timed sessions for each given time period (e.g. each day). The spot movement is designed to promote benefits to poultry and producer in correlation to experimental data related to animal welfare, health, and commercial value.

Abstract: An inflatable crate assembly includes a base panel, a rear panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a top panel, where: the base panel, the rear panel, the first side panel, the second side panel, and the top panel are all formed from a single piece of drop stitch material; an inner wall of the drop stitch material forms at least a portion of an interior surface of the inflatable crate assembly; and an outer wall of the drop stitch material forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the inflatable crate assembly; and the inflatable crate also includes a drop stitch corner formed between each of the rear panel and the base panel, the first side panel and the base panel, the top panel and the first side panel, and the second side panel and the top panel.

Abstract: A gardening appliance includes a liner positioned within a cabinet and defining a grow chamber, a grow tower rotatably mounted within the liner and defining a root chamber, a hydration system comprising a water supply tank for storing water, a supply conduit fluidly coupling the water supply tank to a discharge nozzle, a supply pump for selectively urging the water through the discharge nozzle and a water level sensor operably coupled to the water supply tank. A controller obtains a water level of the water in the water supply tank using the water level sensor, determines a conservative water supply schedule based at least in part on the water level, and operates the hydration system to provide the water in accordance with the conservative water supply schedule, the conservative water supply schedule providing the water at a slower average hydration rate relative to the standard water supply schedule.

Abstract: A cat litter box system includes a sifter pan having a sifter pan floor with a plurality of thru holes therethrough. Sifter pan sidewalls surround and extend upwards from a perimeter of the sifter pan floor. A sifter pan rim is disposed on upper distal ends of the sifter pan sidewalls. The sifter pan rim extends laterally from the sifter pan sidewalls. A shield section includes shield section sidewalls having a lower rim portion configured to removably mount on an upper surface of the sifter pan rim. A front entryway is disposed in the shield section sidewalls. A plurality of removable sliding panels are stackable on top of one another within the front entryway. The sliding panels form an overspray barrier within the front entryway. The overspray barrier has an adjustable height based on the number of sliding panels stacked within the front entryway.

Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage, a battery accommodation cavity, a battery pack, a battery circuit board, and a functional module. The battery accommodation cavity is disposed on the fuselage. The battery pack includes at least two battery blocks which are mounted inside the battery accommodation cavity. The battery circuit board is electrically connected to the battery blocks in the battery pack. The functional module is electrically connected to the battery circuit board, and the battery blocks in the battery pack supply power to the functional module via the battery circuit board at the same time.

Abstract: A gardening appliance includes a grow tower rotatably mounted within a liner and defining a root chamber. A mixing tank defines a water inlet, a nutrient inlet, and a mixture outlet. An overflow protection system is operably coupled to the mixing tank and includes a wastewater reservoir, an overflow port fluidly coupled to the mixing tank, an overflow conduit providing fluid communication between the overflow port and the wastewater reservoir, and a one-way overflow valve fluidly coupled to the overflow conduit to prevent liquid flow back into the mixing tank.