Abstract: As organizations scale analytics, a challenge is the huge increase in number of analytics pipelines to be maintained by developers. In here, lies an example method and modular software architecture to assemble analytics pipeline from reusable components. (1) Reusable components can be utilities where each utility is versioned and has a collection of programming functions, also known as nodes, that follow “data-in-data-out” convention. As nodes are building blocks of a pipeline, an assembly instruction and human readable configurations can now be created to define a project pipeline from a repository of pipelines and well-versioned utilities. (2) By separating out re-usable functionalities from pipelines and data layers, this layered architecture can now support upgrades of functionalities overtime without re-writing of pipelines.

Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-bearing modules for re-use.

Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to Controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.

Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to Controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment, for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.

Abstract: An automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes a horizontal-to-vertical grow tower interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a processing system that performs one or more processing operations—such as harvesting, cleaning and/or transplanting—on the grow towers in a substantially horizontal orientation. The present disclosure also describes an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that selectively routes grow towers through various processing stages of an automated crop production system.

Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to be inserted in the controlled growth environment for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.

Abstract: As organizations scale analytics, a challenge is the huge increase in number of analytics pipelines to be maintained by developers. In here, lies an example method and modular software architecture to assemble analytics pipeline from reusable components. (1) Reusable components can be utilities where each utility is versioned and has a collection of programming functions, also known as nodes, that follow “data-in-data-out” convention. As nodes are building blocks of a pipeline, an assembly instruction and human readable configurations can now be created to define a project pipeline from a repository of pipelines and well-versioned utilities. (2) By separating out re-usable functionalities from pipelines and data layers, this layered architecture can now support upgrades of functionalities overtime without re-writing of pipelines.

Abstract: As organizations scale analytics, a challenge is the huge increase in number of analytics pipelines to be maintained by developers. In here, lies an example method and modular software architecture to assemble analytics pipeline from reusable components. (1) Reusable components can be utilities where each utility is versioned and has a collection of programming functions, also known as nodes, that follow “data-in-data-out” convention. As nodes are building blocks of a pipeline, an assembly instruction and human readable configurations can now be created to define a project pipeline from a repository of pipelines and well-versioned utilities. (2) By separating out re-usable functionalities from pipelines and data layers, this layered architecture can now support upgrades of functionalities overtime without re-writing of pipelines.

Abstract: A drive unit in a controlled agricultural environment increases a distance between an alignment element and a drive element in order to receive a plant support structure that is oriented non-vertically so that the plant support structure rests on the drive element or the alignment element. The drive unit decreases the distance between the alignment element and the drive element so that the alignment element or the drive element rests on the plant support structure. The drive element conveys the plant support structure along a direction of conveyance.

Abstract: Automated pickup and laydown systems for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes vertical grow towers. Some implementations of the invention can be used to create a horizontal-to-vertical interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a central processing system that processes (for example, harvests, cleans, transplants, etc.) the grow towers.

Abstract: Automated transplanter assemblies and systems. For example, the disclosure sets forth a plug holder and assembly adapted to transplant plugs into tight-fitting plug holders. The disclosure also conveys a transplanter assembly useful in transplant operations where a plug holder is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle to the surface of a grow tower or other structure that contains the plug holder. The disclosure also provides a transplanter system useful in transplanting plugs into grow towers.

Abstract: Facility layouts and configurations for an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture. In particular implementations, the core of the facility comprises a controlled growth environment and a central processing system. The controlled growth environment includes systems for exposing crops housed in modules, such as grow towers, to controlled environmental conditions. The central processing system may include various stations and functionality both for preparing crop-bearing modules to he inserted in the controlled growth environment for harvesting crops from the crop-bearing modules after they have been extracted from the controlled growth environment, and for cleaning or washing crop-hearing modules for re-use.

Abstract: An automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes a horizontal-to-vertical grow tower interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a processing system that performs one or more processing operations—such as harvesting, cleaning and/or transplanting—on the grow towers in a substantially horizontal orientation. The present disclosure also describes an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that selectively routes grow towers through various processing stages of an automated crop production system.

Abstract: An inference engine titled the Waste, Opportunity, and Risk Engine Query Language or (WORE-QL) that links rules to any business objects in a workplace source system. The rules are constructed from small building blocks of business logic (small rule sets) that operate on information contained in various objects. WORE-QL promotes cultural and engineering principles and values for teams to more quickly deliver high quality while generating textual analyses and recommendations for changes associated with a project or roll up of projects with approximate cost, time, resource, and application-based savings.

Abstract: A system for performing recipe conversion is disclosed. The recipe resulting from the conversion may produce superior and more consistent results for less experienced cooks, particularly when instructions are ported to a cooking system that provides step-by-step guidance with a high level of thermal and time control for critical recipe steps. Further, a converted recipe may optionally include more precise instructions and/or graphic content to assist less experienced cooks. The system analyzes, via natural language processing, an original recipe to identify recipe stages and to determine cooking stages corresponding to the recipe stages. The system correlates the cooking stages to machine instructions, and modifies recipe stages to include enhanced content by using the machine instructions. The system reformats the recipe into a digital file that includes a machine instruction set, which is provided to a device to facilitate the performance of recipe stages when preparing a food item.

Abstract: An inference engine titled the Waste, Opportunity, and Risk Engine Query Language or (WORE-QL) that links rules to any business objects in a workplace source system. The rules are constructed from small building blocks of business logic (small rule sets) that operate on information contained in various objects. WORE-QL promotes cultural and engineering principles and values for teams to more quickly deliver high quality while generating textual analyses and recommendations for changes associated with a project or roll up of projects with approximate cost, time, resource, and application-based savings.

Abstract: A dynamic tactile interface includes: a substrate including a first transparent material and defining an attachment surface, an open channel opposite the attachment surface, and a fluid conduit intersecting the open channel and passing through the attachment surface; a tactile layer including a second transparent material and defining a tactile surface, a peripheral region bonded to the attachment surface opposite the tactile surface, and a deformable region adjacent the fluid conduit and disconnected from the attachment surface; a closing panel bonded to the substrate opposite the attachment surface and enclosing the open channel to define a fluid channel; a working fluid; and a displacement device configured to displace the working fluid into the fluid channel and through the fluid conduit to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting to an expanded setting.

Abstract: One variation of a dynamic tactile interface includes: a substrate including a first transparent material and defining an attachment surface, an open channel opposite the attachment surface, and a fluid conduit intersecting the open channel and passing through the attachment surface; a tactile layer including a second transparent material and defining a tactile surface, a peripheral region bonded to the attachment surface opposite the tactile surface, and a deformable region adjacent the fluid conduit and disconnected from the attachment surface; a closing panel bonded to the substrate opposite the attachment surface and enclosing the open channel to define a fluid channel; a working fluid; and a displacement device configured to displace the working fluid into the fluid channel and through the fluid conduit to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting to an expanded setting.