Abstract: A method of monitoring agricultural spray performance includes spraying a fluid from spray nozzles, sensing spray parameters (e.g., droplet size, a flow rate, an application density, or a pressure of the fluid) for the spray nozzles, receiving the spray parameters, generating an average spray parameter value, determining a minimum spray parameter value and a maximum spray parameter value, and displaying the average, minimum, and maximum spray parameter values. Other methods include spraying a fluid from a spray nozzle, sensing a spray parameter for the spray nozzle, detecting that the spray parameter has exceeded a pre-defined threshold value, displaying an alarm, and ceasing spraying the fluid from the spray nozzle. A user interface continues to display the alarm after the act of ceasing spraying the fluid. Related systems and other methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A monitoring system for an agricultural sprayer includes a spray nozzle, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, and control circuitry. The spray nozzle is configured to generate a spray of a fluid, the pressure sensor is adjacent to the spray nozzle and is configured to measure a pressure of the fluid sprayed by the spray nozzle, and the flow rate sensor is adjacent to the spray nozzle and is configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid sprayed by the spray nozzle. The control circuitry is configured to receive the measured pressure from the pressure sensor, receive the measured flow rate from the flow rate sensor, and cause a user interface to display the measured pressure and the measured flow rate. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A monitoring system for an agricultural sprayer includes a spray nozzle, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, and control circuitry. The spray nozzle is configured to generate a spray of a fluid, the pressure sensor is adjacent to the spray nozzle and is configured to measure a pressure of the fluid sprayed by the spray nozzle, and the flow rate sensor is adjacent to the spray nozzle and is configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid sprayed by the spray nozzle. The control circuitry is configured to receive the measured pressure from the pressure sensor, receive the measured flow rate from the flow rate sensor, and cause a user interface to display the measured pressure and the measured flow rate. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A dry-particulate monitoring system for a machine that distributes dry-particulate to the ground by metering product into a flowing airstream. The airstream is diverted into several tubes mounted on booms covering some horizontal distance. At the end of each tube is a deflector designed to direct the flow of material to a desired location with a particular coverage. An acoustic-based sensor of the preferred embodiment is placed on each deflector to detect material flowing through each tube or pipe or against the deflector. The information that is gathered from the sensors is sent to the dry-particulate spreader operator, who is able to view the real time operation of the dry-particulate flow. The system may be capable of detecting presence or absence of flow (i.e., blockage), or may detect variance of flow in individual pipes over time, or variances of flow between different pipes.

Abstract: An innovative spraying system, comprising features such as a weather station that senses environmental factors that may affect spraying operations, a system for creating and distributing droplets of a uniform and appropriate size, a flow management system that would allow the sprayer to control nozzle rate and direction individually, a high-rate flow system capable of filling the sprayer at rates of up to at least 400 gallons per minute, a modular chemical cartridge system, in which various chemicals are stored in pre-loaded, easy to install cartridges, a direct injection system, mixing chemicals and water as needed, optionally based on sensed changing conditions, electrostatic application of chemical to optimize the amount of chemical applied to plant matter.

Abstract: A dry-particulate monitoring system for a machine that distributes dry-particulate to the ground by metering product into a flowing airstream. The airstream is diverted into several tubes mounted on booms covering some horizontal distance. At the end of each tube is a deflector designed to direct the flow of material to a desired location with a particular coverage. An acoustic-based sensor of the preferred embodiment is placed on each deflector to detect material flowing through each tube or pipe or against the deflector. The information that is gathered from the sensors is sent to the dry-particulate spreader operator, who is able to view the real time operation of the dry-particulate flow. The system may be capable of detecting presence or absence of flow (i.e., blockage), or may detect variance of flow in individual pipes over time, or variances of flow between different pipes.

Abstract: An innovative spraying system, comprising features such as a weather station that senses environmental factors that may affect spraying operations, a system for creating and distributing droplets of a uniform and appropriate size, a flow management system that would allow the sprayer to control nozzle rate and direction individually, a high-rate flow system capable of filling the sprayer at rates of up to at least 400 gallons per minute, a modular chemical cartridge system, in which various chemicals are stored in pre-loaded, easy to install cartridges, a direct injection system, mixing chemicals and water as needed, optionally based on sensed changing conditions, electrostatic application of chemical to optimize the amount of chemical applied to plant matter.

Abstract: An agricultural planting system and method comprising a soil sampling and analysis means, wherein soil samples are taken and analyzed in real-time during a planting operation (or, optionally, via a separate, prior operation) to determine the conditions and nutrient content of the soil, and a planting system, wherein the planting system is capable of planting seeds in any arbitrary position on an X-Y plane directly beneath the planting system, whereby the data gathered from the analyzed soil samples are used to determine the optimal placement of seeds or plants in a field in order to take advantage of the soil conditions present and to optimize crop yield.

Abstract: A wireless camera system for mobile operations, comprising a mobile device, a software application, and at least one camera module, the at least one camera module comprising an image capture device, a memory, and a communications link, wherein the at least one camera module is mounted on or near a vehicle, wherein the software application is executing on the mobile device, wherein images captured by the at least one camera module may be transmitted over the communications link to the mobile device, wherein the software application processes images received from the at least one camera module, and wherein the software application displays the processed images on the screen of the mobile device.

Abstract: An opt-out privacy management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle flight planning application, comprising an internet-based user input device, an internet-based opt-out request management application, and an internet-based do-not-fly database application in communication with an existing, external aircraft safety system, wherein a user can enter a property opt-out request into the user input device, which sends the property opt-out request to the do-not-fly database application, and the do-not-fly database application communicates the property opt-out request to the at least one existing, external aircraft safety system.

Abstract: An automated flight control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising a flight computer for managing functions related to a flight of the UAV, an application processor for managing functions on the UAV not related to flight, a flight data recorder to record data related to a flight of the UAV, an attitude and heading reference system, a global navigation satellite system receiver, a self-separation module for communicating with another aircraft for the purpose of avoiding a collision, and a wireless communications module for communicating with the remote system, wherein the automated flight control system is capable of receiving operational instructions via the wireless communications module from the remote system.

Abstract: A system for managing user requests for information obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising an internet-based user input device, an internet-based information request database application, an internet-based do-not-fly database application, an internet-based flight plan notification system application in communications with an existing, external aircraft safety system, and a communications link to an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein a user can enter a request for information into the user input device, which sends the request for information to the information request database application, which processes the request for information by evaluating the request for information against information from the do-not-fly database application and information from the flight plan notification system to create a flight profile.

Abstract: A flexible seed metering disk, comprising a first disk layer, and a second disk layer, wherein the first disk layer has a first pattern of holes which pass completely through the first disk layer, wherein the second disk layer has a second pattern of holes which pass completely through the second disk layer, and wherein the first disk layer is placed in contact with the second disk layer such that at least a subset of holes from the first pattern of holes lines up with at least a subset of holes from the second pattern of holes, creating openings in the flexible seed metering disk which pass through both the first disk layer and the second disk layer, whereby various configurations of the flexible seed metering disk can be created by rotating the first disk layer in relation to the second disk layer to create alternative alignments.

Abstract: An agricultural planting system and method comprising a soil sampling and analysis means, wherein soil samples are taken and analyzed in real-time during a planting operation (or, optionally, via a separate, prior operation) to determine the conditions and nutrient content of the soil, and a planting system, wherein the planting system is capable of planting seeds in any arbitrary position on an X-Y plane directly beneath the planting system, whereby the data gathered from the analyzed soil samples is used to determine the optimal placement of seeds or plants in a field in order to take advantage of the soil conditions present and to optimize crop yield.

Abstract: A system and method of acquiring information from an image of a vehicle in real time wherein at least one imaging device with advanced light metering capabilities is placed aboard a unmanned aerial vehicle, a computer processor means is provided to control the imaging device and the advanced light metering capabilities, the advanced light metering capabilities are used to capture an image of at least a portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and image recognition algorithms are used to identify the current state or position of the corresponding portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle.