Abstract: The invention relates to a robotic weeding equipment for agriculture robotic weeding system, comprising: a plant squeezer for squeezing cultivated plants, comprising a narrowing end portion and two longitudinal sides, extending backwards from the narrowing end portion when mounted on the agriculture robotic weeding system; a plant squeezer actuator operably connected to the plant squeezer for vertical displacement of the plant squeezer when mounted on the agriculture robotic weeding system; an image recognition device for identification of weeds; and a weed treatment processing device. The plant squeezer is configured to squeeze two parallel rows of cultivated plants to increase the weeding surface between said two parallel rows of cultivated plants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an agricultural telescopic unit (10) for treating an area of a cultivated field (400), comprising a telescopic structure (20) adapted to be actuated between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration. The telescopic structure (20) comprises at least a proximal case (100) and a distal nestable case (300). The distal nestable case (300) is slidably connected to the proximal case (100) to move into or outside the proximal case (100) when the telescopic structure (20) is respectively moved in the retracted and deployed configuration. The proximal case (100) and the distal nestable case (300) each comprises each a top wall (102, 302) arranged to be in a plane substantially parallel to the cultivated field (400) when the agricultural telescopic unit (10) is operating with the telescopic structure (20) in the deployed configuration, and two opposite side walls (104, 106, 304, 306).

Abstract: Described herein is a method of operation of a control system for spraying agrochemicals using a spray assembly. The method comprises defining a position of a first spot spray based on a position of a leading edge of a target object and then defining an initial position in terms of a transverse offset and a longitudinal offset relative to the first spot spray, of at least one new adjacent spot spray such that the combined dose of the first and new spot sprays forms a continuous spray zone that covers a portion of the target object. A two-dimensional dose map resulting from the first and new spot sprays is then determined and used to identify whether pre-defined dose criteria are met. If they are not met, the method comprises adjusting the offsets of the at least one new adjacent spot spray to optimise a received dose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an agricultural system for spraying an area of a cultivated field, including a spraying equipment. The spraying equipment comprises a first and a second supporting structures extending perpendicularly to the travel direction of the agricultural system when operating. The first supporting structure comprises a first array of nozzles separated from each other by a first distance while the second supporting structure comprises a second array of nozzles separated from each other by a second distance smaller than the first distance. The spatial resolution of spot sprays that may be sprayed by the second array of nozzles is higher than the spatial resolution of spot sprays that may be sprayed by the first array of nozzles when the first and second supporting structures are at the same height such that the first and second arrays of nozzles may perform respectively low and high-resolution spot sprays.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of selectively spraying an area of a cultivated field (10) with an agriculture spraying vehicle. The vehicle comprises a spraying equipment (200) having at least one imaging system (210), and at least one trailing spray bar (300) comprising a plurality of electromechanical nozzles (310) spaced apart from each other by a constant pitch distance. The plurality of electromechanical nozzles (310) includes a corresponding plurality of nozzles (314) and of electromechanical valves (312). The agriculture spraying equipment (200) further comprises a control unit (220) including a processing unit to control the electromechanical valve (312) of each electromechanical nozzle (310).

Abstract: The invention relates to a robotic weeding equipment (10) for agriculture robotic weeding system (100), comprising: a plant squeezer (12) for squeezing cultivated plants (80), comprising a narrowing end portion (16) and two longitudinal sides (14a, 14b), said two longitudinal sides extending backwards from the narrowing end portion (16) when mounted on the agriculture robotic weeding system (100); a plant squeezer actuator (20) operably connected to the plant squeezer (12) for vertical displacement of the plant squeezer (12) when mounted on the agriculture robotic weeding system (10); an image recognition device (30) for identification of weeds; and a weed treatment processing device (35). The plant squeezer (12) is configured to squeeze two parallel rows of cultivated plants (80) to increase the weeding surface between said two parallel rows of cultivated plants (80).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method using a robot for an automatic treatment of a weed, the method comprises steps of capturing images of said weed with a camera on said robot; determining with said images a distance between the weed and a second vegetable organism; and selecting a treatment tool of said robot for a treatment of the weed from a group of treatment tools as function of said distance. The invention further concerns a robotic vehicle for carrying out the method for an automatic treatment of a weed.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method using a robot for an automatic treatment of a weed, the method comprises steps of capturing images of said weed with a camera on said robot; determining with said images a distance between the weed and a second vegetable organism; and selecting a treatment tool of said robot for a treatment of the weed from a group of treatment tools as function of said distance. The invention further concerns a robotic vehicle for carrying out the method for an automatic treatment of a weed.

Abstract: The optoelectronic circuit includes a photoreceptor (1) made in a silicon semiconductor substrate (4), and a monomode VCSEL laser diode (2) made in a gallium arsenide substrate. The photoreceptor includes at least one photosensitive area with a pixel array for picking up light and an area with a control and processing unit for the signals supplied by the pixels. The laser diode is mounted and electrically connected directly on one part of the photoreceptor. The laser diode is connected by a conductive terminal (12) to a first contact pad (3) at the bottom of a cavity (13) made through a passivation layer (5) of the photoreceptor. An electrode (17) on the top of the diode is connected by a metal wire (15) to a second contact pad (3) of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor controls the diode directly via the electrode and the conductive terminal to generate a laser beam (L).

Abstract: The optoelectronic circuit includes a photoreceptor (1) made in a silicon semiconductor substrate (4), and a monomode VCSEL laser diode (2) made in particular in a gallium arsenide substrate. The photoreceptor includes at least one photosensitive area with a pixel array for picking up light and an area with a control and processing unit for the signals supplied by the pixels. The laser diode (2) is mounted and electrically connected directly on one part of the photoreceptor. This laser diode may be housed in a cavity (13) made through a passivation layer (5) of the photoreceptor, and connected by a conductive terminal (12) to a first contact pad (3) at the bottom of the cavity. An electrode (17) on the top of the diode can be connected by a metal wire (15) to a second neighbouring accessible contact pad (3) of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor (1) controls the diode directly via the electrode and the conductive terminal to generate a laser beam (L).

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for operating a CMOS image sensor including a matrix of pixels arranged in a plurality of lines and columns. Each of the pixels include a photosensor element that accumulates charge carriers in proportion to the illumination. A storage device is able to be coupled to the photosensor element at a determined instant in order to generate a sampled signal, which is representative of the charge carriers accumulated by the photosensor. The storage device is intended to assure storage for the purpose of reading the sampling signal. According to the present invention, when the sampled signal which is stored across the storage means is read, the photosensor element is held at a voltage such that any charge carrier generated by the latter is drained and thus does not disturb the sampled signal stored on the storage device.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for operating a CMOS image sensor including a matrix of pixels (50) arranged in a plurality of lines and columns, each of said pixels including a photosensor element (PD) accumulating charge carriers in proportion to the illumination thereof and storage means (C1,55) able to be coupled to said photosensor element (PD) at a determined instant in order to generate a sampled signal representative of said charge carriers accumulated by the photosensor, the storage means (C1, 55) being intended to assure storage for the purpose of reading said sampling signal.