RU236746U1 - DEVICE FOR FEEDING ENTOMOPHAGES - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to agricultural engineering, in particular, to automated devices for use in the fight against insect pests by spraying agricultural crops (including potatoes, tomatoes) with a suspension of entomophage eggs. The technical result is a reduction in labor costs and simplification of the process of feeding entomophages due to the automation of processes accompanying the feeding of entomophages. The technical result is achieved due to the fact that in the device for feeding entomophages, comprising a frame, a chassis, an engine, a battery, a generator, a pump, a control unit, a spraying unit including a reservoir for a suspension with entomophage eggs and a sprayer unit, according to the utility model, the chassis is equipped with an automatic wheel cleaning unit containing a brush rotating around a hinge by means of which it is fixed to the lower section of the frame, wherein a motor with a built-in reducer and an encoder connected by a wire to the control unit and rotating the brush is built into the hinge. 9 clauses, 9 figs.

Description

The utility model relates to agricultural engineering, in particular, to automated devices for use in the fight against insect pests by spraying agricultural crops (including potatoes, tomatoes) with a suspension of entomophage eggs.

To combat insect pests, such as aphids, an entomophage can be used, for example, the Gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Aphidoletes aphidimyza) is a cecidomyid midge whose larvae are effective predators against aphids [Gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza / Bio Technology LLC. URL: https://b-technology.pro/ru/gallicza-afidimiza-aphidoletes-aphidimyza/ (date of access: 03.02.2023)].

As entomophagous larvae hatch from eggs, they begin to fight pests by eating or parasitizing them. Entomophages effectively control the number of pests in the field, reducing the risk of crop loss. It is important to spread entomophages in the field before the pests have time to harm the crops being grown.

The state of the art provides technical solutions for combating insect pests.

The RIPPA robot (Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR), University of Sydney, Australia) is equipped with a bug sucker - a device that sucks in insects like a vacuum cleaner. The duration of field treatment against pests can be reduced by involving several robots in the work simultaneously. [RIPPA&VIPPA. URL: https://confluence.acfr.usyd.edu.au/display/AGPub/Our+Robots (date of access: 30.01.2023)].

B. Liu et al. propose a robot that recognizes Pyralidae moths based on an inverse histogram, including an input module, a reference image processing module, an image segmentation module, an edge detection module, and a moth recognition module. The moths are identified based on their shape and color. Two robotic arms hold a video camera that records the condition of plants and their surroundings. The video stream is transmitted to the analysis module, which calculates the probability of the presence of a moth in a particular place in the garden. The obtained probability values are sent to the controller. If this value exceeds the set level, the agronomist is sent a corresponding notification. The robot can automatically adjust the speed of the video camera, depending on the probability of similarity of the detected objects with moths. If this probability exceeds 90%, the video camera stops its movement to check in more detail the potential similarity of the object with a moth. If the fact that a moth has been found is confirmed, the robot sends an alert signal to the agronomist. The accuracy of pyralid moth recognition is 94.3%, the proportion of false alarms about the found pyralid moth is 6.5%. [Liu B., Ni Z., Zhao Y., Bai Y., Wang Y. Recognition of Pyralidae Insects Using Intelligent Monitoring Autonomous Robot Vehicle in Natural Farm Scene // arXiv 2019. - 14 p. URL: arXiv:physics/1903.10827 (accessed: 01.02.2023)]. To quickly destroy insects, the robot needs to increase the speed of image processing. Uneven lighting can distort the quality of images, which complicates the work of the robot, so it needs to adapt to different lighting conditions. It would be useful not only to identify pyralid moths, but also to destroy them, but this robot only signals the agronomist about the fact of pest detection. By the time the worker approaches the place where the robot found the insect, the latter may leave it. This raises the importance of timely pest control. Moreover, the agronomist will have to kill the pests himself every time the robot recognizes them, which does not solve the problem of high labor costs in pest control.

N. Yin et al. apply a convolutional neural network to recognize hot pepper diseases and pests [Yin H., Gu Y.H., Park C.-J., Park J.-H., Yoo S.J. Transfer Learning-Based Search Model for Hot Pepper Diseases and Pests // Agriculture. - 2020. -Vol.10(10):439. - Pp.1-16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculturel0100439]. The neural network does not need to train the model, since it was pre-trained on big data on the ImageNet resource. ImageNet is an image database organized according to the WordNet hierarchy, in which each node of the hierarchy is depicted by hundreds and thousands of images [ImageNet. URL: https://image-net.org/ (accessed: 05.02.2023)].

Of particular interest is the robot "Ladybird", described in the article [Underwood J.P., Calleija M., Taylor Z., Hung C, Nieto J., Fitch R., Sukkarieh S. Real-time target detection and steerable spray for vegetable crops // In Proceedings of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation: Robotics in Agriculture Workshop, Seattle, WA, USA, 26-30 May 2015. - 4 p.]. The robot is designed according to the principle of modularity and ease of assembly/disassembly of components. Includes four electric motors, a solar panel, lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, a Nuvo-3005E-I7QC computer, a set of sensors to ensure autonomous operation and analysis of the health of vegetable crops, a positioning module based on RTK GPS / INS (Real Time Kinematic - "real-time kinematics", Global Positioning System - "global positioning system" / Inertial Navigation System - "inertial navigation system"), a manipulator with 6 degrees of freedom. A stereo camera allows the robot to navigate in space and find weeds in the field (and other problem areas, foci of disease). The Ladybird robot differs from other devices in that it has nozzles that adjust the angle of their inclination and thereby specifically deliver preparations for plants. Due to such nozzles, the area covered by the preparation expands. The robot is aimed at minimizing the application of preparations to preserve soil and benefit from cost savings. Since the jet of the preparation is ejected from the nozzle only in a forward direction, the nozzle must first be aimed at the object (for example, such an object can be a weed that needs to be sprayed with a herbicide). The robot can also spray agricultural crops with protective agents (fungicides and other chemicals). Processing plants by the robot on an area of 1 hectare takes about 30.5 hours. The Ladybird robot does not have a cooling system to ensure the safety of the preparation in hot weather, which is fraught with a decrease in the effectiveness of the preparation. The accuracy of the device's movement may decrease due to the lack of a function for leveling its course using additional devices, such as a cable, infrared sensors and encoders.

There is a robot that can examine the prevalence of harmful insects in a field and treat it with insecticides if necessary. The robot can assess the need of plants for water and fertilizers based on the analysis of soil temperature and moisture (using DHT11 sensors). Based on the readings of the soil moisture sensor, the robot irrigates the soil until the optimal moisture level is reached. The robot uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect and avoid obstacles [Saha A., Ghosh S., Bhattacharyya S., Deyasi A. Environmental Condition based Auto-adjusted Robot Design for Agricultural Purpose // 2019 3rd International Conference on Electronics, Materials Engineering & Nano-Technology (IEMENTech), 2019. - Pp.1-4. DOI: 10.1109/IEMENTech48150.2019.8981011]. The robot has disadvantages. Pests develop immunity to insecticides, so it is necessary to frequently rotate the preparations and increase the doses. They usually have a detrimental effect on the soil and products, polluting them. In addition, the device is not equipped with a cooling system for the insecticide tank, as a result of which their quality may deteriorate in hot weather. The device does not have the function of remembering areas of the field where a large number of insect pests are concentrated (due to which the targeting of insecticide application is reduced).

Fly & See LLC provides comprehensive services to agricultural producers in Russia and the CIS countries: entomological and agronomic monitoring, development of a protection model, calculation of the required dosages of entomophages and the frequency of treatments, introduction of entomophages using quadcopters, and assessment of the effectiveness of protection [URL: https://flyseeagro.ru/ (accessed: 02.02.2023)]. The use of drones allows for the treatment of large areas of crops. Quadcopters fly over crops, dropping entomophages in the pupal stage (lacewings, Habrobracon Hebetor, etc.) on them. However, since unmanned aerial vehicles drop entomophages from a height, they may settle on the tops of plants, where they can remain for a long time, although the largest accumulations of insect pests are closer to the lower parts of plants, near the ground. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until the pupa turns into an adult (imago) and descends closer to the hotbeds of insect pests. Despite their greater productivity, unmanned aerial vehicles are inferior to ground devices in the accuracy of introducing entomophages.

A method for monitoring agricultural land is known from Russian patent No. 2695490, which includes obtaining a photograph of a unit area of land, transmitting the obtained photograph to a server, processing the photograph with the identification of objects on it and outputting the monitoring results, characterized in that the number of identifiable objects is counted on each photograph of a given size, the degree of infestation of the entire area of land is determined based on the data of counting objects from the obtained photographs, wherein each photograph is assigned the date and time of the shooting with the coordinates of the terrain, the image of the objects of the photographs is identified on the server, using trained artificial neural networks, with the help of which the boundaries of the image of the object are distinguished in a square of a fixed size of the obtained photograph, the server contains a database of insects in all morphological stages, a database of weeds, a database of plant disease species, the said neural networks, using databases of images of identifiable objects, are trained to distinguish the backgrounds of the corresponding photographs of different types and to determine the objects on these photographs, as a result of which data is obtained about the location of the object’s detection with coordinates, the time of recording and the number of recorded objects, while the server is designed with the ability to systematically monitor and output information.

The disadvantages of the known solution are the lack of obviousness of its use for feeding entomophages. The method does not provide for the possibility of processing foci and its purpose is to develop a method for counting weeds, phytophagous insects and entomophages.

From the Russian Federation patent No. 182835 for a utility model, a device for the metered supply of entomophages is known, comprising a lid and a container, where inside the container there is a hopper for placing entomophages, an unloading unit having an input and output opening, a dispenser, characterized in that it additionally contains an electronic unloading control unit, including a controller connected to a servo drive connected to a power source, wherein the unloading unit is a cylindrical pipe located under the hopper, and the dispenser is made in the form of a screw auger and is located in a cylindrical pipe, wherein the diameter of the outlet opening of the unloading unit coincides with the pitch of the screw auger.

The disadvantages of the known solution are the insufficient quality of the entomophage supply, the lack of the ability to accurately determine the location of insect pest outbreaks, and the low level of automation of the entomophage supply process.

The prototype of the claimed utility model is described in the article [Baltazar A.R., Santos F.N.d., Moreira A.P., Valente A., Cunha J.B. Smarter Robotic Sprayer System for Precision Agriculture // Electronics. - 2021. - Vol.10(17):2061. - Pp.1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronicsl0172061]. Portuguese inventors have developed a modular robotic sprayer for vineyards, capable of operating autonomously on rough terrain with steep slopes and on viscous soil. The robotic platform is also adapted to movement in mountainous and hilly terrain, among narrow rows of vineyards. The robot localizes and navigates using a lidar and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver during selective spraying of fields with liquid fertilizers. The GNSS antenna improves positioning accuracy. Unlike sprayers mounted on manipulators, the robot uses electric fan sprayers, which allows for faster plant treatment. The sprayer consists of a fan, a sprayer, and a pump, which are adjustable in height. Since they are controlled independently, the system can achieve high accuracy and reduce pesticide consumption. The Raspberry Pi Camera Module counts the number of leaves within the stereo camera's field of view. The support vector machine determines the leaf density on the vines. Depending on the leaf density, the fertilizer application rate is determined. The centrifugal sprayer consists of three spray drums and a 100-liter fertilizer tank. The grape spraying system consists of a brushless motor that drives the propellers, a DC motor that drives the centrifugal disk, and a water pump that controls the amount of fertilizer passing through the pipe. Thus, the brushless motor controls the air flow, the DC motor regulates the density of the water, and the water pump regulates the speed of water flow. According to this principle, vineyards are irrigated, fertilized, and treated with pesticides. [Baltazar A.R., Santos F.N.d., Moreira A.P., Valente A., Cunha J.B. Smarter Robotic Sprayer System for Precision Agriculture // Electronics. - 2021. - Vol.10(17):2061. - Pp.1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronicsl0172061]. The sprayer wheels carry the risk of spreading insect eggs with clods of earth, as they are not equipped with a brush for cleaning the wheels. In this case, a person is responsible for manually cleaning the wheels of the device.

The disadvantages of the prototype are the impossibility of ensuring the quality of the entomophage supply when using the prototype, the absence of a trainable developing algorithm, only a standard work program is provided, a low level of automation of related work processes, including the preparation of the entomophage supply.

In general, the disadvantages of analogues include the problem of heterogeneity of the composition of the working solution (in particular, the suspension with entomophage eggs); the absence of a mechanism to prevent sedimentation of multicomponent mixtures stored in the tank; deterioration of the working properties of the solution (in particular, the suspension with entomophage eggs) in hot weather; the use of environmentally harmful insecticides (instead of biological methods of pest control); the absence of a function for remembering the location of field areas where a large number of pest insects are concentrated (which reduces the targeting of the application of products intended to combat pest insects); the inability to clean wheels from lumps of dirt, which entails the risk of spreading infections across the field along with the dirt stuck to the wheels.

The technical problem lies in the high labor costs and low level of automation of the process of feeding entomophages, including in potato and tomato fields.

The technical result is a reduction in labor costs and simplification of the process of feeding entomophages due to the automation of processes associated with the feeding of entomophages.

The technical result is achieved due to the fact that in the device for feeding entomophages, containing a frame, a chassis, an engine, a battery, a generator, a pump, a control unit, a spraying unit including a tank for entomophages and a sprayer unit, according to the utility model, the chassis is equipped with an automatic wheel cleaning unit containing a brush rotating around a hinge by means of which it is secured to the lower section of the frame, wherein a motor with a built-in reducer and an encoder connected by a wire to the control unit and rotating the brush is built into the hinge.

The sprayer unit can be made in the form of a hose with a rod equipped with sprayers.

Sprayers can be equipped with a valve that regulates the opening diameter.

The control unit can be configured to send a command to start circular rotational movements of the brush, implemented by means of a motor and a hinge that acts as a fulcrum for the brush handle.

The brush tip can be covered with hard bristles made of synthetic fibers such as polypropylene or polyamide.

The chassis can contain 2-4 pairs of wheels.

An electric motor can be used as an engine,

A gasoline generator can be used as a generator.

The frame can be made of steel alloy.

The claimed utility model is illustrated by drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a general view of the claimed device (isometry);

Fig. 2 - side view of the device from the left;

Fig. 3 - side view of the device from the right;

Fig. 4 - front view of the device;

Fig. 5 - rear view of the device;

Fig. 6 - view of the device from above;

Fig. 7 - view of the device from below;

Fig. 8 - general view of the device (dimetry);

Fig. 9 - a view of the internal components of a reservoir for storing a suspension of entomophage eggs 5.

The positions on the figures indicate:

1 - frame;

2 - chassis;

3 - brush for cleaning wheels;

4 - a rod for spraying a suspension with entomophage eggs;

5 - a reservoir for storing a suspension of entomophage eggs;

6 - hose for feeding suspension with entomophage eggs;

7 - rod mount;

8 - tank mount;

9 - HD camera;

10 - sprayer for spraying a suspension with entomophage eggs;

11 - flashing beacon;

12 - wheel swivel stand;

13 - scanning lidar;

14 - spoon for automatic mixing of suspension with entomophage eggs;

15 - turning table for spoon;

16 - liquid level sensor;

17 - suspension with entomophage eggs;

18 - water pump.

The device for feeding entomophages contains a frame 1, a chassis 2, a pump 18, an engine, a battery, a generator, a control unit, a navigation module (not designated by positions, their shape, type, location are not limited by the scope of the utility model). The device also includes a spraying unit including a reservoir 5 for a suspension with entomophage eggs and a sprayer unit.

The chassis 2 is equipped with an automatic wheel cleaning unit containing a brush 3 rotating around a hinge by means of which it is secured to the lower section of the frame 1, while a motor with a built-in reducer and an encoder connected by a wire to the control unit and rotating the brush 3 is built into the hinge.

The sprayer unit can be made in the form of a hose with a rod 4 equipped with sprayers 10.

Sprayers 10 can be provided with a valve that regulates the opening diameter.

The control unit can be designed with the ability to send a command to start the circular rotational movements of the brush 3, implemented by means of a motor and a hinge that plays the role of a support point for the handle of the brush 3.

The tip of the brush 3 can be covered with hard bristles made of synthetic fibers, such as polypropylene or polyamide.

Chassis 2 may contain 2-4 pairs of wheels.

An electric motor can be used as an engine,

A gasoline generator can be used as a generator.

Frame 1 can be made of steel alloy.

The device is equipped with a boom 4 for spraying the field with a suspension of entomophage eggs, fixed to a mount 7 on the rear section of the frame 1 and connected to a reservoir 5 for storing the suspension. The mount 7 consists of two pairs of legs, the lower tips of which are connected to the frame 1, while the place where the legs intersect is fastened to the boom 4. The boom 4 is configured in the form of a pole 6-8 m long, but it can vary depending on the width of the rows in the field. The reservoir 5, which has a cylindrical shape, is installed on the rear section of the frame 1 by means of a rectangular mount 8. The capacity of the reservoir 5 of the prototype of the device is 5 liters, but the reservoir 5 can be replaced with a more capacious one. The suspension with entomophage eggs 17 is stored in the reservoir 5, made in the form of a parallelepiped.

From the upper section of the reservoir 5, a water pump 18 for feeding the suspension with entomophage eggs into the hose 6, made in the form of a flexible tube made of a flexible material, for example, rubber, departs. From the hose 6, the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 is pumped into the tubes inside the boom 4, then from the tubes it is sprayed through the sprayers 10, located under the boom 4 along its length from left to right. The boom 6 is equipped from the inside with tubes ending at the end with sprayers 10 and serving to transfer the suspension 17 inside the boom 6 in the direction of the sprayers 10. The suspension with entomophage eggs 17 has a liquid consistency, due to which it can be freely sprayed over the field through the sprayers 10, made of stainless steel. Sprayers 10 are provided with a valve regulating the diameter of its opening - depending on the processing of the field sections free or suffering from insect pests. When the device passes along the field sections with insect pests, the valve opens the diameter of sprayers 10 to the maximum value; when passing along clean field sections, the valve opens the diameter of the sprayers by 50% of the maximum value. Water pump 18, located inside the tank 5 on its left wall, under a working pressure of 3 bar pumps suspension 17 in the direction of sprayers 10, by means of which the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 is sprayed.

The diameter of the holes in the sprayers 10 is adjusted by valves taking into account the average size of the eggs of entomophages. For example, the size of the eggs of the Gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza is 0.1-0.3 mm [Gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza / Bio Technology LLC. URL: https://b-technology.pro/ru/gallicza-afidimiza-aphidoletes-aphidimyza/ (date of access: 26.01.2023)]. The diameter of the sprayers should not be less than 9.0 mm in order to avoid damage to the eggs when they are released simultaneously from the sprayers. No more than 30 eggs of the Gall midge Aphidomiza should come out of each sprayer in the suspension, based on which the minimum possible diameter of the sprayers in rod 4 was selected.

In the tank 5 there is a spoon 14 for automatic mixing of the suspension with entomophage eggs 17, made of stainless steel. The spoon 14, having an elongated shape with an oval expansion and a recess at the end, is fixed on the rotary table 15 under the upper cover of the tank 5. With the help of the rotary table 15, the spoon 14 rotates, thereby mixing the suspension with entomophage eggs 17. A motor with a built-in reducer and encoder, performing the rotation of the spoon 14, is built into the rotary table 15. Due to the rotational movements of the spoon 14, a uniform concentration of entomophage eggs in the suspension 17 in the tank 5 is ensured, which is important for the effective protection of agricultural crops from insect pests over the entire area of the field. In the absence of the suspension stirring function 17, entomophage eggs may accumulate on the bottom or walls of the tank 5, while their concentration may be lower at the upper level. Accordingly, field sections may be treated with a suspension with different concentrations of entomophage eggs, and such a scenario should be avoided. This is important in order to prevent the vulnerability of individual field sections, where fewer entomophage eggs would be introduced. The stirring function is activated by sending a signal from the on-board computer to the spoon 17, for example, at equal, pre-set time intervals.

The spoon prevents the entomophage eggs from settling in the suspension by stirring. This prevents the entomophage eggs from sticking together in the suspension, which is important for maintaining the viability of the entomophages inside the eggs. Sticking the entomophage eggs together prevents them from hatching.

A coolant (dry ice) can be placed in the walls of tank 5, on the sides and at the bottom, which helps maintain the viability of entomophage eggs in suspension in hot weather, preventing overheating of the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 in tank 5.

The claimed device has a function of automatic cleaning of wheels using brush 3 after passing each row spacing on the field. To implement it, brush 3 is mounted on a hinge to the frame above each wheel. A motor with a built-in reducer and encoder is built into the hinge, connected by a wire to the control unit and rotating brush 3. The control unit sends commands to start circular rotational movements of brush 3, implemented by means of the motor and the hinge, which plays the role of a support point for the handle of brush 3. The tip of brush 3 is covered with hard bristles, removing clods of earth and dirt from the wheels. The bristles in brush 3 are made of synthetic fibers, such as polypropylene or polyamide. Considering that pathogenic bacteria may be present in soil particles, such a wheel cleaning function helps to reduce the risk of spreading infections across the field. In addition, wheels that are free of dirt make it easier for them to move across the field, as the propellers can turn more easily as they move.

The device is powered by a charge from a battery located inside the front section of frame 1. To provide additional power supply to the device, a gasoline generator (not shown) is used, which powers the battery when its charge is exhausted. The gasoline generator can be located inside the front section of frame 1 of the device, behind the battery.

The device is equipped with an HD camera 9, located on the front section of the frame 1, and a scanning lidar 13, which perform the functions of analyzing the terrain, plants and orientation in space.

The device is oriented in space using a navigation device - a GLONASS tracker (not shown). The GLONASS tracker makes it possible to find the device in case of an accident and loss of connection with it. The GLONASS tracker transmits information about its location via SMS. The GLONASS tracker allows you to determine where the device went by receiving its last coordinates.

The operation of the device is controlled by an on-board computer (not shown) located inside the frame of the device. The on-board computer is the main control device for managing all working units of the device. The on-board computer, running on the Robot Operating System framework (ROS - "operating system for robots"; URL: https://www.ros.org/, accessed: 01.02.2023), has a graphics processor with a convolutional neural network, which is necessary for analyzing plant photographs.

The control electronics system of the device is based on the following components:

1) the onboard computer is equipped with an Nvidia Jetson computing board, which can recognize 3D objects at a high level while the device is moving. Together with the GPU (graphics processing unit), the computing board processes up to 40 frames per second;

2) scanning lidar 13, used to measure distances when the device is moving. Scanning lidar 13 is capable of recognizing objects at a long distance - up to 100 m. Provides up to 1000 measurements per second. If any obstacle enters the field of view of the radio range finder of scanning lidar 13 at a distance of 1 m, it gives a command for an emergency stop of the device;

3) the location of the device is tracked using an accelerometer (a device that measures changes in the position of the device in space, determining the direction, degree, and speed of deviation of the device), a gyroscope (a device that measures the angular velocity and change in orientation of the device in space) and a magnetometer (a sensor that evaluates the Earth's magnetic field using magnetoresistance, with the orientation of the device being compared with the north magnetic pole). The device is oriented to the field using high-precision GLONASS navigation, using RTK (Real Time Kinematic) phase measurements. This system ensures the accuracy of positioning the device up to 2 cm, providing planned coordinates and elevations of terrain points using a satellite navigation system, by receiving corrections from the base station, received by the user's equipment during shooting, from the base station.

The device can operate both in autonomous mode and under operator control in real time.

Unlike the prototype, which is characterized by a low level of automation of related work processes, in the proposed utility model, related work processes are automated, namely, the wheel cleaning process is automated, due to which the device will work without forced stops, the suspension will be preserved for a long time throughout the planned processing time. This will significantly reduce labor costs and simplify the process of feeding entomophages.

Sprayers can be made of stainless steel and can also be equipped with a valve that regulates the opening diameter. This will improve the quality of entomophage supply, reduce labor costs and simplify the entomophage supply process.

The control unit can be designed with the ability to send a command to start the circular rotational movements of the brush, implemented by means of a motor and a hinge that plays the role of a support point for the brush handle. In this case, the tip of the brush can be covered with a hard bristle made of synthetic fibers, such as polypropylene or polyamide. This will help to increase the automation of the entomophage feeding process and, accordingly, reduce labor costs and simplify the entomophage feeding process.

The claimed device operates as follows.

1. To prepare the device for operation, the battery of the device is charged, an electronic task map with a software algorithm is loaded into the on-board computer, where the distances that the device must travel along the row spacing in the field are indicated. Then the device is transported to the edge of the field, a suspension with entomophage eggs 17 is poured into the tank 5, the tank lid is closed, the on-board computer and the spoon for automatic mixing of the suspension 14 are activated. A cable is pulled along the row spacing where the device will travel on pegs. Infrared sensors equipped with an encoder are placed along the cable every 5-7 meters. Infrared sensors and encoders send signals to the on-board computer of the device so that the latter regulates the movement of the device so as not to deviate from the cable. The device starts, maintaining a course along the cable, without deviating to the right or left of the cable by a critical distance specified by the user in the on-board computer program.

2. The device passes over the potato bushes and scans them using the HD camera 9 and analyzes them using the convolutional neural network installed on the on-board computer. As soon as the convolutional neural network detects a source of insect pests, it sends photos via a GSM modem to the on-board computer. Images of plants from the HD camera 9 of the device are sent to the on-board computer, where they are passed through a detector that determines the presence/absence of insect pests in the field.

3. The user of the device receives information about the location of the outbreak of insect pests from the on-board computer, for example, in the form of a message in the messenger chat bot. The on-board computer stores information about the areas of the field where a large number of insect pests are concentrated.

4. Having received information about the location of the outbreak of insects

- pests, the device can spray not the entire field, but only that part of it where these insects are detected. Higher doses of the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 are introduced into those parts of the field where accumulations of a large number of insect pests are detected. As a result, targeted application of the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 is achieved. In places where insect pests are detected, the on-board computer gives a command to fully open the valves in the sprayers 10 so that the application dose of the suspension becomes maximum. When the device passes between rows along which no infected plants are detected, the valve of the sprayers 10 remains in a semi-closed position, reducing the application dose of the suspension with entomophage eggs 17. By changing the diameter of the holes in the sprayers 10, savings in the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 are achieved.

5. Spraying is performed by pumping a suspension with entomophage eggs 17 from a reservoir 5 into a boom 4 with a water pump 18, and from the boom into the sprayers 10, from which the suspension 17 is sprayed. The spoon 14 continuously stirs the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 in the reservoir 5, ensuring its uniform concentration. In order to ensure differentiated application of the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 to agricultural crops, the convolutional neural network, having detected the foci of insect pests in the field, sends a command to the on-board computer so that it addresses a signal to open the valve in the sprayers 10. The water pump 18 continuously creates pressure in the spraying unit. After receiving a command from the on-board computer, the sprayer valves open, and the suspension with entomophage eggs 17 is sprayed from them.

6. After the device passes each row, the on-board computer activates brush 3, which, rotating 360° around the support point, cleans wheels 2 from clods of earth and dirt.

7. The liquid level sensor 16 in the tank 5 sends a signal about the low level to the on-board computer, which returns the device to the starting position or to a place specifically designated by a person at the edge of the field. The tank 3 is filled with a suspension of entomophage eggs 17, if necessary, the battery is charged from the power grid and the field is processed further. When the battery charge runs out, the control unit activates the gasoline generator, which feeds the battery, allowing the device to reach the edge of the field. From there, a person can transport the device to a place to recharge the battery.

While an exemplary embodiment has been described in detail, it should be understood that it is illustrative only and is not intended to limit the broader embodiment, and that the present utility model should not be limited to the specific arrangements and structures shown and described, since various other modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Consequently, the claimed utility model allows for a technical result consisting in reducing labor costs and simplifying the process of feeding entomophages by automating the processes associated with feeding entomophages.

Claims (10)

1. A device for feeding entomophages, comprising a frame, a chassis, an engine, a battery, a generator, a pump, a control unit, a spraying unit including a tank for entomophages and a sprayer unit, characterized in that the chassis is equipped with an automatic wheel cleaning unit containing a brush rotating around a hinge by means of which it is secured to the lower section of the frame, wherein a motor with a built-in reducer and an encoder connected by a wire to the control unit and rotating the brush is built into the hinge. 2. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the sprayer unit is made in the form of a hose with a rod equipped with sprayers. 3. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the sprayers are equipped with a valve that regulates the opening diameter. 4. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the control unit sends commands to start the circular rotational movements of the brush, realized by means of a motor and a hinge that plays the role of a support point for the brush handle. 5. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the tip of the brush is covered with hard bristles made of polypropylene. 6. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the brush tip is covered with hard bristles made of polyamide. 7. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the chassis contains 2-4 pairs of wheels. 8. The device according to item 1, characterized in that an electric motor is used as the engine. 9. The device according to item 1, characterized in that a gasoline generator is used as a generator. 10. The device according to item 1, characterized in that the frame is made of a steel alloy.