阅读说明：本技术 用于杂草控制的装置 (Device for weed control ) 是由 R.科赫 J.乌特拉姆 于 2018-07-02 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及用于杂草控制的装置。描述了给处理单元提供(210)环境的至少一张图像。所述处理单元分析(220)所述至少一张图像以确定环境中的激活至少一个护盖物应用单元的至少一个地点。该至少一个护盖物应用单元被构造成向该至少一个地点应用至少一个护盖物以进行杂草控制。输出单元输出(230)可用于激活该至少一个护盖物应用单元的信息。(The present invention relates to a device for weed control. Providing (210) at least one image of an environment to a processing unit is described. The processing unit analyzes (220) the at least one image to determine at least one location in the environment where to activate at least one cover application unit. The at least one cover application unit is configured to apply at least one cover to the at least one location for weed control. The output unit outputs (230) information usable to activate the at least one cover application unit.)

1. A device (10) for weed control comprising:

-an input unit (20);

-a processing unit (30); and

-an output unit (40);

wherein the input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with at least one image of an environment;

wherein the processing unit is configured to analyze the at least one image to determine at least one location in the environment where at least one protective cover application unit is activated, wherein the at least one protective cover application unit is configured to apply at least one protective cover to the at least one location for weed control; and is

Wherein the output unit is configured to output information usable to activate the at least one cover application unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one image is obtained by at least one camera, and wherein the input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with at least one location associated with the at least one camera at the time the at least one image was obtained.

3. The device of any one of claims 1-2, wherein at least one of the at least one protective cover comprises at least one herbicide.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a first of the at least one cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a different herbicide content than a second of the at least one cover comprising at least one herbicide.

5. The device of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a biodegradable polymer.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein analyzing the at least one image to determine at least one location to activate the at least one cover application unit comprises determining at least one location of vegetation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine an operating mode of at least one chemical spray unit for spraying weed control chemical at the at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image, wherein a spraying time of the weed control chemical is earlier than an application time of the at least one protective cover, and wherein the output unit is configured to output information usable to activate the at least one chemical spray unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein determining the mode of operation comprises determining a weed control chemical to be sprayed from a plurality of weed control chemicals.

9. A system (100) for weed control, comprising:

-at least one camera (110);

-a device (10) for weed control according to any of claims 1-8; and

-at least one cover application unit (120);

wherein the at least one camera is configured to obtain the at least one image of the environment;

wherein the at least one cover application unit is mounted on a vehicle (130); and

wherein the apparatus is configured to activate the at least one mulch application unit to apply the at least one mulch to the at least one location for weed control.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system comprises at least one chemical spray unit (140) for spraying a weed control chemical at the at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image, wherein the time of spraying the weed control chemical is earlier than the time of application of the at least one mulch.

11. The system of any of claims 9-10, wherein the device is mounted on the conveyance; and wherein the at least one camera is mounted on the vehicle.

12. A method (200) for weed control, comprising:

(a) providing (210) at least one image of the environment to the processing unit;

(b) analyzing (220), by the processing unit, the at least one image to determine at least one location in the environment that activates at least one protective cover application unit, wherein the at least one protective cover application unit is configured to apply at least one protective cover to the at least one location for weed control; and

(d) outputting (230), by an output unit, information usable for activating the at least one cover application unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one image is obtained by at least one camera; and wherein step (a) comprises providing said processing unit with at least one location associated with said at least one camera when obtaining said at least one image.

14. The method according to any one of claims 12-13, wherein said method comprises a step (c) of analyzing (240), by the processing unit, the at least one image to determine an operation mode of at least one chemical spraying unit for spraying the weed control chemical at the at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image, wherein the time of spraying the weed control chemical is earlier than the application time of the at least one protective cover, and wherein step (d) comprises outputting information usable for activating the at least one chemical spraying unit.

15. A computer program element for controlling an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and/or a system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, which, when being executed by a processor, is configured to carry out the method according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an arrangement for weed control, a system for weed control, a method for weed control, as well as a computer program element and a computer readable medium.

Background

The general background of the invention is weed control. Certain industrial areas and areas around railroad tracks require control of vegetation. For railways, this control improves visibility from the point of view of the people on the train (e.g. the driver), and also from the point of view of the people working on the track. Such control can lead to improved safety. Moreover, vegetation can interfere with or damage the track and associated signal and communication lines. Control of vegetation is required to mitigate this phenomenon. Vegetation control, also known as weed control, can be very good, time consuming and resource consuming, especially if performed manually. The weed spray train carries a herbicide contained in a chemical tank on the vehicle that can be sprayed onto the track and surrounding area to control vegetation. However, such weed control is expensive and there is an increasing desire among the general public to see a reduction in environmental impact.

Disclosure of Invention

It would be advantageous to have an improved means for weed control.

The object of the invention is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are comprised in the dependent claims. It should be noted that the aspects and examples of the invention described below also apply to the apparatus for weed control, to the system for weed control, to the method for weed control, and to the computer program element and the computer readable medium.

According to a first aspect, there is provided an apparatus for weed control comprising:

-an input unit;

-a processing unit; and

-an output unit.

The input unit is configured to provide at least one image of the environment to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to analyze the at least one image to determine at least one location in the environment where to activate at least one cover application unit. The at least one cover application unit is configured to apply at least one cover to the at least one location to control weeds. The output unit is configured to output information usable to activate the at least one protective-cover application unit.

In other words, one or more images of the environment have been obtained. There is a cover application unit or several cover application units that can apply the cover to the floor at one or more locations determined by image analysis of those images. In a manner similar to the manner in which covers are used, for example, covers can inhibit weed growth and control weeds, including killing weeds, in garden environments.

In this way, weeds in the environment can be controlled within the area based on image analysis, so that the protective cover can be applied only where it is required. For example, at the site of a metal railway track, at the site of a metal and/or wood railway track sleeper, in environmental areas such as concrete areas, asphalt areas, it may be determined that no cover should be deposited, as weeds cannot or generally cannot grow in these areas. In this way, less protective cover is used and the environmental impact of the protective cover is reduced. Moreover, in addition to or corresponding to determining where the protective cover should not be deposited, it may be determined based on image analysis where the protective cover should be applied, such as determining one or more locations of weeds and depositing the protective cover at the locations. Again, this enables the protective cover to be applied only where needed, resulting in cost, time and environmental impact advantages.

Thus, where the cover is needed in the environment for weed control, the cover is applied as a physical barrier and is typically used to kill weeds.

Also, different protective covers may be applied at different regions based on image analysis. For example, where there is a particular type of weed, a particular type of cover may be applied. The type of cover applied may vary for different types of weeds determined based on image processing. Furthermore, areas that may be free of weeds but are determined to require application of a mulch, such as areas determined to be prone to weeds, may be applied with a particular mulch that is different from the mulch applied to, for example, weeds. Thus, areas near the weeds, or ground areas otherwise determined to be prone to weed growth, such as where long weeds will be seen from a graphical analysis, where the ground is not dry and barren, may be applied as a protective cover for the physical barrier. This can be used to prevent seeds that subsequently fall from germinating and growing because the seeds cannot contact the ground beneath the cover and seeds that may have grown beneath the cover are now prevented from growing and killed because the cover acts as a physical shield.

In an example, the at least one image is obtained by at least one camera. The input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with at least one location associated with the at least one camera at a time when the at least one image was obtained.

The location may be a geographical location, a precise location relative to the ground, or may be a location on the ground that is referenced to one or more locations of the cover application unit. In other words, an absolute geographical location may be utilized or an above-ground location may not be necessarily known, but rather a location that is referenced to the location of the cover application unit. Thus, by associating the image with the location at which the image was obtained, the protective cover can be accurately applied to that location.

In an example, at least one of the at least one protective cover comprises at least one herbicide.

Thus, in addition to providing a physical shield in the form of a protective cover, one or more protective covers may provide a herbicide where it is desired to provide weed control in addition to providing a physical shield. Thus, a protective cover comprising a herbicide may be applied at a location where, for example, it has been determined that there is a weed that can be controlled by a combination of the protective cover acting as a physical barrier and the herbicide applied to the weed. Also, a protective cover without herbicide may be used at other locations that merely provides a physical barrier for weed control, for example, to areas that may not yet have weeds. Thus, the most efficient and suitable cover can be applied at each site, saving cost, time and minimizing the environmental impact of the herbicide.

In an example, a first of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a different herbicide content than a second of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide.

In other words, in addition to having a cover that does not have any herbicide content and provides only physical barrier weed control, another cover may provide physical barrier weed control as well as specific weed control provided by a specific herbicide content (e.g., for a specific weed or weeds). And the other cover can provide different specific weed control provided by different specific herbicide levels (e.g., for different specific weed or weeds) in addition to providing physical barrier weed control.

In an example, the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a biodegradable polymer. The biodegradable polymer is degradable by at least one type of bacteria.

In this way, one or more herbicides can be delivered only when needed. Thus, the herbicide is encapsulated in a biodegradable polymer. The bacteria then degrade the polymer to release the herbicide. The bacteria only grow when the weeds are growing, and thus the bacteria do not degrade the polymer to release the herbicide when the weeds are not growing, for example, when cold and dry. However, when the weather is warm and humid or other conditions conducive to weed growth, bacteria also grow and degrade the polymer to release the herbicide. In this way, a portion of the floor may be covered. There are no longer weeds growing. The cover provides a physical barrier to weed growth, but particularly strong types of weeds can still start to grow. However, polymers that are biodegradable due to bacterial activity begin to degrade and release herbicides that kill the plant. In addition, the plants may be covered by the cover during cold periods and the physical barrier effect begins to control the plants, and the cover also degrades by bacterial activity to release the herbicide when needed. By applying the cover at the location based on the image processing, weed control is now provided where and at the time weed control is desired. The protective cover may also be in the form of a herbicide that degrades, for example, by sunlight, to release the herbicide encapsulated therein.

However, the herbicide need not be encapsulated within the protective cover and can be released by degradation of the protective cover. The herbicide may form part of the cover, whereby the herbicide can be used immediately to control weeds when the cover is applied to the weeds. The cover also need not be a biodegradable polymer when it contains a herbicide and can be any medium suitable for retaining the herbicide so that the active ingredient (herbicide) can be immediately used to control the weeds when applied to them.

In an example, analyzing the at least one image to determine the at least one location at which to activate the at least one cover application unit includes determining at least one location of vegetation.

In other words, image processing may be used to determine the vegetation area in the acquired image from which the most appropriate cover may be determined for use in controlling weeds in that vegetation area by applying the cover at that location. Furthermore, the cover may only be applied at the location of the vegetation where the most suitable cover is available for each vegetation location. A cover may be provided centrally to that vegetation site but extending beyond the site to provide enhanced protection in relation to seeds/stolons etc. Thus, the mulch can control a particular vegetation, but by covering an area centered on the vegetation site, seedlings or germinating seeds, or stolons that may result in vegetation that has not been seen in the acquired image, can also be covered by the mulch and provide weed control.

In this way, not only can the cover be applied only on and around the vegetation area, but the most suitable cover can be selected for different vegetation areas, wherein different types of vegetation can be controlled by applying, for example, different covers.

In an example, the processing unit is configured to determine an operating mode of the at least one chemical spray unit for spraying the at least one locus with the weed control chemical based on the analyzed at least one image. The weed control chemical is sprayed prior to the application of the at least one cover. The output unit is configured to output information usable to activate the at least one chemical spray unit. The mode of application may mean the type of weed control chemical to be sprayed, the amount of weed control chemical to be sprayed, for example by varying the duration or flow rate of the spray.

In this way, the weed control chemical is sprayed on, for example, weeds before the cover is applied. The cover protects the weed control chemicals from degradation in addition to providing a physical barrier that helps kill the weeds, thereby increasing the efficacy of the weed control chemicals, enabling less weed control chemicals to be sprayed. The mulch also inhibits weed growth at the site and, by containing the weed control chemicals, the mulch also serves to minimize environmental impact in addition to the less weed control chemicals that must be sprayed first. Thus, a form of liquid chemical center that enhances weed control is provided.

In an example, determining the mode of operation includes determining a weed control chemical to be sprayed from a plurality of weed control chemicals.

In an example, determining the mode of operation includes determining a spray duration of the weed control chemical to be sprayed.

In this way, the weed control chemical sprayed on the weeds prior to application of the cover can be directed against weeds that have been determined to be located at that location. Thus, the most effective weed control chemicals can be used, and the most aggressive chemicals are used only when necessary and in optimized amounts, which provides cost and environmental advantages.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a system for weed control comprising:

-at least one camera;

-an apparatus for weed control according to the first aspect and any related examples; and

-at least one cover application unit.

The at least one camera is configured to obtain at least one image of the environment. The at least one cover application unit is mounted on the vehicle. The apparatus is configured to activate the at least one protective cover application unit to apply at least one protective cover to the at least one location for weed control.

In this manner, the vehicle may be moved around the environment and one or more protective coverings may be used to control weeds within the environment at locations determined based on the image of the environment. In this way, images are obtained by a platform, such as one or more drones flying over the environment. This information is sent to a device, which may be located in an office. The device determines where in the environment what cover should be applied. This information may be provided within a feature map and/or weed control map, the maps being provided to a vehicle that moves around the environment and applies the one or more covers at specific portions of the environment.

In an example, the system includes at least one chemical spray unit for spraying the weed control chemical at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image. The weed control chemical is sprayed prior to the application time of the at least one cover.

In an example, the device is mounted on a vehicle. In an example, at least one camera is mounted on the vehicle.

In this manner, the system operates in real-time or near real-time by obtaining images, analyzing the images to determine where to use what cover, and then activating the appropriate cover activation unit at the specific location required.

In a third aspect, there is provided a method for weed control comprising:

(a) providing at least one image of the environment to a processing unit;

(b) analyzing, by the processing unit, the at least one image to determine at least one location within the environment to activate at least one mulch application unit, wherein the at least one mulch application unit is configured to apply at least one mulch to the at least one location for weed control; and

(d) information is output by the output unit, which information can be used to activate the at least one protective-cover application unit.

In an example, the at least one image is obtained by at least one camera, and wherein step (a) comprises providing the processing unit with at least one location associated with the at least one camera at the time the at least one image was obtained.

In an example, the method comprises the step (c) of analyzing, by the processing unit, the at least one image to determine an operational mode of at least one chemical spraying unit for spraying the weed control chemical at the at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image. Spraying the weed control chemical prior to the application of the at least one mulch, and step (d) includes outputting information useful for activating the at least one chemical spray unit.

According to a further aspect, a computer program element for controlling an apparatus according to the first aspect and/or a system according to the second aspect is provided, which program element, when being executed by a processor, is configured to carry out the method of the third aspect.

Advantageously, the benefits provided by any of the above aspects apply equally to all other aspects, and vice versa.

The above aspects and examples can be understood and appreciated with reference to the embodiments described below.

Drawings

Exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the following drawings:

figure 1 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of an arrangement for weed control;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of a system for weed control;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for weed control;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of a system for weed control;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of a system for weed control;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of a part of a system for weed control;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of a part of a system for weed control;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic depiction of a railway track and surrounding area; and

fig. 9 shows a schematic arrangement of an example of a part of a system for weed control.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows an example of an apparatus 10 for weed control. The apparatus 10 comprises an input unit 20, a processing unit 30, and an output unit 40. The input unit 20 is configured to provide the processing unit 30 with at least one image of the environment. This is through wired or wireless communication. Processing unit 30 is configured to analyze the at least one image to determine at least one location in the environment where to activate at least one cover application unit. The at least one cover application unit is configured to apply at least one cover to the at least one location for weed control. The output unit 40 is configured to output information that may be used to activate the at least one protective-cover application unit.

In an example, the apparatus is operated in real time, wherein images are obtained and immediately processed, and the at least one cover application unit is activated for weed control. Thus, for example, a vehicle may obtain an image of its environment and process the image to determine where in its environment the protective cover should be applied.

In an example, the apparatus is operated in near real-time, where images of the environment are obtained and the images are immediately processed to determine where the protective cover should be applied. This information may then be used by one or more suitable systems traveling in the environment and applying the protective cover to a particular portion of the environment. Thus, for example, a first vehicle equipped with one or more cameras, such as a car, train, truck, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone, may travel within the environment and obtain images. This image may be immediately processed to determine a "feature map" and/or a "weed map" detailing the specific locations in the environment where the covering should or should not be applied, where the feature may be a location where the feature of the covering should not be applied, for example on concrete or other areas as discussed above, and where the weed map indicates the locations of weeds where the covering should be applied. Thereafter, the transport tool equipped with the protective cover application unit can travel in the environment and apply the protective cover to different specific areas of the environment.

In an example, the apparatus operates in an offline mode. Thus, the image that has been obtained before is supplied to the apparatus later. The device now determines where in an area the protective cover should be applied and in effect generates a weed map and/or a characteristic map. The weed map and/or the feature map is then later used by one or more vehicles, which then travel in the area and apply the cover to a specific part of the environment.

In an example, the output unit outputs a signal that can be directly used to activate the protective cover application unit.

In an example, the at least one protective cover is applied in liquid form and the at least one protective cover application unit comprises at least one spray gun or nozzle.

In an example, the at least one protective cover is applied in solid form. For example in powder form, as a non-woven fibrous material or in the form of starch newspapers, wherein the applied cover applicator is adapted to apply such solid covers.

According to an example, the at least one image is obtained by at least one camera. The input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with at least one location associated with the at least one camera at a time when the at least one image was obtained.

In an example, the place is an absolute geographic place.

In an example, the location is a location determined with reference to one or more positions of the cover application unit. In other words, it may be determined that an image relates to a particular location on the ground without knowing its exact geographic location, but by knowing the location of the protective cover application unit relative to that location at the time the image was obtained, the required protective cover may then be applied at that location at a later time by moving the appropriate protective cover application unit to that location.

In an example, a GPS unit is used to determine the location of at least one camera at the time a particular image is obtained, and/or is used in determining the location.

In an example, an inertial navigation unit is used alone, or in combination with a GPS unit, to determine the location of at least one camera at the time a particular image is obtained. Thus, for example, an inertial navigation unit comprising, for example, one or more laser gyroscopes, is calibrated or nulled at a known location, and as it moves with at least one camera, movement in x, y, z coordinates away from that known location can be determined, from which movement the location of the at least one camera at the time the image was obtained can be determined.

In an example, image processing of the obtained images is used alone, or in combination with a GPS unit and an inertial navigation unit, to determine the location of at least one camera at the time a particular image was obtained. Thus, the visual indicia may be used alone or in combination with the information derived from the GPS.

According to an example, at least one of the at least one protective cover comprises at least one herbicide.

According to an example, a first of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a different herbicide content than a second of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide.

In an example, a third of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a different herbicide content than both the first and second protective covers of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide. In an example, a fourth of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a different herbicide content than all three of the first, second, and third protective covers of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide.

According to an example, the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a polymer. In an example, the polymer is a biodegradable polymer. In an example, the biodegradable polymer is configured to be degraded by at least one type of bacteria.

In an example, the biodegradable polymer is a slow release formulation configured to be degraded by at least one type of bacteria.

In an example, the biodegradable polymer includes a polyester. In this way, bacteria, for example present in the soil and growing when the plant is growing (when the weather is humid and warm), can degrade the biodegradable polymer, for example by attacking the ester group, to release the herbicide encapsulated in the biodegradable polymer.

In an example, the biodegradable polymer is inpandell (Impranil) DLN. In an example, the biodegradable polymer is polylactic acid. In an example, the biodegradable polymer is polycaprolactam.

In an example, the biodegradable polymer is in the form of a sprayable granule, wherein the herbicide active ingredient is encapsulated within the granule.

In an example, the biodegradable polymer is in the form of a dispersion comprising the herbicide in an aqueous solution prior to application. In this way, the aqueous solution can be delivered by a spraying technique, and when sprayed onto the weeds, the water evaporates to leave the herbicide encapsulated in the biodegradable polymer.

In an example, the biodegradable polymer is in the form of large particles that are delivered by a solid delivery system and thus are not sprayed.

According to an example, analyzing the at least one image to determine the at least one location at which the at least one cover application unit is activated includes determining at least one location of vegetation.

In an example, analyzing the at least one image to determine at least one location to activate the at least one cover application unit includes determining at least one type of weed.

In other words, the selection of a suitable cover may take into account one or more types of weeds to be controlled. Thus, for example, one type of weed may require a protective cover that merely provides a physical barrier without requiring any additional herbicide content to kill the weed, but a different type of weed may require both a physical barrier effect and a specific type of herbicide content, while a different type of weed requires both a physical barrier effect and a different herbicide content to kill the weed.

In other words, image processing can be used to determine the type of weed and its location. The location may be a location in the image. The location may be an actual geographic location. The location may be within the image and can be referenced to a location of the vegetation control technique. In this way, by determining the location of a particular type of weed, an optimized mulch may be applied to that particular location, while the optimized mulch is also applied to different weeds at different locations requiring the application of different mulches.

In an example, analyzing the at least one image includes utilizing a machine learning algorithm.

In an example, the machine learning algorithm comprises a decision tree algorithm.

In an example, the machine learning algorithm includes an artificial neural network.

In an example, a mechanical learning algorithm is taught on the basis of a plurality of images. In an example, a machine learning algorithm is taught based on a plurality of images including images of at least one type of weed. In an example, a machine learning algorithm is taught based on a plurality of images including images of a plurality of weeds.

According to an example, the processing unit is configured to determine an operation mode of at least one chemical spraying unit for spraying the weed control chemical at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image. The weed control chemical is sprayed at a time earlier than the time of applying the at least one cover. The output unit is configured to output information usable to activate the at least one chemical spray unit.

According to an example, determining the mode of operation includes determining a weed control chemical to be sprayed from a plurality of weed control chemicals.

Fig. 2 shows an example of a system 100 for weed control. The system 100 includes at least one camera 110, the apparatus 10 for weed control described with reference to any of fig. 1 and related examples, and at least one cover application unit 120. The at least one camera 110 is configured to obtain at least one image of the environment. The at least one cover application unit 120 is mounted on a vehicle 130. The apparatus 10 is configured to activate the at least one cover application unit 120 to apply at least one cover to the at least one location for weed control.

According to an example, the system comprises at least one chemical spraying unit 140 for spraying the weed control chemical at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image. The weed control chemical is sprayed prior to the application time of the at least one cover.

According to an example, the apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, and in an example, the at least one camera is mounted on the vehicle.

In an example, the vehicle is a train.

In an example, the vehicle is a truck or lorry or a uni mug.

In an example, the input unit is configured to provide the processing unit with at least one location associated with the at least one camera when the at least one image was obtained. In an example, the place is a geographic place.

In an example, the apparatus is configured to activate the vegetation control technique in at least one mode of operation based on at least one geographic location associated with the at least one camera and a spatial relationship between the at least one camera and the vegetation control technique at the time the at least one image was obtained. In this way, by knowing where the image was obtained by the camera mounted on the vehicle and also knowing where the vegetation control technique is mounted on the vehicle relative to the camera, the forward speed of the vehicle is simply taken into account to activate the vegetation control technique at the same place where the image was obtained, and indeed within the imaging area.

In an example, the apparatus is configured to activate the first mode of vegetation control technology before activating the second mode of vegetation control technology or to activate the first mode of vegetation control technology after activating the second mode of vegetation control technology.

Fig. 3 shows the basic steps of a method 200 for weed control. The method 200 comprises the following steps:

in a providing step 210, also referred to as step (a), the processing unit is provided with at least one image of the environment;

in an analyzing step 220, also referred to as step (b), the at least one image is analyzed by the processing unit to determine at least one location in the environment for activating at least one protective cover application unit, wherein the at least one protective cover application unit is configured to apply at least one protective cover to the at least one location for weed control; and is

In an output step 230, also referred to as step (d), information usable for activating the at least one protective-cover application unit is output by the output unit.

According to an example, the at least one image is obtained by at least one camera, and step (a) may comprise providing the processing unit with at least one location associated with the at least one camera at the time the at least one image was obtained.

In an example, at least one of the at least one protective cover comprises at least one herbicide.

In an example, a first of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a different herbicide content than a second of the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide.

In an example, the at least one protective cover comprising at least one herbicide comprises a polymer. In an example, the polymer is a biodegradable polymer. In an example, the biodegradable polymer is configured to be degraded by at least one type of bacteria.

In an example, step (b) comprises determining at least one location of vegetation.

In an example, step (b) comprises determining at least one type of weed.

According to an example, the method comprises the step (c) of analyzing 240, by the processing unit, the at least one image to determine an operation mode of at least one chemical spraying unit for spraying the weed control chemical at least one location based on the analyzed at least one image. The weed control chemical is sprayed prior to the application of the at least one cover. Step (d) then comprises outputting information that can be used to activate the at least one chemical spray unit.

In an example, step (c) includes determining a weed control chemical to be sprayed from a plurality of weed control chemicals.

Specific examples of devices, systems, and methods for weed control that relate to weed control in a railway track environment are now described in more detail in connection with fig. 4-9. Several cover application units 120 and chemical spray units 140 are mounted on one or more portions of the train 130.

Figure 4 shows an example of a system 100 for weed control in which several cover application units 120 and chemical spray units 140 are mounted on a train 130. In the system 100, several drones have cameras 110. These drones fly along the railway track. The cameras obtain images of the environment of the railroad track, which are the ground between the tracks and the ground on both sides of the tracks. The environment being imaged is the environment required for weed control. There need not be several drones, but one drone with one camera 110 can obtain the necessary images. In practice, the images may be obtained by one or more cameras 110 held by a person accessing the railroad track environment, by aircraft, satellites, or by one or more cameras 110 held by, for example, a train traveling along the railroad track. The resolution of the image obtained by the camera 110 enables the vegetation to be identified as vegetation and indeed may be at a resolution that can distinguish one type of weed from another. The obtained image may be a color image but need not be. The images obtained by the drone are transmitted to the device 10. The image may be transmitted to the device 10 as it is acquired by the camera 110, or may be transmitted after it is acquired, for example, after the drone lands. The drone may have a Global Positioning System (GPS) and this enables the location of the acquired image to be determined. For example, the orientation of the camera 110 and the position of the drone at the time the image was obtained may be used to determine the geographic footprint of the image on the ground plane. The drone may also have an inertial navigation system, for example based on a laser gyroscope. In addition to being used to determine the orientation of the drone and thus the orientation of the camera, thereby facilitating determination of where images on the ground are obtained, inertial navigation systems may work alone without a GPS system to determine the location of the drone by determining movement away from one or more known locations.

The input unit 20 of the device 10 passes the obtained image to the processing unit 30. Image analysis software operates on the processing unit 30. The image analysis software may use feature extraction, such as edge detection, and object detection analysis, such as identifiable structures (such as railroad tracks, sleepers, trees, level crossings, station platforms). Thus, based on known object locations, e.g., locations of building and railroad ties and points and level crossings within the environment, and based on known structural information, e.g., distances between ties and between railroad tracks, the processing unit may patch the acquired images to actually create a composite depiction of the environment, which may in fact be overlaid on a geographic map of the environment. Thus, the geographic location of each image may be determined and no information related to the acquired images based on relevant GPS and/or inertial navigation is necessary. However, if there is GPS and/or inertial navigation information available, such an image analysis that can place a particular image at a particular geographic location based solely on the image is not required. However, if GPS and/or inertial navigation based information is available, such image analysis may be used to augment the geographic location associated with the image. Thus, for example, if, on the basis of GPS and/or inertial navigation based information, the center of the acquired image is deemed to be located 22cm from the side edge and 67cm from the end of a particular railroad tie for a section of railroad, whereas from the actual acquired image, the center of the image is determined to be located 25cm from the edge and 64cm from the end of the tie using the aforementioned image analysis, then the location derived based on GPS and/or inertial navigation may be increased by being required to move the location 3cm in one direction and 3cm in the other.

The processing unit 30 runs further image processing software. This software analyzes the images to determine the areas in the images where vegetation will be found, and also analyzes the images to determine where vegetation will not be found (e.g., at the location of railroad ties and in concrete areas). This latter information may be used to determine where spraying of the cover is not required. Furthermore, it is possible to determine from the image analysis what type of ground or soil type, e.g. the type that causes plant growth, is to be found at a site. For example, it may be determined that the ballast is clean, dry, and has no organic matter between pieces of ballast. Thus, if it is determined that there is no vegetation, then this area may be determined as not requiring the application of a cover, as this area does not contribute to vegetation growth. However, if it is determined from the image analysis that the ballast is not clean, and/or dry and/or has organic matter between pieces of ballast, even if it is presently found that there is no vegetation, the processing unit may still determine that the cover should be applied at the site to control weeds, as this area is determined to be an area conducive to vegetation growth. Vegetation may be detected based on the shape of features within the obtained image, where, for example, boundary detection software is used to delineate the outer boundaries of features within the outer boundaries of objects and the outer boundaries of the objects themselves; organic material between ballast may be detected in a similar manner. A vegetation image database can be used to help determine whether features in the image are relevant to vegetation, for example using a trained machine learning algorithm, such as an artificial neural network or decision tree analysis. The camera may obtain a multispectral image that has information related to the colors in the image, and this may be used alone, or in combination with feature detection to determine where vegetation (and/or organic matter) will be found in the image. As described above, because the geographic location of the image can be determined, based on knowledge of the size of the image on the ground, one or more locations of vegetation, and/or other areas where the cover should be applied, can be found in the image and then mapped to the precise location (area) of the vegetation on the ground.

The processing unit 30 then runs additional image processing software which may be part of the image processing (if used) to determine the vegetation location based on feature extraction. This software includes a machine learning analyzer. Images of specific weeds were obtained, along with information also relating to the size of the weeds being used. Information relating to the geographic location in the world where such weeds are found, and information relating to the time of year when such weeds are found, including when they bloom, etc., may be tagged with the image. The name of the weed can also be labeled with an image of the weed. A machine learning analyzer, which may be based on an artificial neural network or a decision tree analyzer, may now be trained on this image where ground truth has been obtained. In this way, when a new image of vegetation is provided to the analyzer, where this image may have an associated time stamp (e.g., time of year) and geographic location (such as germany or south africa) affixed to it, the analyzer determines the particular type of weeds in the image by comparing the image of the weeds found in the new image to the images of the different weeds for which it was trained, where the size of the weeds, and where and when they were growing, are also taken into account. The specific location of that weed type on the ground within the environment, as well as its size, can thus be determined.

The processing unit 30 has access to a database containing different weed types and the optimum mulch to be used in controlling that weed type, whether or not to contain herbicides, and whether or not weed control chemicals should be sprayed on the weeds and what types of chemicals should be sprayed before the mulch is applied. The database is compiled from empirically determined data. This database also contains details about different ground areas that may be located within the site of the weeds or may be separate from the weeds, and whether a particular type of cover should be applied over the ground to inhibit weed growth in that area.

Returning to the situation where it has been determined from image analysis that a weed or vegetation area is present, the size of the weeds or weed clumps on the ground can also be taken into account in determining what mulch is to be applied and whether it should contain herbicide and whether weed control chemicals should also be applied or sprayed before applying the mulch at the site of the weeds. For example, a particular type of protective cover may be optimal for a particular type of weed. Processing unit 30 may now determine that for a single weed or a small clump of such weeds at a particular location in the environment, several of the mulch application units 120 should be activated at that particular location to control the weeds with that mulch — the mulch, which may be, for example, merely a physical barrier and does not contain a herbicide, is applied by the mulch application unit 120 a. However, if there is another type of weed, the processing unit may determine that a patch containing one or more herbicides should be applied at that location, where the patch is bacterially degradable to release the herbicide at the appropriate time. Two different types of covers having different herbicide contents may be deposited by the cover application units 120b and 120 c. In addition, a particular type of weed that is particularly difficult to control and/or causes seedling growth in the surrounding area may be identified at one site, and the processing unit may then determine that a particular weed control chemical should be sprayed at the site of the weed, and then reapply a cover that may also contain a herbicide, which cover may be applied over a larger area than the weed to control the seedling if it begins to grow. Two different types of weed control chemicals may be sprayed by the chemical spray units 140a and 140 b. However, the cover may only be applied to the same area where the weed control chemicals are sprayed, and may not contain herbicides therein. In contrast, a protective cover without a herbicide may act as a physical barrier that itself helps control weeds and that is located over the weed control chemicals also helps ensure that the sprayed weed control chemicals do not decompose too quickly and/or are washed away by rain or otherwise adversely affected, whereby the protective cover also increases the efficacy of the weed control chemicals. Thus in this example, one of the chemical spray units 140a or 140b is activated when the appropriate truck carriage of the train passes over a weed, and these units activate to apply the mulch on the weed that has been sprayed with the weed control chemicals when the last truck carriage with the mulch application unit 120a passes over the weed. However, the cover may be applied at a location where the weed control chemicals have not been sprayed.

The processing unit ensures that all weeds to be controlled are assigned at least one activation of the cover application unit and, if required, of the chemical spray unit; whether it is desired to simply apply the cover without the herbicide, the cover with the herbicide, spray the weed control chemical before applying the cover without the herbicide, or spray the weed control chemical before applying the cover with the herbicide. With respect to the mulch and the weed control chemicals to be sprayed, the processing unit may determine which particular herbicide should be contained in the mulch and which particular type of weed control chemical should be sprayed.

Thus, the camera 110 of the drone obtains an image of the environment, which is passed to the processing unit 30, which determines at which particular geographical location in the environment what mode of weed control technology should be applied. Thus, in effect a characteristic map and/or weed map may be generated which indicates where in the environment the mulch should be applied, with or without the herbicide contained therein, and whether or not weed control chemicals should be sprayed on the weeds before that.

With continued reference to fig. 4, the weed control train 130 is advanced along the railroad track. As mentioned above, a weed control train has several freight cars. In one particular example, a first boxcar has a chemical spray-based weed control technology with several chemical spray units 140b spraying a first weed control chemical. The second boxcar has a chemical spray-based weed control technology with several chemical spray units 140a spraying a second weed control chemical. Then, one boxcar has several mulch application units 120c applying mulch with a first herbicide content, another boxcar has several mulch application units 120b applying mulch with a second herbicide content, and the last boxcar has several mulch application units 120a applying mulch without herbicide content and forming a physical barrier without the associated herbicide weed control effect. Different trains or the same train with different boxcars attached thereto can accommodate different numbers of mulch application units applying different types of mulch, with or without herbicide content, and not necessarily with boxcars with chemical spray units, where only the mulch is applied in the environment, for example on weeds. However, when a chemical spraying unit is present, there may be several different types of units that are coupled to suitable chemical containers housed within the freight compartment so that several different weed control chemicals can be sprayed. However, the boxcar with the chemical spraying unit, if present, is always "upstream" of the boxcar with the mulch application unit, with respect to the direction of travel of the train, so that the weeds can be sprayed with the weed control chemical first and then the mulch can be applied over that area.

The weed control train has a processing unit (not shown) using the above-described feature map, weed map, or weed control map. The weed control train has a means of determining its geographical location, which may be based on one or more of GPS, inertial navigation, image analysis to locate the weed control train and the specific location of the cover application units 120a, 120b, 120c and the specific location of the chemical spray units 140a and 140 b. This means that as the weed control train passes through the environment, different units (mulch application unit and, if desired, chemical spray unit) can be activated at a specific location of the weeds where the different units activated to apply a specific mulch to cover (if desired) the area sprayed with a specific weed control chemical have been determined to be optimal for that task.

As discussed above, the weed control train may have a camera and obtain images. The acquired images can be processed by a processing unit on the weed control train to determine the location of the train itself by determining the location of the features in the crossties and the surrounding environment. Additionally, when the weed control train has a GPS and/or inertial system, the GPS and/or inertial navigation system can be used to determine the location of the train so that the correct cover application unit (and chemical spray unit if needed) can be activated at the location of a particular weed.

However, if the train also has a camera to obtain images of the surroundings, feature extraction such as the position of the sleepers can be used to augment the position determined by GPS and/or inertial navigation to correct the position so that the cover application unit (and, if required, the chemical spray unit) can be activated at the precise location required, for example not over areas where weeds are not long and for example at specific locations of different types of weeds, to take into account the position obtained from the GPS system for example. Thus, the image processing required to determine the position of the crosstie can be run quickly while location updates are applied quickly because the image processing complexity in locating features such as railroad crossties is relatively small.

The processing unit uses a database of information about the covers with different herbicide contents and about the weed control chemicals and the combination of which cover to use to control a particular type of weed and the covers to use to control other particular weeds and the particular weed control chemicals in front of it to determine what unit (cover application unit and, if needed, chemical spray unit) to activate at a particular location in the environment. The train also has a rain sensor and if the day is raining and weeds are typically only sprayed thereon with weed control chemicals, the processing unit may determine that the mulch from the mulch application unit 120a should be applied with no herbicide content on the weeds after the weed control chemicals are sprayed, thereby mitigating washout of the weed control chemicals due to rainfall by providing a physical barrier on the sprayed weeds.

Fig. 5 shows another example of a system 100 for weed control. The system for weed control of fig. 5 is similar to the one shown in fig. 4. However, in FIG. 5 the weed control train 130 has the camera 110 and device 10 previously discussed. The camera 110 on the weed control train 130 now obtains the image previously obtained by the drone. The processing unit 30 of the plant on the weed control train 130 processes the acquired images to determine the location and type of weeds. It is not required at this time to determine the precise geographical location of the weeds. Rather, based on the relative spacing between the camera 110 and the cover application units 120a, 120b, 120c and the chemical spray units 140a and 140b housed in the boxcar of the train, the image obtained can be located at a specific point on the ground, in which image the weeds located and identified are therefore also located on the ground. The desired cover application unit (and if desired chemical spray unit) will thereafter be activated at the identified weed site and/or at the site requiring weed control in relation to the area identified as contributing to weed growth. Then, from the knowledge of the forward movement of the weed control train (its speed) and the time at which the image is obtained, it can be determined when the required unit should be activated such that it is activated at the location (or other area) of the weeds to apply the mulch at that location, where the mulch is applied first with chemicals sprayed if necessary, and/or to apply the mulch over the required other area of the environment and which may not require that the weed control chemicals have been sprayed first at that location. In this way, the weed control train does not need to have GPS and/or inertial navigation systems or image-based absolute geographical location determination means. Instead, the treatment required to account for the determination of the type of weed and its precise location in the image, and/or the location to which the mulch is to be applied where weeds may not yet have grown but where the mulch needs to be applied, and its precise location on the ground-within the train coordinate system-can be determined. The camera 110 must be spaced from the first truck bed containing the mulch application unit or chemical spray unit, if present, which is the truck bed containing the chemical spray unit 140b for the example shown in fig. 5, where the important location of the truck bed is the location of the chemical spray unit 140b itself, by a distance at least equal to the treatment time multiplied by the maximum speed of the weed control train during weed control. Thus, for example, if 0.2s, 0.4s or 0.8s is required for train handling traveling at 25m/s, then the camera 110 must be spaced 5m, 10m or 20m in front of the chemical spray unit 140b for this train speed with reference to FIG. 5. A reduction in train speed and/or a reduction in processing speed makes it possible to reduce the spacing. Also, the camera 110 that obtains the image may have a very short exposure time, thereby minimizing image shift due to train movement during the exposure time. This can be by a variety of different means including, for example, using a camera with short exposure times or short pulse illumination, for example by a laser or LED, in conjunction with a filter.

However, the apparatus may use a GPS system and/or an inertial navigation system and/or image analysis to determine the precise geographical location of the weeds, and/or the precise geographical location of the area to which the cover is to be applied, which may be, for example, between sleepers and between railway tracks but not on sleepers or on tracks, and/or at areas determined to be conducive to weed growth. This means that a record can be provided of what weeds have been controlled and how they have been controlled, and where those weeds are located, and where the mulch has been applied, including those that have not been applied to growing weeds. Thus, audit information is actually provided, enabling a review of the efficacy of the application of weed control technology. Furthermore, by generating precise geographical locations of weeds and/or other relevant areas of the environment, the cover application unit and chemical spray unit may have associated location determination means, such as a GPS system and/or an inertial navigation system and/or an image-based system, which may be used to provide precise locations of those units. Thus, the front cars of the train may have an image acquisition and analysis unit that enables the construction of a weed control map. The last few wagons of the train may now have a cover application unit (and chemical spray unit if required). These rear wagons can be spaced from the front wagons by tens or hundreds of meters through the load-carrying wagons. The absolute spacing of the front cars to the rear cars may vary as the train goes up and down the hill, but because the boxcars with the mulch application unit and the chemical spray unit know their exact location and the exact location of their respective units, when they move forward to the location of weeds or the area of a particular type of weed or other area where the mulch is to be applied, for example, the appropriate unit or units may be activated at that exact geographical location. This is because the precise geographical location of the cover application units and chemical spray units are known, enabling those units to be activated as they pass over the precise geographical location of the weeds or other area where weed control is to be applied.

Fig. 5 shows two views of the weed control train 130, the upper being a side view and the lower being a plan view. This shows the image-capturing cameras 110 extending between and to either side of the rails. Each boxcar of the weed control train has associated different mulch application units 120a, 120b, and 120c and chemical spray units 140a and 140b as discussed with reference to fig. 4 that can be activated at locations under and on both sides of the train.

Fig. 6 shows a boxcar of the weed control train 130 as shown in fig. 4-5, having several chemical spray units 140. The boxcar of fig. 6 may also be the boxcar of fig. 4-5 having chemical spray unit 140a or chemical spray unit 140 b. In another example, the boxcar shown in fig. 6 may be sprayed with a different weed control chemical than that discussed with reference to fig. 4-5. Fig. 6 shows a rear view of one of the boxcars of the train, which is a view along the railroad track. Several individual spray nozzles of the chemical spray unit 140 extend laterally under the train and to both sides of the train. The spray nozzle also extends in a forward direction. The spray nozzle itself may have specific controls, other than on or off, may be directionally controlled to spray left and right or downward, and/or controlled such that the angular range of the spray is varied so that, for example, a narrow spray jet may be directed toward a single weed. When one of the spray nozzles passes over a weed and the weed has been identified as being a weed that should be controlled by that particular chemical spray, the processing unit 30 activates the particular nozzle that sprays the chemical at the particular location of the weed where it is desired to control that weed by that chemical spray. After the weed control chemical is sprayed, the cover is then applied at or over that location, as discussed in more detail with reference to FIG. 7. In fig. 6, this weed has two specific locations, one found between the tracks and one on the left side of the track, and thus two spray nozzles are activated. Note that weeds may pass under this truck bed, one of the other chemicals has been applied to the weeds by chemical spray unit 140 housed in a different truck bed, or the weeds have been identified as not requiring spraying of the weed control chemicals on them before applying the mulch on them.

Fig. 7 shows a truck bed of the weed control train 130 as shown in fig. 4-5, having several mulch application units 120. The boxcar in fig. 7 may be any of the boxcars shown in fig. 4-5 having a cover application unit 120a, 120b, or 120 c. Fig. 7 shows a rear view of this boxcar of the train, which is a view along the railway track. The processing unit 30, for example, determines the particular weed on which it is desired to apply a mulch having a first herbicide content. Thus, in this example, reference is made to the boxcar shown in fig. 4-5 having the cover application unit 140 b. Several individual shield spray nozzles are shown that are configured to spray a liquid biodegradable polymer containing a herbicide content. The polymer in this particular example is a polyester which is dispersed in an aqueous solution with the herbicide. After application, the water evaporates to leave the herbicide encapsulated in the polymer. The polymer is designed such that bacteria present in the environment and growing as weeds grow will degrade the polymer and cause the release of the herbicide. Bacterial attack of the ester groups of the polymer results in degradation of the polymer and release of the herbicide. Thus, in addition to providing a physical barrier to weed control, an additional weed control mechanism is provided for weeds by the controlled application of weed control herbicides. If the weeds do not grow, for example under dry, cold conditions, then bacteria do not grow and degrade the polymer. However, as soon as the weeds start to grow, bacteria also grow, which leads to degradation of the polymer and release of the herbicide. Several individual spray nozzles of the cover application unit 140b extend laterally under the train and to both sides of the train. The spray nozzles may also extend in a forward direction. The spray nozzles themselves may have specific controls, other than on or off, and may be controlled in direction to spray left and right or downwards, and/or controlled such that the angular range of spraying is varied so that, for example, a narrow spray jet may be directed at a single weed. However, typically the range of application of the cover is greater than that of the weed control chemicals previously sprayed on the weeds by the chemical spray nozzle 140. However, the extent of the cover and the extent of the weed control chemical spray may be the same.

In fig. 7, two specific locations of weeds are identified on which it is desired to apply a cover. These sites are the same as the sites shown in fig. 6 on which the weed control chemicals have been sprayed. Thus, the weed control chemicals are sprayed on the weeds first, and then the mulch with the herbicide content is sprayed on the weeds. However, in various examples the weed control chemical is first sprayed onto the weeds, followed by application of a herbicide-free cover. Such a cover provides a physical barrier effect for weed control and may be a liquid polymer, which may also be biodegradable to reduce long term effects on the environment, but need not be biodegradable. Such covers need not be in liquid form and may be in granular or powder form, and biodegradable covers having herbicide content may also be in granular or powder form rather than in liquid form.

Instead of using a liquid polymeric cover with herbicide content, the cover can be in the form of granules which can, if desired, contain the encapsulated herbicide, these granules also being sprayable, thereby facilitating application. The particles may be biodegradable, as described above, to release the encapsulated herbicide. Furthermore, the covers may be in a non-sprayable form and again may have a herbicide content, for example larger granules, non-woven fibrous material, starch newspapers, which are manually applied to the desired location.

FIG. 8 shows a depiction of a railway environment showing a railway track and the ground on both sides of the track. Several weed fields are shown, with a large clump of weeds of one type having a clump of different types of weeds within the clump. A depiction of the locations where different mulch application units and, if desired, different chemical spray units are activated to apply the mulch and weed control chemicals, respectively, is shown in fig. 8. At one location, the processing unit determines, based on image processing, that a weed only requires a protective cover to be applied thereon as a physical shield, and activates only the protective cover application unit 120a at the required location. At another site, it is desirable that the second type of weed control chemical be sprayed onto a small clump of weeds in a large clump of different types of weeds, and that the cover, once again, be applied over this small clump without herbicide. This clumping itself can be controlled by applying only a cover without herbicide content. Determining two different weed clumps based on image processing requires application of a cover with herbicide content without prior spraying of weed control chemicals. However, the weed control chemical is sprayed from the chemical spray unit 140a onto another particularly difficult-to-control weed, followed by application of the cover with the herbicide content by the cover application unit 120 c. This determination of where which mulch application unit should be activated to apply the mulch and if desired which chemical spray nozzle should be activated at the site of the weeds prior to application of the mulch can be considered a weed control map and/or characteristic map as discussed with reference to figure 4, or a real-time determination of what mode of weed control technology should be applied as discussed with reference to figure 5.

Fig. 9 shows more details of the cover application unit 120a in the leftmost freight car of the train shown in fig. 4-5, and the following description also pertains to other cover application units 120b and 120c and to chemical spray units 140a and 140 b. The layout and control of the mulch application unit (or for the chemical spray unit) enables different amounts of mulch (and weed control chemicals) to be applied (sprayed) to a particular location without having to slow the train or apply the mulch (weed control chemicals) at different rates, which results in a simplified system subunit. Continuing with the specific example shown in fig. 9, there is shown a single subunit mounted on a railcar of a train, with the central unit located under the railcar and the other subunits located on either side of the railcar, which are capable of controlling weeds on the outside of the track. In this particular example there are 19 rows of nozzles and 12 columns of nozzles configured to apply a polymeric liquid form of the mulch that has no herbicide content (although the same system can be used to apply a liquid polymeric mulch with or without herbicide content, and weed control chemicals). There may be a different number of columns of nozzles and a different number of rows, and there may be only one row. Defining a coordinate system of row x columns, then nozzles 1x4, 1x5, 1x6, and 1x7 activate to deposit a layer of protective cover as the train moves forward as they pass over the locus of the weed. With further movement, only the nozzles are in activation in one example until the nozzles have passed over the weeds. In this way a minimum amount of cover may be applied. However, the nozzles may be activated when the weeds are located at different positions under the subunits. Thus, when the weed first sits under the front edge of the subunit, nozzles 1x4-7, 2x4-7, and 3x4-7 are activated. As the train moves forward, 2x4-7, 3x4-7, and 4x4-7 are activated, and then 3x4-7, 4x4-7, and 5x4-7 are activated. In this way, weeds are advanced under the subunits and the appropriate nozzles are activated in all positions until 17x4-7, 18x4-7, and 19x4-7 are activated, then 18x4-7 and 19x4-7 and finally 19x4-7 are activated. The waves of the nozzles activated in this way are activated at a fixed position on the ground, the waves moving at the speed of the train. Thus, the cover may be applied at different locations for different durations, and thus different thicknesses, with the processing unit determining what thickness of weeds is to be deposited for a particular weed at a particular location. This also applies to the application of a cover with a herbicide content, and the amount of weed control chemical to be sprayed on the weeds before the cover is applied, if the treatment unit has determined that a pre-treatment of such weed control chemical is required.

The examples detailed above are discussed with reference to railways, where different cover application units and chemical spray units are housed in different freight cars of a train. These may be housed within a single boxcar and there may be only one set of units, which are mulch application units that apply mulch at a specific location based on image processing, with or without associated herbicide content. In addition, in addition to the weed control train, a truck or lorry or a uni-gram (Unimog) may have a mulch application unit and if desired a chemical spray unit mounted on/in it and, based on a previously obtained and processed image or on an image obtained and processed by itself, travel around an industrial area or even an area such as an airport and control weeds by the targeted application of the mulch as described above, if desired applying a weed control chemical pre-treatment.

In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program or a computer program element is provided, characterized by being configured to perform the method steps of the method according to one of the preceding embodiments on a suitable system.

The computer program element may thus be stored on a computer unit, which may also be part of an embodiment. This computing unit may be configured to perform or cause to be performed the steps of the method described above. Moreover, it may be configured to operate the components of the devices and/or systems described above. The computing unit may be configured to operate automatically and/or to execute user commands. The computer program may be loaded into the working memory of a data processor. The data processor may thus be equipped to carry out a method according to one of the preceding embodiments.

This exemplary embodiment of the invention covers both a computer program that uses the invention from the beginning and a computer program that changes an existing program into a program that uses the invention by means of an update.

Further, the computer program element may be capable of providing all the necessary steps of a process to fulfill the exemplary embodiment of the method described above.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable medium, such as a CD-ROM, a USB stick or the like, is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium has stored thereon a computer program element, the computer program element being as described in the previous section.

A computer program may be stored and/or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the internet or wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

However, the computer program may also be provided over a network, such as the world wide web, and may be downloaded into the working memory of a data processor from this network. According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a medium is provided for making available for downloading a computer program element arranged to perform a method according to one of the above described embodiments of the present invention.

It has to be noted that embodiments of the invention are described with reference to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments are described with reference to method type claims whereas other embodiments are described with reference to apparatus type claims. However, a person skilled in the art will gather from the above and the following description that, unless other notified, also any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter is possible, apart from any combination between features relating to different subject matters, which combinations are considered to be disclosed with this application. However, all of the features may be combined to provide more synergistic effects than a simple addition of the features.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope.