Walmart's Robotic Pollinator Patents

A robotic pollinator drone approaching a flower, the kind of autonomous pollination system described in Walmart's 2018 patent applications

Synopsis

The bees are becoming extinct, and Walmart has won the patent for autonomous pollinators. Unmanned vehicles are the new age of pollination — somewhat of an Orwellian future.

Walmartrobotic pollinatorsunmanned vehiclesdronesbee extinctionpollinationpatentsUS20180064049A1US20180074518A1US20180074499A1Walmart Apollo

While the bees are becoming extinct, Walmart has been busy winning the patents for their replacement: autonomous pollinators. Three applications from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (now Walmart Apollo LLC) — inventor Robert L. Cantrell et al., filed 6 September 2017 and published in March 2018 — describe unmanned vehicles that carry pollen to the crops, station themselves and shut down their flight system while they work, and drop sensor modules into the field. Unmanned vehicles are the new age of pollination, somewhat of an Orwellian future.

Each application is quoted below with its abstract, front page and first drawing sheets. Click any figure to open the full document in the viewer.

US20180064049A1 — Systems and methods for dispensing pollen onto crops via unmanned vehicles

Applicant: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR · Inventors: Robert L. Cantrell et al. · Filed: 6 September 2017 (priority 8 September 2016) · Published: 8 March 2018

Abstract

In some embodiments, methods and systems of pollinating crops in a crop-containing area include at least one unmanned vehicle having a receptacle including pollen, a pollen dispenser configured to dispense the pollen from the receptacle onto the crops, and a sensor configured to detect presence of the pollen dispensed from the at least one pollen dispenser on the crops and interpret the presence of the pollen dispensed from the at least one pollen dispenser on the crops as a verification that the pollen dispensed from the at least one pollen dispenser was successfully applied to the crops.

Patent US20180064049A1 — page 1 — **Patent US20180064049A1** — Page 1
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Patent US20180064049A1 — page 2 — **Patent US20180064049A1** — Page 2
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Patent US20180064049A1 — page 3 — **Patent US20180064049A1** — Page 3
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US20180074518A1 — Apparatus and method for unmanned flight task optimization

Applicant: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR · Inventors: Robert L. Cantrell et al. · Filed: 6 September 2017 · Published: 15 March 2018

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein for unmanned flight optimization. A system for unmanned flight optimization comprises a flight system configured to provide locomotion to an unmanned aerial vehicle, a sensor system on the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a control circuit coupled to the flight system and the sensor system. The control circuit being configured to: retrieve a task profile for a task assigned to the unmanned aerial vehicle, detect condition parameters of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the sensor system, determine whether to station the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the task profile and the condition parameters, and deactivate the flight system of the unmanned aerial vehicle while the unmanned aerial vehicle performs the task.

Patent US20180074518A1 — page 1 — **Patent US20180074518A1** — Page 1
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Patent US20180074518A1 — page 2 — **Patent US20180074518A1** — Page 2
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Patent US20180074518A1 — page 3 — **Patent US20180074518A1** — Page 3
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US20180074499A1 — Apparatus and method for monitoring a field

Applicant: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR · Inventors: Robert L. Cantrell et al. · Filed: 6 September 2017 · Published: 15 March 2018

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for field monitoring. A system for field monitoring comprises a plurality of types of sensor modules, an unmanned vehicle comprising a sensor system, and a control circuit configured to: receive onboard sensor data from the sensor system of the unmanned vehicle, detect an alert condition at a monitored area based on the onboard sensor data, select one or more types of sensor modules from the plurality of types of sensor modules to deploy at the monitored area based on the onboard sensor data, and cause the unmanned vehicle and/or one or more other unmanned vehicles to transport one or more sensor modules of the one or more types of sensor modules to the monitored area and deploy the one or more sensor modules by detaching from the one or more sensor modules at the monitored area.

Patent US20180074499A1 — page 1 — **Patent US20180074499A1** — Page 1
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Patent US20180074499A1 — page 2 — **Patent US20180074499A1** — Page 2
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Patent US20180074499A1 — page 3 — **Patent US20180074499A1** — Page 3
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The three applications at a glance

Publication	Title	Google Patents	Viewer	PDF
US20180064049A1	Systems and methods for dispensing pollen onto crops via unmanned vehicles	Google Patents	Viewer	PDF
US20180074518A1	Apparatus and method for unmanned flight task optimization	Google Patents	Viewer	PDF
US20180074499A1	Apparatus and method for monitoring a field	Google Patents	Viewer	PDF