A greenhouse automatic vine-releasing robot and vine-releasing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic greenhouse vine-laying robot and vine-laying method, wherein the vine-laying robot includes a mobile chassis, a lifting mechanism, a control cabinet, a front robotic arm, a rear robotic arm, an electric gripper, a light curtain sensor, and a photoelectric switch; the control cabinet and lifting mechanism are mounted on the mobile chassis, and the two robotic arms are fixed to the surface of the top platform of the lifting mechanism; the ends of the two robotic arms are mounted with electric grippers, the top of the main shaft of the front robotic arm is provided with a photoelectric switch, and the end grippers are mounted with light curtain sensors. The present invention is suitable for greenhouse crops that use hook-based vine-laying. Before operation begins, the height of the vine-hanging wire is detected by a photoelectric switch above the lifting mechanism, the vine-laying hook is accurately positioned using a light curtain sensor, and the vine-laying hook is picked up and placed using the robotic arm, thereby realizing the automation of greenhouse vine-laying work and improving the efficiency of greenhouse vine-laying operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of agricultural robots, in particular to the field of robot vine laying, and specifically refers to an automatic vine laying robot and a vine laying method for a greenhouse. Background Art

[0002] Currently, greenhouse vine-dropping cultivation has become the mainstream cultivation method for climbing crops. This technique maximizes the use of greenhouse space, given limited land resources. The vertical distribution of plants within the greenhouse reduces leaf overlap and shading, increasing the area exposed to sunlight for the crops while promoting air circulation within the greenhouse, effectively reducing the incidence of pests and diseases.

[0003] The most important and complex step in vine-dropping cultivation is releasing the vines. There are two main methods of releasing the vines: the rope-type and the hook-type. The rope-type release method uses a vine-dropping rope tied to the plant, with the other end of the rope tied high up in the greenhouse. To release the vines, the rope tied at high altitude must be untied, the plant lowered to the appropriate height, and the rope must be re-tied. The hook-type release method uses a vine-dropping hook with a rope loop. The vine-dropping hook is hung high up in the greenhouse, and the rope loop is wrapped in the hook's rope groove. To release the vines, simply release the rope loop on the hook a certain distance to lower the plant.

[0004] Compared with the rope-type vine release, the hook-type vine release is more convenient, but the hook-type vine release still requires manual operation. The workload of vine release is huge and high-altitude operation is required. There are huge defects in efficiency and safety, and the level of automation still needs to be improved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the existing technology, the present invention provides a greenhouse automatic vine-releasing robot and vine-releasing method, which can replace manpower in hook-type vine-releasing operations, effectively reducing labor costs, reducing safety hazards, and greatly improving the work efficiency of greenhouse vine-releasing operations.

[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions, and provides a method for automatically placing vines in a greenhouse using a vine placing robot, comprising the following steps:

[0007] a. Calculation of working height: The vine-laying hook wrapped with a vine-laying rope is hung on the vine-hanging wire fixed in the greenhouse, and the lower end of the vine-laying rope is connected to the vine of the plant; before the vine-laying hook is hung on the vine-hanging wire, the vine-hanging wire is detected by the photoelectric switch installed on the vine-laying robot, and the vine-laying operating height of the robot's robotic arm is determined according to the height difference between the photoelectric switch and the end of the robotic arm, thereby ensuring that the end of the robotic arm is within the vine-laying operation range.

[0008] b. Positioning the vine hook: The vine hook is positioned using a light curtain sensor at the end of the vine robot's arm. During operation, the vine robot moves between rows. When the light curtain sensor detects the vine hook, the robot stops and the arm continues the vine release operation according to the programmed motion trajectory. After a single operation is completed, the arm returns to its pre-operation position for subsequent operations. This method uses a light curtain sensor at the end of the arm to position the vine hook, ensuring the accuracy of the vine release operation and improving the quality and efficiency of the vine release.

[0009] c. Design of the robot arm's motion trajectory: When the light curtain sensor detects the vine hook, the robot arm drives the gripper forward a certain distance toward the vine hook, allowing the vine hook to enter the gripper's opening and closing range. The gripper then closes, clamping the vine hook. The robot arm is then controlled to move upward to lift the vine hook. The robot arm then drives the gripper backward a certain distance and drives the gripper to rotate the vine hook by a positive integer multiple of 180°. Finally, the robot arm returns the vine hook to the vine wire along the original path. After the operation is completed, the robot arm returns to its initial position. This method uses the rotation of the vine hook to release vines, making the vine release action faster and more efficient, greatly improving the efficiency of vine release.

[0010] As an optimization, in step b, when the vine hook enters the light curtain sensor's scanning range, the vine releasing robot continues to advance. When the hook leaves the scanning range at the other edge of the light curtain, the robot stops moving, and the robotic arm then resumes the vine releasing operation. This optimization ensures that the hook has already left the light curtain sensor's scanning range after the robotic arm returns to its initial position, preventing the light curtain sensor from repeatedly scanning the same hook after the robotic arm returns to its initial position.

[0011] As an optimization, the vine-releasing robot is provided with two robotic arms arranged along the direction of travel, and the distance between the two robotic arms along the direction of travel is the target spacing distance. A light curtain sensor is installed at the end of the robotic arm in front of the direction of travel. Before the two robotic arms perform vine-releasing operations, the spacing distance between the vine-releasing hooks is adjusted first: the vine-releasing robot moves at a constant speed between rows, and the timing starts when the first vine-releasing hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor at the end of the robotic arm and leaves the scanning range of the light curtain sensor from the other side. After a period of time, the second vine-releasing hook adjacent to the first vine-releasing hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor. The timing stops when the second vine-releasing hook leaves the scanning range of the light curtain sensor. The distance obtained by multiplying the timing time by the travel speed of the vine-releasing robot is the actual spacing distance between adjacent vine-releasing hooks. Then, the actual spacing distance between the two adjacent vine-releasing hooks is adjusted to the target spacing distance by moving the vine-releasing hooks, so as to facilitate the synchronous vine-releasing operations of the two robotic arms.

[0012] After the actual spacing between two adjacent vine release hooks is adjusted to the target spacing, the horizontal spacing between the centerlines of the two robotic arms' grippers is adjusted to the target spacing, and the overall vine release operation begins: the vine release robot travels between rows, treating two adjacent vine release hooks as a group, and using two robotic arms to synchronize the operations on each group of vine release hooks. When the light curtain sensor detects the second vine release hook in the group, the vine release robot stops. At this point, the two adjacent vine release hooks are within the operating range of the corresponding robotic arms, and the robotic arms then release the vines from the hooks according to the designed trajectory. Using two robotic arms to perform vine release operations simultaneously further improves vine release efficiency.

[0013] This solution also provides a greenhouse automatic vine-laying robot used in the above-mentioned vine-laying method. The greenhouse automatic vine-laying robot includes a mobile chassis and a lifting mechanism mounted on the mobile chassis. A robotic arm is mounted on the top of the lifting mechanism. The end of the robotic arm is mounted with a clamp for clamping a vine-laying hook and a light curtain sensor facing the side where the vine-laying hook is located. The robotic arm is also mounted with a photoelectric switch located above the plane where the clamp is located. The vine-laying robot of this solution is driven by the mobile chassis, and the height of the robotic arm is adjusted by the lifting mechanism to meet the requirements of vine-laying at different heights. It is also convenient to lift the vine-laying hook upward to ensure the rotation of the vine-laying hook. By providing a light curtain sensor, it is convenient to scan the vine-laying hook so that the vine-laying hook can be operated.

[0014] As an optimization, the robotic arm includes a column fixed to the lifting mechanism, a first arm body vertically slidably connected to the column, and a first driving device for driving the first arm body to move up and down along the column, the first arm body is connected to the second arm body via a first vertical axis, the second arm body is connected to the third arm body via a second vertical axis, the third arm body is connected to the fourth arm body via a third vertical axis, and the fourth arm body is connected to the clamping claw via a transverse axis; the robotic arm also includes a second driving device for driving the second arm body to rotate around the axis of the first vertical axis, a third driving device for driving the third arm body to rotate around the axis of the second vertical axis, a fourth driving device for driving the fourth arm body to rotate around the axis of the third vertical axis, and a fifth driving device for driving the clamping claw to rotate around the axis of the transverse axis. This optimization solution uses the first driving device to move the first arm body up and down, thereby achieving adjustment of the clamping claw height, and then achieving adjustment of the robotic arm operating height. By setting each arm body and utilizing the rotation of each arm body to achieve extension and retraction of the robotic arm, the vine hook can be lifted, translated backward, rotated, translated forward, and moved downward.

[0015] As an optimization, the lifting mechanism is a scissor-type structure, which includes a number of X-shaped units arranged in sequence along the vertical direction. The two adjacent X-shaped units are hinged by a transverse connecting shaft. The transverse connecting shafts from top to bottom are alternately provided with an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is rotatably mounted with a first sprocket and a second sprocket distributed along the vertical direction. The first sprocket and the second sprocket are connected by an annular chain transmission. One side of the annular chain protrudes outward from the wall of the inner sleeve. The inner wall of the outer sleeve is fixed with a tooth groove adapted to the annular chain. This optimization scheme improves the scissor-type lifting mechanism of the prior art. By providing an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, the annular chain can follow the transmission in the tooth groove during the extension and shortening of the scissor-type structure, reducing the friction between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve during the lifting process, improving the stability of the scissor-type structure, and reducing the shaking of the robot arm during the vine-releasing operation.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0017] (1) Using a robotic arm to replace manual labor in high-altitude vine laying operations reduces manpower waste and safety hazards, and using dual robotic arms for collaborative operations improves work efficiency.

[0018] (2) Photoelectric switches are used to detect the height of the vines, and light curtain sensors are used to position the vine hooks, which reduces the development cost of the equipment compared to other positioning methods.

[0019] (3) A fixed robot arm operation trajectory was designed to simplify the control method. The robot arm moves along a fixed path, which increases the operating speed of the robot arm and reduces the occurrence of errors.

[0020] (4) The ring chain and tooth groove matching structure are used to fix the lifting mechanism horizontally and vertically respectively, which reduces the vibration of the lifting mechanism during operation, improves the stability of the robot arm operation, and reduces operation errors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the greenhouse automatic vine-laying robot of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the greenhouse hook falling vine scene;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the bottom pulley and pulley motor of the lifting mechanism;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the top pulley of the lifting mechanism;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of the inner casing and the outer casing;

[0026] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the robotic arm structure;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the method for measuring the distance between adjacent vine hooks;

[0028] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the robot arm's operating trajectory for adjusting the spacing of vine hooks;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning of the vine hook during the vine releasing operation;

[0030] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the motion trajectory of the robotic arm for vine-releasing operations.

[0031] As shown in the figure:

[0032] 1. Mobile chassis, 2. Support base, 3. First slide, 4. Bottom pulley, 5. Pulley motor, 6. Fork rod, 7. Horizontal connecting shaft, 8. Connecting beam, 9. Hydraulic rod, 10. Connecting buckle, 11. Inner sleeve, 11.1. Ring chain, 11.2. First sprocket, 11.3. Empty slot, 12. Outer sleeve, 12.1. Tooth groove, 13. Top pulley, 14. Second slide, 15. Loading platform, 16. Control cabinet, 16.1. Touch screen, 16.2. Machine switch, 16.3. Emergency stop button, 16.4. Status indicator light, 17. Front robotic arm, 17.1, column, 17.2, first arm body, 17.3, second arm body, 17.4, third arm body, 17.5, fourth arm body, 18, photoelectric switch, 19, rear robotic arm, 20, gripper, 20.1, fixed joint, 20.2, rotating joint, 20.3, gripping finger joint, 20.4, light curtain sensor, 21, vine hook, 22, vine rope, 23, vine hanging wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to clearly illustrate the technical features of this solution, this solution is described below through specific implementation methods.

[0034] like Figure 1The present invention shows an automatic greenhouse vine-laying robot comprising a mobile chassis 1, a lifting mechanism mounted on the mobile chassis, and a control cabinet 16. A robotic arm is mounted on top of the lifting mechanism, the end of which is mounted with a clamping claw 20 for clamping a vine-laying hook 21 and a light curtain sensor 20.4 facing the side where the vine-laying hook is located. The robotic arm is also mounted with a photoelectric switch 18 located above the plane where the clamping claw is located. In terms of height, the photoelectric switch is 30 cm higher than the clamping claw. The control cabinet 16 is equipped with a touch screen 16.1, a whole machine switch 16.2, an emergency stop button 16.3, and a status indicator light 16.4. The chassis movement system, lifting system, and robotic arm control system are all integrated into the control cabinet 16. Before operation, the whole machine switch 16.2 must be turned on to power on each mechanism. If a fault occurs during equipment operation, the emergency stop button 16.3 is pressed to stop the whole machine.

[0035] In this embodiment, there are two robotic arms, which are arranged along the direction of travel of the mobile chassis. The two robotic arms have the same structure and perform the vine-releasing operation synchronously. The two robotic arms are respectively a front robotic arm 17 and a rear robotic arm 19. Along the direction of travel of the mobile chassis, the front robotic arm 17 is located in front of the rear robotic arm 19. A photoelectric switch 18 is provided at the top of the column 17.1 of the front robotic arm, and a light curtain sensor 20.4 is installed at the end.

[0036] During operation, the mobile chassis 1, carrying other mechanisms, travels. It uses rear-wheel drive, can steer via the front wheels, and provides 220V power to other components. The control cabinet 16 controls the mobile chassis 1, the lifting mechanism, the front robotic arm 17, the rear robotic arm 19, the photoelectric switch 18, the gripper 20, and the light curtain sensor 20.4. Pressing the system switch 16.2 powers the device on, and the status indicator 16.4 displays the operating status of the lifting mechanism and robotic arm. The touch screen 16.1 adjusts the mobile chassis' speed and the height of the lifting mechanism, while also controlling the robotic arm.

[0037] The robot arm and the gripper at its end can both adopt existing technologies to realize the gripper's movement up and down, movement away from and close to the vine-releasing hook, and rotation around an axis extending in the front-to-back direction. For example, the gripper adopts the rotary electric gripper in the existing technology; the rotary electric gripper includes a fixed section 20.1, a rotating section 20.2, a gripping finger section 20.3 and a light curtain sensor 20.4; the fixed section 20.1 is embedded in the fourth arm body, and the rotating section 20.2 is placed on the top of the fixed section 20.1, which can perform rotational movement without angle restriction; the gripping finger section 20.3 is installed on the top of the rotating section 20.2, which can perform opening and closing movement. The light curtain sensor 20.4 is installed on the left side of the fixed section 20.1 of the robot arm, and can emit a fan-shaped light curtain within a certain distance toward the side where the vine-releasing hook is located. The fan-shaped light curtain and the gripper 20 are on the same horizontal plane, and the center lines of the two coincide. The maximum width of the light curtain is smaller than the opening and closing range of the gripping finger section 20.3.

[0038] The robotic arm includes a column 17.1 fixedly connected to the lifting mechanism, a first arm body 17.2 vertically slidably connected to the column, and a first drive device that drives the first arm body to move up and down along the column. The first arm body is rotatably connected to a second arm body 17.3 via a first vertical axis, the second arm body is rotatably connected to a third arm body 17.4 via a second vertical axis, the third arm body is rotatably connected to a fourth arm body 17.5 via a third vertical axis, and the fourth arm body is rotatably connected to the clamping claw 20 via a transverse axis. The robotic arm also includes a second drive device that drives the second arm body to rotate about the axis of the first vertical axis, a third drive device that drives the third arm body to rotate about the axis of the second vertical axis, a fourth drive device that drives the fourth arm body to rotate about the axis of the third vertical axis, and a fifth drive device that drives the clamping claw to rotate about the axis of the transverse axis. The second arm body 17.3 is capable of ±90° rotational motion in the horizontal direction; the third arm body 17.4 is capable of ±164° rotational motion in the horizontal direction; and the fourth arm body 17.5 is capable of ±1080° rotational motion in the horizontal direction. The first drive device can adopt the existing technology of synchronous belt drive or gear rack drive, and the second drive device, the third drive device, the fourth drive device and the second drive device can all be driven by motors. The specific structure will not be repeated here.

[0039] The lifting mechanism is a scissor-type structure, which includes a plurality of X-shaped units arranged vertically in sequence. The two adjacent X-shaped units are hinged by a transverse connecting shaft 7. The main part of the scissor-type structure can be made of existing technology, for example, Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the main components of the scissor-type structure include a support base 2, fork rods 6, connecting beams 8, hydraulic rods 9, a fixed transverse axis 7, a bottom pulley 4, a top pulley 13, a pulley motor 5, and a load platform 15. The support base 2 is mounted on a mobile chassis 1, and a robotic arm is fixed to the top surface of the load platform 15. The fork rods 6 are connected end to end to form a scissor-type structure. One end of the bottom fork rod is hinged to the support base 2, and the other end is equipped with a pulley 4. The pulley 4 is embedded in a first slot 3 on the side wall of the support base. The pulley 4 is driven by a motor 5, allowing the ends of the bottom fork rods 6 to move laterally during the lifting process. The ends of the fork rods 6 are hinged to form a scissor-type fork rod group. The fork rods at the same height level form an X-shaped unit. The fork rods 6 are wide rectangular structures with hollow interiors, which are lightweight and stable. One end of the top fork rod 6 is hinged to the load platform 15, and the other end is equipped with a pulley 13. The pulley is embedded in a second slot 14 on the lower surface of the load platform. The connecting beam 8 is placed inside the fork rod group, and the fork rods on both sides are connected and fixed to it. The two ends of the hydraulic rod 9 are respectively hinged to the connecting beam 8. There are two groups of upper and lower hydraulic rods inside the fork rod group, with three fork rods spanning at the head and tail, which have a certain fixing effect on the lifting mechanism. The two groups of hydraulic rods work together when the equipment is lifted.

[0040] This solution improves upon the existing scissor-type lifting structure. Specifically, the transverse connecting shaft 7 is extended, connecting to the endpoints of the opposite fork rod 6, thereby laterally securing the lifting mechanism. Furthermore, outer sleeves 12 and inner sleeves 11 are alternately fixed to each transverse connecting shaft from top to bottom. The connections between the transverse connecting shaft and the outer and inner sleeves are secured by connecting clips 10, allowing the inner and outer sleeves to extend and retract with the lifting mechanism. A first sprocket 11.2 and a second sprocket are rotatably mounted on the inner sleeve, arranged vertically. The first and second sprockets are connected by a ring chain 11.1, one side of which protrudes outward from the wall of the inner sleeve. The inner wall of the outer sleeve is provided with tooth grooves 12.1 adapted to the ring chain. To enhance stability, this embodiment provides three slots 11.3 on opposite sidewalls of the inner sleeve 11, with the first sprocket 11.2 and the second sprocket being mounted in each slot 11.3. The improved structure of this solution allows the chain to follow the transmission in the tooth groove during the lifting process, reducing the friction between the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve during the lifting process. By reinforcing the lifting mechanism horizontally and vertically, the vibration of the lifting mechanism during operation is reduced, the operating accuracy of the robotic arm is improved, and the work efficiency of the operation is improved.

[0041] The lifting mechanism is powered by a hydraulic rod 9, and a hydraulic pump is installed inside the mobile chassis 1. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, pulleys are installed at the ends of the bottom and top fork rods. The bottom pulley 4 is driven by the pulley motor 5 to assist the lifting mechanism in lifting. The top pulley 13 can slide laterally during the movement of the lifting mechanism. The lifting movement of the entire mechanism is achieved in the following way: the fork rod 6 is assembled in a scissor-type structure. During the lifting process of the lifting mechanism, the hydraulic pump controls the hydraulic rod 9 to provide power for the lifting action. The pulley motor controls the bottom pulley to move laterally to provide auxiliary power. The top pulley moves laterally with the lifting process, thereby realizing the lifting movement of the load platform. The fork rods 6 on both sides are laterally connected and fixed by a transverse connecting shaft 7, and the transverse connecting shaft 7 is longitudinally connected by an inner sleeve 11 and an outer sleeve 12. As shown Figure 5 As shown, the front and rear walls of the inner sleeve 11 are equipped with rotatable chain groups, and the inner wall of the outer sleeve 12 is provided with tooth grooves for the chain movement. When the lifting mechanism is raised and lowered, the inner and outer sleeves 11 and 12 fix the mechanism longitudinally, and the endless chain can move within the tooth grooves to follow the lifting movement. The transverse connecting shaft 7 and the inner and outer sleeves 11 and 12 respectively fix the lifting mechanism laterally and longitudinally, reducing vibration during operation.

[0042] The method for releasing vines using the automatic vine releasing robot in the greenhouse of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0043] a. Calculation of working height: Plants cultivated using hook-type vine dropping are connected to vine-releasing hooks 21 via vine-releasing ropes 22. The vine-releasing hooks wrapped with the vine-releasing ropes are hung on vine-releasing wires 23 fixed to the greenhouse, and the lower ends of the vine-releasing ropes are connected to the vines of the plants. Before the vine-releasing hooks are hung on the vine-releasing wires, the vine-releasing wires are detected by a photoelectric switch installed on the vine-releasing robot to determine the vine-releasing working height of the robot's robotic arm. The supporting base carrying the robotic arm is raised by controlling the lifting mechanism. During the rising process, the light beam of the photoelectric switch will scan the vine-releasing wire. At this time, the photoelectric switch will send a signal to the control system, and the machine body will stop moving after continuing to rise by 30 cm, so that the robotic arm reaches a suitable working height.

[0044] b. Positioning of vine hooks: The vine hooks are positioned using the light curtain sensor at the end of the vine robot's arm. To avoid interference from plant leaves in the positioning process, the vine release operation must be performed before the plant's growth height reaches the hook's hanging height. During the operation, the vine robot moves along the rows. When the light curtain sensor detects the vine hook, the vine robot stops moving, and the arm performs the vine release operation according to the programmed motion trajectory. After one operation is completed, the arm resets to its pre-operation posture for subsequent operations. To avoid repeated scanning of the same vine hook by the light curtain sensor after the arm is reset, the robot continues to move when the vine hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor. The robot stops moving when the vine hook leaves the scanning range from the other edge of the light curtain, and then the arm performs the vine release operation. In this way, after the arm is reset to its initial posture, the vine hook has left the scanning range of the light curtain sensor.

[0045] c. Design of the movement trajectory of the robotic arm: The principle of hooking and releasing vines is to release the vine rope a certain distance by flipping the hook to achieve the drop of crop vines. This process is achieved by controlling the robotic arm to move along a fixed trajectory. Since the light curtain sensor and the clamp are on the same horizontal plane, and its maximum width is smaller than the opening and closing range of the clamp, when the light curtain sensor detects the vine release hook, the robotic arm drives the clamp forward toward the vine release hook for a certain distance, so that the vine release hook enters the opening and closing range of the clamp, and then the clamping knuckles of the clamp close to clamp the vine release hook. Then the robotic arm is controlled to move vertically upward to lift the vine release hook, and then the robotic arm drives the clamp to move horizontally backward for a distance and drive the clamp to rotate the vine release hook by a positive integer multiple of 180°. Finally, the robotic arm returns the vine release hook to the vine hanging wire along the original path. After the operation is completed, the robotic arm resets to its initial posture. In this step, the side where the vine release hook is located is the front, and the robotic arm is located at the back of the vine release hook.

[0046] In order to improve the efficiency of vine placing, the vine placing robot of this scheme is equipped with two robotic arms arranged along the direction of travel. The two robotic arms work synchronously, and the operating movements of the two robotic arms are completely consistent. Therefore, before the overall operation, it is necessary to unify the spacing distance of the vine placing hooks in the greenhouse. First, the fixed spacing distance of adjacent hooks is determined according to actual needs, and then the actual spacing of the hooks is measured using a light curtain sensor.

[0047] Specifically, the distance between the two robotic arms along the direction of travel is the target spacing distance. A light curtain sensor is installed at the end of the robotic arm in front of the direction of travel. Before the two robotic arms perform the vine-releasing operation, the spacing distance between the vine-releasing hooks is adjusted first:

[0048] The vine-releasing robot moves forward at a constant speed between the rows. The timing starts when the first vine-releasing hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor at the end of the robotic arm and leaves the scanning range of the light curtain sensor from the other side. After a period of time, the second vine-releasing hook adjacent to the first vine-releasing hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor. The timing stops when the second vine-releasing hook leaves the scanning range of the light curtain sensor. The distance obtained by multiplying the timing time by the moving speed of the vine-releasing robot is the actual distance between adjacent vine-releasing hooks. Then the robotic arm of the vine-releasing robot is controlled to move the vine-releasing hook to adjust the actual distance between the two adjacent vine-releasing hooks to the target distance.

[0049] Specifically, after the distance measurement is completed, the distance between the hooks is adjusted by the mechanical arm and the electric gripper, so that the mechanical arm moves along a fixed trajectory to adjust the hook spacing. The movement trajectory of the mechanical arm is as follows: Figure 8 As shown: The robotic arm first moves from point Q1 to point Q2, at which point the electric claw controls the knuckles to close and clamp the vine hook. The robotic arm then moves longitudinally to lift the vine hook and move it to point Q3. The system then calculates the horizontal distance the robotic arm needs to move based on the different hook spacings, and then moves the hook from point Q3 to point Q4. The robotic arm then descends to point Q5 and reattaches the hook. This method can standardize the spacing between all hooks in the greenhouse.

[0050] After the actual spacing between two adjacent vine release hooks is adjusted to the target spacing, the horizontal spacing between the centerlines of the two robotic arms' grippers is adjusted to the target spacing, and the overall vine release operation begins: the vine release robot travels at a constant speed between rows, treating two adjacent vine release hooks as a group, and using two robotic arms to synchronize operations on each group of vine release hooks. When the light curtain sensor detects the second vine release hook in the group, the control system brakes the mobile chassis, stopping the vine release robot. At this point, the two adjacent vine release hooks are within the operating range of the corresponding robotic arms, and the robotic arms then release the hooks according to the designed trajectory. If the total number of hooks in a single row is odd, the front robotic arm is controlled to operate the remaining hooks individually.

[0051] Combine Figure 9 As shown in the figure, when the light curtain sensor detects the second vine hook in the group, the control system will brake the mobile chassis. At this time, the two adjacent vine hooks are within the operating range of the corresponding robotic arms. After that, the two robotic arms will perform vine release operations according to the set motion trajectory to achieve synchronous pick-up and placement of the two adjacent vine hooks. After the light curtain sensor locates the vine hook, the robotic arms are controlled as shown in the figure. Figure 10 The vine laying operation can be completed by following the trajectory shown:

[0052] The robotic arm moves from point P1 to point P2, at which point the electric gripper is controlled to grip the vine hook; then the robotic arm is controlled to drive the electric gripper to extract the vine hook upward and move it to point P3; then the robotic arm is moved backward from point P3 to point P4, at point P4 the electric gripper is controlled to rotate the hook 180°, then the robotic arm is controlled to pass through points P3 and P2 in turn to re-hang the vine hook, and finally the robotic arm is reset to point P1.

[0053] This invention is suitable for greenhouse crops using hook-based vine-laying. Before operation begins, a photoelectric switch above the lifting mechanism detects the height of the vine-laying wire, allowing the robotic arm to reach the appropriate operating height. This eliminates the need for manual adjustment of the lifting mechanism height and improves operational accuracy. A light curtain sensor precisely positions the vine-laying hooks. Compared to other positioning methods, the light curtain sensor is easier to develop and significantly reduces equipment costs. The robotic arm adjusts the spacing between adjacent vine-laying hooks, standardizing the distance between them. The robotic arm also uses the vine-laying hooks for placement and removal, automating greenhouse vine-laying operations and improving efficiency. The robotic arm moves along a fixed trajectory during operation, enabling streamlined operation. By simplifying the robotic arm's path planning, the operation time of a single vine-laying process is shortened, improving efficiency. Furthermore, the robotic arm's fixed trajectory movement reduces operational errors. Two robotic arms perform vine-laying operations simultaneously, and the spacing between the vine-laying hooks can be standardized before operation, significantly improving efficiency. This allows vine-laying operations for crops with varying planting intervals and adapts to various operating environments.

[0054] Of course, the above description is not limited to the above examples. Technical features not described in the present invention can be achieved by or by adopting existing technologies, which will not be described here. The above embodiments and drawings are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not limitations of the present invention. The present invention is described in detail with reference to the preferred implementation methods. Ordinary technicians in this field should understand that changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by ordinary technicians in this technical field within the essential scope of the present invention do not depart from the purpose of the present invention and should also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A greenhouse automatic vine-laying robot vine-laying method, characterized in that: The greenhouse automatic vine-laying robot used in the vine-laying method comprises a mobile chassis (1) and a lifting mechanism mounted on the mobile chassis, a mechanical arm is mounted on the top of the lifting mechanism, a clamping claw (20) for clamping a vine-laying hook (21) and a light curtain sensor (20.4) facing the side where the vine-laying hook is located are mounted on the end of the mechanical arm, and a photoelectric switch (18) located above the plane where the clamping claw is located is also mounted on the mechanical arm; The described vine spreading method comprises the following steps: a. Calculation of operating height: A vine-laying hook wrapped with a vine-laying rope is hung on a vine-laying wire fixed to the greenhouse, and the lower end of the vine-laying rope is connected to the vine of the plant. Before the vine-laying hook is hung on the vine-laying wire, a photoelectric switch installed on the vine-laying robot detects the vine-laying wire to determine the vine-laying operating height of the robot's mechanical arm. b. Positioning of vine hook: The vine hook is positioned using the light curtain sensor at the end of the robot's arm. During operation, the robot moves between rows. When the light curtain sensor detects the vine hook, the robot stops moving and the arm performs the vine releasing operation according to the motion trajectory designed by the program. After one operation is completed, the arm returns to its pre-operation posture to perform subsequent operations. When the vine hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor, the robot continues to move. When the vine hook leaves the scanning range from the other edge of the light curtain, the robot stops moving and then the arm performs the vine releasing operation. c. Design of the motion trajectory of the robotic arm: When the light curtain sensor detects the vine hook, the robotic arm drives the gripper to move forward a certain distance toward the vine hook, so that the vine hook enters the opening and closing range of the gripper, and then the gripper closes to clamp the vine hook. Then the robotic arm is controlled to move upward to lift the vine hook, and then the robotic arm drives the gripper to move horizontally backward for a certain distance and drives the gripper to rotate the vine hook by a positive integer multiple of 180°. Finally, the robotic arm returns the vine hook to the vine wire along the original path. After the operation is completed, the robotic arm returns to its initial posture.

2. The method for automatically placing vines in a greenhouse using a vine placing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vine placing robot is equipped with two robotic arms arranged along the direction of travel. The distance between the two robotic arms along the direction of travel is the target spacing distance. A light curtain sensor is installed at the end of the robotic arm in front of the direction of travel. Before the two robotic arms perform the vine placing operation, the spacing between the vine placing hooks is adjusted first: The vine-releasing robot moves forward at a constant speed between the rows. When the first vine-releasing hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor at the end of the robot arm and leaves the scanning range of the light curtain sensor from the other side, the timing starts. After a period of time, the second vine-releasing hook adjacent to the first vine-releasing hook enters the scanning range of the light curtain sensor. When the second vine-releasing hook leaves the scanning range of the light curtain sensor, the timing stops. The distance obtained by multiplying the timing time by the travel speed of the vine-releasing robot is the actual distance between adjacent vine-releasing hooks. Then, the actual distance between the two adjacent vine-releasing hooks is adjusted to the target distance by moving the vine-releasing hooks. After the actual spacing between two adjacent vine-releasing hooks is adjusted to the target spacing, the horizontal spacing between the center lines of the two robotic arm grippers is adjusted to the target spacing to perform the overall vine-releasing operation: The vine-releasing robot moves along the rows, regards two adjacent vine-releasing hooks as a group, and uses two robotic arms to perform synchronous operations on a group of vine-releasing hooks; when the light curtain sensor detects the second vine-releasing hook in the group, the vine-releasing robot stops moving. At this time, the two adjacent vine-releasing hooks are respectively located within the operating range of the corresponding robotic arms, and then the robotic arms perform vine-releasing operations on the vine-releasing hooks according to the designed trajectory.

3. The method for automatically placing vines in a greenhouse using a vine placing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm comprises a column (17.1) fixed to the lifting mechanism, a first arm body (17.2) vertically slidably connected to the column, and a first driving device for driving the first arm body to move up and down along the column, the first arm body is connected to a second arm body (17.3) via a first vertical axis, the second arm body is connected to a third arm body (17.4) via a second vertical axis, the third arm body is connected to a fourth arm body (17.5) via a third vertical axis, and the fourth arm body is connected to the clamping claw (20) via a horizontal axis; the robotic arm also comprises a second driving device for driving the second arm body to rotate around the axis of the first vertical axis, a third driving device for driving the third arm body to rotate around the axis of the second vertical axis, a fourth driving device for driving the fourth arm body to rotate around the axis of the third vertical axis, and a fifth driving device for driving the clamping claw to rotate around the axis of the horizontal axis.

4. The method for automatically placing vines in a greenhouse using a vine placing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism is a scissor-type structure, which includes a plurality of X-shaped units arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, wherein two adjacent X-shaped units are hinged via a transverse connecting shaft, and each transverse connecting shaft from top to bottom is alternately provided with an outer sleeve (12) and an inner sleeve (11), wherein a first sprocket (11.2) and a second sprocket distributed along the vertical direction are rotatably mounted on the inner sleeve, and the first sprocket and the second sprocket are connected by a ring chain (11.1), wherein one side edge of the ring chain protrudes outward from the wall of the inner sleeve, and the inner wall of the outer sleeve is provided with a tooth groove (12.1) adapted to the ring chain.

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