Automatic picking equipment for oil palm fruits
By designing an automated harvesting device that combines a shovel and clamping unit with LiDAR and depth camera for navigation, automated harvesting of oil palm fruit has been achieved. This solves the problems of inconvenient operation and low precision of existing equipment, and improves harvesting efficiency and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511189492.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing oil palm fruit harvesting equipment is inconvenient to operate, has low precision and efficiency, cannot adapt to different tree heights and fruit bunch shapes, and has problems with low safety, stability and reliability.
An automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device was designed, including a walking chassis, a lifting device, a harvesting device, a collecting device, a walking sensing device, and a control device. It uses lidar and a depth camera for identification and navigation, and uses a shovel-cutting unit and a clamping unit to realize the automatic harvesting of oil palm fruits. The shovel cuts the petioles and fruit stalks, the clamps pick up the fruits, and a flipping mechanism is equipped to collect the fruits.
It enables automated harvesting of oil palm fruit, which is convenient and quick to operate, improves harvesting efficiency, adapts to different tree heights and fruit bunch shapes, reduces manual intervention, lowers costs, improves safety and reliability, and avoids damage to oil palm trees.
Smart Images

Figure CN120917997A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of oil palm fruit harvesting technology, specifically to an automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device. Background Technology
[0002] Oil palm is one of the world's major oilseed crops, playing a vital role in people's daily lives. The labor required for harvesting oil palm fruit accounts for approximately half of the entire oil palm planting process. Currently, oil palm fruit harvesting relies primarily on manual labor, which faces challenges such as high costs, low efficiency, high labor intensity, and high risks. Furthermore, existing oil palm fruit harvesting equipment is inconvenient to operate, lacks precision and efficiency, and cannot adapt to harvesting oil palm fruit of varying tree heights and fruit bunch shapes. Frequent manual intervention during harvesting can easily damage the oil palm trees, resulting in low safety, stability, and reliability, high costs, and an inability to meet the demands of oil palm fruit harvesting. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device that enables automatic harvesting of oil palm fruit, is easy and quick to operate, reduces manual intervention, improves efficiency, and has high stability and reliability, thus better meeting the harvesting needs of oil palm fruit.
[0004] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:
[0005] An automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device according to an embodiment of this application includes: a walking chassis; a lifting device mounted on the walking chassis; and a harvesting device located at one end of the lifting device away from the walking chassis, used for harvesting oil palm fruits. The lifting device is used to lift the harvesting device. The harvesting device includes a shovel-cutting unit and a clamping unit. The shovel-cutting unit is used to cut the petioles and fruit stalks of the oil palm fruit, and the clamping unit is used to clamp the cut oil palm fruit. The shovel-cutting unit includes a first drive mechanism and a shovel blade. The first drive mechanism is used to drive the shovel blade to move linearly for shoveling. The clamping unit includes a second drive mechanism and two grippers arranged horizontally. The second drive mechanism is used to drive the two grippers to open or close. The shovel-cutting unit is located below the two grippers.
[0006] In one possible implementation, the automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment of this application further includes: a collection device for collecting harvested oil palm fruits; a walking sensing device for identifying oil palm trees and obstacles and navigating the walking chassis through oil palm forests; a harvesting sensing device, mounted on the harvesting device, for detecting and identifying oil palm fruits to be harvested; and a control device for controlling the walking chassis, lifting device, harvesting device, walking sensing device, and harvesting sensing device. The collection device, walking sensing device, and control device are mounted on the walking chassis.
[0007] In one possible implementation, the walking sensing device includes a lidar, and the picking sensing device includes a depth camera and an RGB camera.
[0008] In one possible implementation, the chassis includes a frame and two traveling mechanisms, which are located on both sides of the frame. The frame is equipped with a power supply device for powering the two traveling mechanisms, which are either tracked or wheeled. A collection device is mounted on the frame, which also has a tilting mechanism. One end of the collection device is hinged to the frame, and the other end is hinged to the tilting mechanism. The tilting mechanism drives the collection device to tilt, thus emptying the collected oil palm fruit.
[0009] In one possible implementation, the lifting device includes: a column mounted on a walking chassis; a first slewing mechanism mounted on top of the column; a telescopic arm, one end of which is hinged to the first slewing mechanism, and a picking device mounted on the other end of the telescopic arm; and a luffing mechanism mounted on the first slewing mechanism for driving the telescopic arm to swing up and down to change its amplitude.
[0010] In one possible implementation, a leveling mechanism and a second rotating mechanism connected to the harvesting device are provided at the end of the telescopic arm away from the first rotating mechanism. The second rotating mechanism is hinged to the telescopic arm, and the leveling mechanism is used to drive the second rotating mechanism to swing for leveling.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the harvesting device also includes a harvesting robotic arm with a fixed frame at one end away from the lifting device. A shovel and a gripping unit are mounted on the fixed frame, and two grippers are located outside one end of the fixed frame.
[0012] In one possible implementation, the shoveling unit also includes a blade holder, one end of which is connected to the fixed frame, and the other end of which extends out of the fixed frame and is located below the two grippers respectively. A first drive mechanism is mounted on the blade holder, and the shovel is located at the end of the blade holder away from the fixed frame.
[0013] In one possible implementation, the end of the blade holder away from the fixed frame is provided with a notch for cooperating with the shovel blade. The two side walls of the notch are respectively provided with sliding grooves. The two sides of the shovel blade are respectively provided with sliding parts that are slidably connected to the two sliding grooves. One end of the shovel blade is provided with a connecting part that is connected to the first drive mechanism. The other end of the shovel blade is provided with a cutting part. The cutting part is located outside the notch, and the length direction of the cutting part is consistent with the width direction of the notch. The length of the cutting part is greater than the width of the notch. The two sliding parts are located between the connecting part and the cutting part.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the second drive mechanism drives two grippers to open or close via two linkage assemblies. The output end of the second drive mechanism is connected to the middle of the connecting rod. The second drive mechanism drives the connecting rod to move linearly. The two ends of the connecting rod are respectively hinged to their corresponding linkage assemblies.
[0015] In one possible implementation, each linkage assembly includes a first linkage and a second linkage. One end of the first linkage is hinged to one end of its corresponding connecting rod and the other end of its linkage is hinged to one end of the second linkage. The other end of the second linkage is hinged to the fixing frame. The second linkage is connected to one end of its corresponding gripper. The second linkage is also provided with a torsion spring hinge connected to the gripper.
[0016] In one possible implementation, a clamping zone is formed between two grippers. Each gripper includes a clamping body, one end of which is connected to a corresponding linkage assembly. The clamping body is bent away from the clamping zone. Multiple grooves are arranged vertically on the side of the clamping body facing the clamping zone. Each groove extends along the length of the clamping body. Multiple toothed structures are arranged vertically along the length of the clamping body on the top of both sides of the groove. A third through hole is provided on the bottom surface of the groove.
[0017] In one possible implementation, the top of the clamping body is provided with an upper clamping body, which is inclined toward the clamping area. The end of the clamping body away from the linkage assembly is provided with a reinforcing clamping body, which extends along the length of the clamping body. The reinforcing clamping bodies on the two jaws are staggered from each other in the vertical direction.
[0018] In one possible implementation, the harvesting device further includes a height limiting component for limiting the height of the oil palm fruit grasped by the gripping unit. The height limiting component includes a vertical support, which is installed on the fixed frame near one end of the two grippers and located between the two grippers. The upper end of the vertical support is provided with a height limiting plate located above the two grippers, and the two sides of the vertical support are also provided with limiting side plates.
[0019] In one possible implementation, the harvesting robotic arm sequentially includes a first arm, a third drive mechanism, a rotary base, a fourth drive mechanism, a second arm, a fifth drive mechanism, a third arm, and a sixth drive mechanism. The third drive mechanism is located at one end of the first arm and connected to one end of the rotary base. The fourth drive mechanism is located at the other end of the rotary base and connected to one end of the second arm. The fifth drive mechanism is located at the other end of the second arm and connected to one end of the third arm. The sixth drive mechanism is located at the other end of the third arm and connected to a fixed frame. The third drive mechanism is used to drive the rotary base to rotate, the fourth drive mechanism is used to drive the second arm to rotate, the fifth drive mechanism is used to drive the third arm to rotate, and the sixth drive mechanism is used to drive the fixed frame to rotate.
[0020] The above-mentioned technical solution of this application has at least one of the following beneficial effects:
[0021] According to the automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device of this application, the walking chassis drives the entire harvesting device to move between oil palm forests. The lifting device lifts the harvesting device to a suitable height. The harvesting device includes a shovel-cutting unit and a clamping unit. The shovel-cutting unit includes a first drive mechanism and a shovel blade. The first drive mechanism is used to drive the shovel blade to move linearly to shovel and cut the petioles and fruit stalks of the oil palm fruit. The clamping unit includes a second drive mechanism and two clamps arranged horizontally. The two clamps are located outside one end of the fixed frame. The second drive mechanism is used to drive the two clamps to open or close, so that the two clamps can clamp the cut oil palm fruit. Moreover, the shovel-cutting unit is located below the two clamps, which can also prevent the clamped oil palm fruit from falling accidentally, thereby realizing the automatic harvesting of oil palm fruit. Therefore, the automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment of this application can realize the automatic harvesting of oil palm fruit. It is convenient and quick to operate, reduces manual intervention, has high harvesting accuracy, improves efficiency, and is suitable for harvesting oil palm fruit of different tree heights and different fruit bunch shapes. It is not easy to cause damage to oil palm trees and has high safety, stability and reliability, and can better meet the harvesting needs of oil palm fruit.
[0022] In addition, unless otherwise specified in the technical solution of this application, the technical solution can be implemented by conventional means in the field. Attached Figure Description
[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device according to one embodiment of this application.
[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the walking chassis and collection device according to one embodiment of this application;
[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the walking chassis and collection device according to one embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device according to one embodiment of this application;
[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the harvesting device according to one embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a harvesting robotic arm according to one embodiment of this application;
[0030] Figure 7 This is a partial structural diagram of a harvesting device according to one embodiment of this application;
[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cutting unit according to one embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cutting unit according to one embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a shovel according to one embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 11 This is a partial structural diagram of a harvesting device according to one embodiment of this application.
[0035] Explanation of the labels in the attached drawings:
[0036] Harvesting device 1000; shovel and cut unit 1100; first drive mechanism 1110; shovel blade 1120; sliding part 1121; shovel and cut part 1122; connecting part 1123; reinforcing plate 1124; second through hole 1125; blade holder 1130; horizontal extension part 1131; first through hole 1132; notch groove 1133; sliding groove 1134; drive block 1140; blade handle 1150; transmission mechanism 1160; clamping unit 1200; second drive mechanism 1210; gripper 1220; clamping body 1221; groove 1222; toothed structure 1223; third through hole 1224; upper clamping body 122 5; Reinforced clamping body 1226; Linkage assembly 1230; First link 1231; Second link 1232; Torsion spring hinge 1240; Connecting rod 1250; Fixing frame 1300; Height limiting assembly 1400; Vertical support 1410; Height limiting plate 1420; Limiting side plate 1430; Support frame 1440; Harvesting robotic arm 1500; First arm 1510; Third drive mechanism 1520; Rotary seat 1530; Fourth drive mechanism 1540; Second arm 1550; Fifth drive mechanism 1560; Third arm 1570; Sixth drive mechanism 1580; Detector device 1600; Electrical control box 1700;
[0037] Chassis 2000; Frame 2100; Walking mechanism 2200; Power supply unit 2300; Tilting mechanism 2400;
[0038] Lifting device 3000; column 3100; first slewing mechanism 3200; first rotating platform 3210; first support 3220; telescopic boom 3300; fixed part 3310; telescopic part 3320; luffing mechanism 3400; leveling mechanism 3500; second slewing mechanism 3600; second rotating platform 3610; second support 3620;
[0039] Collection device 4000; control device 5000. Detailed Implementation
[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application, and are used merely to explain this application and are not intended to limit it. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0041] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "both ends," "both sides," "bottom," and "top," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the elements referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "upper-level," "lower-level," "main," and "secondary," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and can be simply used to more clearly distinguish different components, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0042] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0043] See Figure 1The diagram schematically illustrates an automatic oil palm fruit harvesting device according to an embodiment of this application, which may include: a walking chassis 2000, a lifting device 3000, and a harvesting device 1000. The lifting device 3000 is mounted on the walking chassis 2000, and the harvesting device 1000 is located at the end of the lifting device 3000 away from the walking chassis 2000. The lifting device 3000 is used to lift the harvesting device 1000, which is used to harvest the oil palm fruit. The walking chassis 2000 is used to move the entire harvesting device.
[0044] Specifically, refer to Figure 5 As shown, the harvesting device 1000 includes a shovel-cutting unit 1100 and a clamping unit 1200. The shovel-cutting unit 1100 is used to cut the petioles and fruit stalks of the oil palm fruit, and the clamping unit 1200 is used to clamp the cut oil palm fruit. (Reference) Figures 8-9 As shown, the shovel-cutting unit 1100 includes a first drive mechanism 1110 and a shovel blade 1120. The first drive mechanism 1110 is used to drive the shovel blade 1120 to move linearly for shoveling. (Reference) Figure 7 As shown, the gripping unit 1200 includes a second drive mechanism 1210 and two grippers 1220 arranged in a horizontal direction. The second drive mechanism 1210 is used to drive the two grippers 1220 to open or clamp. The shovel cutting unit 1100 is located below the two grippers 1220.
[0045] When harvesting oil palm fruits, the chassis 2000 drives the entire harvesting equipment through the oil palm forest, adjusting the lifting device 3000 and the clamping unit 1200 to avoid collisions with oil palm trees or other objects. When the harvesting equipment reaches the location of the oil palm tree to be harvested, the lifting device 3000 lifts the harvesting device 1000 to a suitable harvesting height. If the oil palm fruit to be harvested has leaves on its exterior, the first drive mechanism 1110 of the cutting unit 1100 drives the blade 1120 to move linearly to cut the leaves, causing the blade 1120 to cut the outer surface of the oil palm fruit. The leaf stalk is cut off to remove the leaves. Then, the first drive mechanism 1110 of the shovel-cutting unit 1100 drives the shovel blade 1120 to cut the stalk of the oil palm fruit, thereby cutting off the oil palm fruit. At the same time, the second drive mechanism 1210 of the clamping unit 1200 drives the two clamps 1220 to clamp and hold the cut oil palm fruit. Moreover, the shovel-cutting unit 1100 is located below the two clamps 1220, which can also prevent the clamped oil palm fruit from falling accidentally. This makes the harvesting of oil palm fruit stable and reliable, and can be applied to the harvesting of oil palm fruit of different tree heights and different fruit bunch shapes.
[0046] Therefore, the automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment of this application can realize the automatic harvesting of oil palm fruits. The shovel cutting unit 1100 can cut the petioles and fruit stalks of the oil palm fruit according to different needs. The clamping unit 1200 can ensure stable clamping of oil palm fruits. The gripper 1220 and the shovel 1120 are driven by independent drive mechanisms, which makes the operation convenient and quick, reduces manual intervention, has high harvesting accuracy, improves efficiency, and is suitable for harvesting oil palm fruits of different tree heights and different fruit bunch shapes. It is not easy to cause damage to oil palm trees and other problems. It has high safety, stability and reliability, can better meet the harvesting needs of oil palm fruits, and reduces costs.
[0047] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 As shown, the automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment of this application also includes: a collection device 4000, a walking sensing device (not shown in the figure), a harvesting sensing device (not shown in the figure), and a control device 5000. The collection device 4000, the walking sensing device, and the control device 5000 are mounted on the walking chassis 2000, the harvesting sensing device is mounted on the harvesting device 1000, and the control device 5000 is used to control the walking chassis 2000, the lifting device 3000, the harvesting device 1000, the walking sensing device, and the harvesting sensing device. The collecting device 4000 is used to collect the oil palm fruits harvested by the harvesting device 1000. The walking sensing device is used to identify oil palm trees and obstacles, and to navigate the walking chassis 2000 through the oil palm forest. The harvesting sensing device is used to detect and identify the oil palm fruits to be harvested. The detection and identification of oil palm fruits can include the identification of oil palm tree trunks, the identification of oil palm tree crowns, the identification and maturity determination of fruit bunches, the presence of uncut petioles within the area of ripe fruit bunches, the identification of petiole roots, and the prediction of fruit stalks. The control device 5000 can control the entire equipment and complete various task scheduling, such as the walking route planning and walking control of the walking chassis 2000, the path planning and motion control of the lifting device 3000 and the harvesting device 1000, and the scheduling of work tasks. The control device 5000 can include a control cabinet, a hydraulic station, a signal receiving module, a processing module, and an execution module, etc., all of which can adopt corresponding devices in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here. This enables intelligent control and unmanned operation, achieving integrated harvesting of oil palm fruits through shoveling, clamping, collection, and transportation, greatly improving efficiency and reducing labor costs.
[0048] In some embodiments, the walking sensing device may include lidar, such as multi-line lidar arrays installed around the walking chassis 2000. The walking sensing device may also employ a combination of depth camera recognition, lidar navigation and obstacle avoidance, and radio frequency identification (RFID) positioning to more accurately identify oil palm trees and obstacles and to navigate the walking chassis 2000 through oil palm forests.
[0049] In some embodiments, the harvesting sensing device includes a depth camera and an RGB camera. An RGB camera is a camera that uses the standard red (R), green (G), and blue (B) channels to capture color information within the visible light spectrum. A depth camera, also known as a 3D camera, captures images and obtains the three-dimensional spatial coordinates of each point in the image, enabling more realistic modeling of the detected object. The RGB camera can identify the oil palm tree trunk, crown, fruit clusters and determine maturity, detect uncut petioles within ripe fruit clusters, identify petiole roots, and predict fruit stalks. The fusion of the depth camera and the RGB camera allows for more accurate three-dimensional localization of the detected oil palm fruit.
[0050] In some embodiments, reference Figures 2-3 As shown, the chassis 2000 includes a frame 2100 and two walking mechanisms 2200, which are located on both sides of the frame 2100. The frame 2100 is equipped with a power supply device 2300 for supplying power to the two walking mechanisms 2200. The walking mechanisms 2200 can be tracked or wheeled, and the power supply device 2300 can be a battery or generator. For example, each walking mechanism 2200 includes a track and a drive motor. The power supply device 2300 is a power battery, which supplies power to the drive motor. The drive motor drives the track, enabling the chassis 2000 to move and adapt to complex terrain conditions such as forests.
[0051] Further, refer to Figures 2-3As shown, the collecting device 4000, control device 5000, and lifting device 3000 are all mounted on the frame 2100. The frame 2100 also has a tilting mechanism 2400. One end of the collecting device 4000 is hinged to the frame 2100, and the other end is hinged to the tilting mechanism 2400. The tilting mechanism 2400 drives the collecting device 4000 to tilt, emptying the oil palm fruits from the collecting device 4000. For example, the collecting device 4000 is a collecting box, with one end hinged to the frame 2100. The tilting mechanism 2400 includes two tilting cylinders located on either side below the collecting box. One end of each cylinder is hinged to the frame 2100, and the other end is hinged to the bottom of the other end of the collecting box. When the collecting box is full of oil palm fruits, the two tilting cylinders synchronously drive one end of the collecting box upwards, causing the oil palm fruits to pour out. Alternatively, the tilting mechanism 2400 can also be an electric cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder, among other methods.
[0052] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 As shown, the lifting device 3000 includes: a column 3100, a first slewing mechanism 3200, a telescopic arm 3300, and a luffing mechanism 3400. The bottom of the column 3100 is mounted on the frame 2100 of the chassis 2000. The first slewing mechanism 3200 is located at the top of the column 3100. One end of the telescopic arm 3300 is hinged to the first slewing mechanism 3200, and the harvesting device 1000 is located at the other end of the telescopic arm 3300. The luffing mechanism 3400 is mounted on the first slewing mechanism 3200. The first slewing mechanism 3200 drives the telescopic arm 3300 to rotate, and the luffing mechanism 3400 drives the telescopic arm 3300 to swing up and down. By adjusting the tilt angle of the telescopic arm 3300, the telescopic arm 3300 can be luffed. Furthermore, by extending and retracting, the position of the harvesting device 1000 can be adjusted more flexibly and precisely.
[0053] Further, refer to Figure 4 As shown, the end of the telescopic arm 3300 away from the first rotating mechanism 3200 is equipped with a leveling mechanism 3500 and a second rotating mechanism 3600 connected to the harvesting device 1000. The second rotating mechanism 3600 is hinged to the telescopic arm 3300. The leveling mechanism 3500 is used to drive the second rotating mechanism 3600 to swing, thereby leveling the second rotating mechanism 3600 and ensuring its stability. The second rotating mechanism 3600 is used to drive the harvesting device 1000 to rotate, thereby adjusting the posture of the harvesting device 1000, etc. The telescopic arm 3300 and the leveling mechanism 3500 can be driven by hydraulic cylinders, electric cylinders, etc., and the first rotating mechanism 3200 and the second rotating mechanism 3600 can be driven by rotating platforms, etc.
[0054] For example, refer to Figure 4As shown, the first rotating mechanism 3200 includes a first rotating platform 3210 and a first support 3220. The first rotating platform 3210 is mounted on the top of the column 3100, and the first support 3220 is mounted on the first rotating platform 3210. The telescopic arm 3300 includes a fixed part 3310, a telescopic part 3320 sleeved in the fixed part 3310, and a telescopic cylinder for driving the telescopic part 3320 to extend and retract. The second rotating mechanism 3600 includes a second rotating platform 3610 and a second support 3620. The second rotating platform 3610 is mounted on the second support 3620. On the upper part, the second rotating platform 3610 is connected to the harvesting device 1000. One end of the fixed part 3310 is hinged to the first support 3220, and one end of the telescopic part 3320 extends beyond the end of the fixed part 3310 away from the first support 3220 and is hinged to the second support 3620. The luffing mechanism 3400 is a luffing cylinder, with one end hinged to the first support 3220 and the other end hinged to the fixed part 3310. The leveling mechanism 3500 is a leveling cylinder, with one end hinged to the telescopic part 3320 and the other end hinged to the second support 3620. Thus, the use of hydraulic cylinders for driving provides large thrust and smooth movement, ensuring the harvesting device 1000 remains stable and allows for more precise operation.
[0055] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 , 7 As shown, the harvesting device 1000 also includes a harvesting robotic arm 1500. A fixed frame 1300 is provided at the end of the harvesting robotic arm 1500 furthest from the lifting device 3000. A shoveling unit 1100 and a gripping unit 1200 are mounted on the fixed frame 1300, and two grippers 1220 are located outside one end of the fixed frame 1300. Therefore, by providing the harvesting robotic arm 1500, more precise shoveling and gripping operations are ensured, resulting in higher safety and reliability.
[0056] In some embodiments, reference Figures 7-10 As shown, the shovel-cutting unit 1100 also includes a blade holder 1130. One end of the blade holder 1130 is connected to the fixing frame 1300, and the other end extends outside the fixing frame 1300 and is located below the two grippers 1220. A first drive mechanism 1110 is mounted on the blade holder 1130, and a shovel blade 1120 is located at the end of the blade holder 1130 away from the fixing frame 1300. When the shovel blade 1120 cuts the oil palm fruit and the two grippers 1220 grasp it, the blade holder 1130, located below the two grippers 1220, can also support the bottom of the oil palm fruit, preventing accidental drop and ensuring more stable grasping of the fruit.
[0057] Further, refer to Figures 7-10As shown, the blade holder 1130 has horizontal extensions 1131 on both sides of its end extending outside the fixing frame 1300, and each horizontal extension 1131 has a first through hole 1132. Thus, by providing the horizontal extensions 1131, the oil palm fruit being gripped can be better supported and prevented from falling off accidentally. Moreover, the first through hole 1132 facilitates the dropping of debris, preventing debris from accumulating on the blade holder 1130 and reducing the weight of the blade holder 1130.
[0058] Further, refer to Figures 7-10 As shown, the blade holder 1130 has a notch 1133 at one end away from the fixed frame 1300 for cooperating with the scraper 1120. Sliding grooves 1134 are provided on both sides of the notch 1133. Sliding portions 1121 are provided on both sides of the scraper 1120, slidably connected to the two sliding grooves 1134. One end of the scraper 1120 has a connecting portion 1123 connected to the first drive mechanism 1110, and the other end of the scraper 1120 has a cutting portion 1122. The two sliding portions 1121 are located between the connecting portion 1123 and the cutting portion 1122. The cutting portion 1122 is located outside the notch 1133, and its length direction is consistent with the width direction of the notch 1133. The length of the cutting portion 1122 is greater than the width of the notch 1133, and the cutting portion 1122 cannot enter the notch 1133. The sliding portion 1121 and the connecting portion 1123 can be located within the notch 1133.
[0059] When cutting is required, the first drive mechanism 1110 drives the blade 1120 to move linearly. At the same time, the sliding parts 1121 on both sides of the blade 1120 slide along the sliding grooves 1134 on both sides of the notch 1133, ensuring that the blade 1120 moves stably for cutting. The structure is more compact and stable. Moreover, the length of the cutting part 1122 is greater than the width of the notch 1133, so that the cutting part 1122 cannot enter the notch 1133, avoiding the blade holder 1130 from directly colliding with oil palm trees, etc., which improves the safety and reliability of the device and extends the service life of the device.
[0060] Further, refer to Figures 7-10 As shown, the scraper 1120 is also provided with a second through hole 1125 and a reinforcing plate 1124. The reinforcing plate 1124 is close to the second through hole 1125, and the second through hole 1125 and the reinforcing plate 1124 are located between two sliding parts 1121. For example, there are two second through holes 1125 and two reinforcing plates 1124, with the two second through holes 1125 symmetrically located between the two reinforcing plates 1124. This not only ensures the structural strength of the scraper 1120, but also reduces the weight of the scraper 1120, and allows dust and other debris to fall through the second through hole 1125.
[0061] In some embodiments, reference Figure 9As shown, the first drive mechanism 1110 can be a motor. The output end of the first drive mechanism 1110 is connected to the blade 1120 through a transmission mechanism 1160. A drive block 1140 is provided on the connecting part 1123 of the blade 1120, and a handle 1150 is connected to the drive block 1140. The handle 1150 is connected to the output end of the transmission mechanism 1160. The handle 1150 and the drive block 1140, as well as the drive block 1140 and the blade 1120, can be connected by fasteners such as screws. The output shaft of the motor can be connected to the input end of the transmission mechanism 1160 through a coupling. The transmission mechanism 1160 can be a lead screw mechanism, a gear and rack mechanism, or a worm gear mechanism, etc. The blade holder 1130 can be generally flat, and the motor and transmission mechanism 1160 can be installed below the blade holder 1130. Thus, the blade 1120 is stably driven to move linearly for cutting, which is safer and more reliable. In addition, the first drive mechanism 1110 can also use a hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, electric cylinder or other means to drive the blade 1120 to move linearly.
[0062] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 , 11 As shown, the second drive mechanism 1210 drives two grippers 1220 to open or close via two linkage assemblies 1230. The output end of the second drive mechanism 1210 is connected to the middle of the connecting rod 1250, and the second drive mechanism 1210 drives the connecting rod 1250 to move linearly. The two ends of the connecting rod 1250 are respectively hinged to their corresponding linkage assemblies 1230. The second drive mechanism 1210 can be housed within the fixed frame 1300. The second drive mechanism 1210 can be a hydraulic cylinder, which provides large thrust and smooth movement; alternatively, it can be a pneumatic cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a linear module.
[0063] Specifically, each linkage assembly 1230 includes a first linkage 1231 and a second linkage 1232. One end of the first linkage 1231 is hinged to one end of its corresponding connecting rod 1250, and its other end is hinged to one end of the second linkage 1232. The other end of the second linkage 1232 is hinged to the fixing frame 1300. The second linkage 1232 is connected to one end of its corresponding gripper 1220. The second linkage 1232 is also provided with a torsion spring hinge 1240 connected to the gripper 1220. Figure 11 For reference, the first connecting rod 1231 can be two symmetrically arranged vertically, and the second connecting rod 1232 can be a channel steel structure. One end of the two first connecting rods 1231 is hinged to one end of the connecting rod 1250 through a pin, and the other end of the two first connecting rods 1231 is hinged to one end of the second connecting rod 1232 through a pin. The other end of the second connecting rod 1232 is hinged to the ear seat on the fixing frame 1300 through a pin. The structure is more stable and reliable, ensuring better clamping of oil palm fruit.
[0064] When gripping oil palm fruit, the second drive mechanism 1210 drives the connecting rod 1250 to move linearly. The connecting rod 1250 drives its corresponding second connecting rod 1232 to swing through the first connecting rod 1231 of each connecting rod assembly 1230, thereby causing the two grippers 1220 to open outward or close tightly, realizing the gripping and placement of oil palm fruit. Moreover, the torsion spring hinge 1240 has an elastic buffer protection function to prevent the grippers 1220 from being damaged due to excessive force, thus improving the safety and reliability of the device and extending its service life.
[0065] Further, refer to Figure 11 As shown, a clamping area is formed between two grippers 1220. Each gripper 1220 includes a clamping body 1221, one end of which is connected to a corresponding connecting rod assembly 1230. The clamping body 1221 is bent away from the clamping area. Multiple grooves 1222 are arranged vertically on the side of the clamping body 1221 facing the clamping area. Each groove 1222 extends along the length of the clamping body 1221. Multiple toothed structures 1223 are arranged vertically along the length of the clamping body 1221 on the top of both sides of the groove 1222. A third through hole 1224 is provided on the bottom surface of the groove 1222. For example, using... Figure 11 For reference, the clamping body 1221 can be formed by three bent groove steel structures connected vertically. One end of one of the bent groove steel structures is connected to a torsion spring hinge 1240. Each bent groove steel structure has multiple toothed structures 1223 arranged sequentially along the length of the clamping body 1221 on its two sides at the top. Each bent groove steel structure has a third through hole 1224 on the bottom surface of its groove. Thus, the toothed structure 1223 can ensure a more stable and reliable clamping of oil palm fruit, the groove 1222 can adapt to oil palm fruit of various irregular shapes, and the through hole structure can also reduce weight and prevent debris from accumulating in the groove 1222.
[0066] Further, refer to Figure 11As shown, the top of the clamping body 1221 may also be provided with an upper clamping body 1225. The upper clamping body 1225 is inclined towards the clamping area. The end of the clamping body 1221 away from the connecting rod assembly 1230 is provided with a reinforcing clamping body 1226. The reinforcing clamping body 1226 extends along the length direction of the clamping body 1221. The reinforcing clamping bodies 1226 on the two grippers 1220 are staggered from each other in the vertical direction. The upper clamping body 1225 and the reinforcing clamping body 1226 can refer to the structure of the clamping body 1221 described above, such as providing grooves 1222 and toothed structures 1223. There can be one, two, or more upper clamping bodies 1225 and reinforcing clamping bodies 1226. For example, each clamping body 1221 can have two upper clamping bodies 1225, one reinforcing clamping body 1226 on one clamping body 1221, and two reinforcing clamping bodies 1226 on the other clamping body 1221. The reinforcing clamping bodies 1226 on the two clamping bodies 1221 are staggered vertically. The reinforcing clamping bodies 1226 can also be integrally formed with the clamping body 1221. This ensures a more stable and reliable clamping of oil palm fruits.
[0067] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 As shown, the harvesting device 1000 also includes a height limiting component 1400, which limits the height of the oil palm fruit gripped by the clamping unit 1200. Specifically, the height limiting component 1400 includes a vertical support 1410, which is installed on the fixed frame 1300 near the two grippers 1220 and between the two grippers 1220. The upper end of the vertical support 1410 is provided with a height limiting plate 1420 above the two grippers 1220, and the two sides of the vertical support 1410 are respectively provided with limiting side plates 1430. The height limiting plate 1420 and the limiting side plates 1430 can be tilted towards the clamping area. The vertical support 1410 can also be connected to the fixed frame 1300 through a support frame 1440, which is located on the side of the vertical support 1410 away from the clamping area. During the process of picking up oil palm fruit, the height limit plate 1420 and the limiting side plate 1430 can prevent the oil palm fruit from running out between the two grippers 1220, making it safer and more reliable.
[0068] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6As shown, the harvesting robotic arm 1500 sequentially includes a first arm 1510, a third drive mechanism 1520, a rotary base 1530, a fourth drive mechanism 1540, a second arm 1550, a fifth drive mechanism 1560, a third arm 1570, and a sixth drive mechanism 1580. The third drive mechanism 1520 is located at one end of the first arm 1510 and connected to one end of the rotary base 1530. The fourth drive mechanism 1540 is located at the other end of the rotary base 1530 and connected to one end of the second arm 1550. The fifth drive mechanism 1570... A sixth drive mechanism 1580 is located at the other end of the second arm 1550 and connected to one end of the third arm 1570. The third drive mechanism 1520 drives the rotary seat 1530 to rotate, the fourth drive mechanism 1540 drives the second arm 1550 to rotate, the fifth drive mechanism 1560 drives the third arm 1570 to rotate, and the sixth drive mechanism 1580 drives the fixed frame 1300 to rotate, thus causing the entire harvesting device 1000 to rotate. The harvesting robotic arm 1500 can adopt a heavy-duty electronic control method. The third drive mechanism 1520, fourth drive mechanism 1540, fifth drive mechanism 1560, and sixth drive mechanism 1580 are all geared motors. An electrical control box 1700 can be installed on the harvesting robotic arm 1500. Therefore, by using a multi-degree-of-freedom picking robotic arm 1500 to drive the picking device 1000 to move, the picking precision is higher, and oil palm fruits with different bunch shapes can be picked more precisely.
[0069] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 As shown, the harvesting device 1000 also includes a searchlight device 1600, which is mounted on the harvesting robotic arm 1500. The searchlight device 1600 provides illumination, facilitating accurate identification and harvesting of oil palm fruits even at night or in other environments. The searchlight device 1600 may include a searchlight, which can be mounted in a U-shaped frame or other mounting bracket. The mounting bracket may also be equipped with a protective net corresponding to the searchlight.
[0070] Based on the above, the operation process of the automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment of this application will be described in detail below.
[0071] The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment of this application enters the initial position of the target operation area, sets the initial posture of the lifting device 3000 and the harvesting device 1000 according to the trunk height distribution of the oil palm trees in the target operation area, and adjusts the lifting device 3000 and the harvesting device 1000 to the initial posture to improve the overall operation efficiency.
[0072] The LiDAR installed on the 2000 walking chassis identifies and locates oil palm trees, and uses the location of oil palm trees to achieve positioning and navigation of the 2000 walking chassis in the forest, without relying on satellite navigation positioning.
[0073] As the 2000 walking chassis approaches the target tree, it uses the RGB camera and depth camera of the harvesting sensing device to locate and track the trunk of the target tree. When the 2000 walking chassis moves to a certain range of the target tree, the height and angle of the lifting device 3000 are adjusted.
[0074] The RGB camera and depth camera of the harvesting sensing device identify and locate the canopy of the oil palm tree. When the lifting device 3000 approaches within a certain distance and height range from the canopy, the walking chassis 2000 and the lifting device 3000 stop moving.
[0075] The picking sensing device and picking device 1000 are adjusted to their initial positions by the rotating platform of the lifting device 3000, and rotated around the canopy of the target tree at a certain speed. During the rotation, the oil palm fruit ears are identified and their maturity is judged.
[0076] When the picking sensing device and the picking device 1000 rotate around the target tree once without finding any mature fruit, the picking device 1000 and the lifting device 3000 return to their initial positions and begin picking the next target tree; when a mature fruit bunch is detected, the rotating platform of the lifting device 3000 stops rotating and places the target mature fruit bunch in the middle of the field of view of the picking sensing device.
[0077] If there are uncut petioles within the target mature fruit bunch, the picking sensing device identifies and locates the root of the petiole, and then controls the shovel cutting unit 1100 to shovel and cut the petiole, so that the target mature fruit bunch is fully exposed in the field of vision of the picking sensing device.
[0078] The fruit stalk of the target mature fruit bunch is detected and located to determine the position of the fruit stalk. Based on the position of the fruit stalk of the mature fruit bunch, the shovel cutting unit 1100 is controlled to cut the fruit stalk and cut off the oil palm fruit. At the same time, the clamping unit 1200 clamps the cut fruit bunch and then puts it into the collection device 4000.
[0079] The harvesting device 1000 returns to its initial position and continues to harvest the mature fruit clusters of the target tree for one week. After the harvesting of the target tree is completed, it moves on to the harvesting of the next target tree.
[0080] Once the collecting device 4000 is full of fruit ears, the harvesting equipment stops harvesting. The walking chassis 2000 drives the harvesting equipment to the fruit ear collection point, unloads the fruit ears from the collecting device 4000, and then returns to the target area to continue harvesting until the harvesting operation in the target area is completed.
[0081] Based on the various embodiments of this application described above, in the absence of explicit denial or conflict, the technical features of one embodiment may be advantageously combined with one or more other embodiments.
[0082] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this application, used only to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit it. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or substitutions based on the above descriptions without departing from the inventive concept of this application, and all such improvements and substitutions should fall within the protection scope of this application. In this case, all details can be replaced with equivalent elements, and materials, shapes, and sizes can also be arbitrary.
Claims
1. An automatic harvesting device for oil palm fruits, characterized in that, include: Walking chassis; The lifting device is mounted on the chassis. A harvesting device is located at the end of the lifting device away from the walking chassis, and is used for harvesting oil palm fruits. The lifting device is used to lift the harvesting device. The harvesting device includes a shovel-cutting unit and a clamping unit. The shovel-cutting unit is used to cut the petioles and fruit stalks of the oil palm fruit, and the clamping unit is used to clamp the cut oil palm fruit. The shovel-cutting unit includes a first driving mechanism and a shovel blade. The first driving mechanism is used to drive the shovel blade to move linearly to cut. The clamping unit includes a second driving mechanism and two grippers arranged in a horizontal direction. The second driving mechanism is used to drive the two grippers to open or close. The shovel-cutting unit is located below the two grippers.
2. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A collection device for collecting harvested oil palm fruits; The walking sensing device is used to identify oil palm trees and obstacles and to navigate the walking chassis through oil palm forests. A harvesting sensing device is installed on the harvesting device to detect and identify oil palm fruits to be harvested; A control device for controlling the walking chassis, the lifting device, the picking device, the walking sensing device, and the picking sensing device; The collection device, the walking sensing device, and the control device are mounted on the walking chassis; the walking sensing device includes a lidar, and the picking sensing device includes a depth camera and an RGB camera.
3. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The chassis includes a frame and two walking mechanisms, which are located on both sides of the frame. The frame is equipped with a power supply device for supplying power to the two walking mechanisms, which are either tracked or wheeled. The collection device is mounted on the frame, which is also equipped with a tilting mechanism. One end of the collection device is hinged to the frame and the other end is hinged to the tilting mechanism. The tilting mechanism is used to drive the collection device to tilt so as to pour out the collected oil palm fruit.
4. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting device includes: The uprights are mounted on the chassis. The first rotating mechanism is located at the top of the column; A telescopic arm, one end of which is hinged to the first rotary mechanism, and the picking device is disposed at the other end of the telescopic arm; A luffing mechanism, mounted on the first slewing mechanism, is used to drive the telescopic arm to swing up and down to change its amplitude. The telescopic arm is provided with a leveling mechanism and a second rotating mechanism connected to the picking device at the end away from the first rotating mechanism. The second rotating mechanism is hinged to the telescopic arm, and the leveling mechanism is used to drive the second rotating mechanism to swing for leveling.
5. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The harvesting device also includes a harvesting robotic arm, with a fixed frame at one end of the harvesting robotic arm away from the lifting device. The shovel cutting unit and the clamping unit are mounted on the fixed frame, and the two grippers are located outside one end of the fixed frame.
6. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The shovel cutting unit also includes a blade holder, one end of which is connected to the fixed frame, and the other end of which extends out of the fixed frame and is located below the two grippers. The first drive mechanism is mounted on the blade holder, and the shovel is located at the end of the blade holder away from the fixed frame. The blade holder has a notch groove at one end away from the fixed frame for cooperating with the shovel blade. Sliding grooves are provided on both sides of the notch groove. Sliding portions are provided on both sides of the shovel blade, slidably connected to the two sliding grooves. One end of the shovel blade has a connecting portion connected to the first driving mechanism, and the other end of the shovel blade has a cutting portion located outside the notch groove. The length direction of the cutting portion is consistent with the width direction of the notch groove, and the length of the cutting portion is greater than the width of the notch groove. The two sliding portions are located between the connecting portion and the cutting portion.
7. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second drive mechanism drives the two grippers to open or close via two linkage assemblies. The output end of the second drive mechanism is connected to the middle of the connecting rod. The second drive mechanism drives the connecting rod to move linearly. The two ends of the connecting rod are respectively hinged to their corresponding linkage assemblies. Each of the link assemblies includes a first link and a second link. One end of the first link is hinged to one end of its corresponding connecting rod and the other end of the first link is hinged to one end of the second link. The other end of the second link is hinged to the fixing frame. The second link is connected to one end of its corresponding gripper. The second link is also provided with a torsion spring hinge connected to the gripper.
8. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, A clamping area is formed between the two grippers. Each gripper includes a clamping body. One end of the clamping body is connected to its corresponding connecting rod assembly. The clamping body is bent away from the clamping area. The side of the clamping body facing the clamping area is provided with a plurality of grooves arranged sequentially in a vertical direction. Each groove extends along the length direction of the clamping body. The top of both sides of the groove is provided with a plurality of toothed structures arranged sequentially along the length direction of the clamping body. The bottom surface of the groove is provided with a third through hole. The top of the clamping body is provided with an upper clamping body, which is inclined toward the clamping area. The end of the clamping body away from the connecting rod assembly is provided with a reinforcing clamping body, which extends along the length of the clamping body. The reinforcing clamping bodies on the two jaws are staggered in the vertical direction.
9. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The harvesting device also includes a height limiting component, which is used to limit the upper part of the oil palm fruit gripped by the gripping unit; The height limiting component includes a vertical support, which is installed on one end of the fixed frame near the two grippers and located between the two grippers. The upper end of the vertical support is provided with a height limiting plate located above the two grippers, and the two sides of the vertical support are respectively provided with limiting side plates.
10. The automatic oil palm fruit harvesting equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The harvesting robotic arm sequentially includes a first arm, a third drive mechanism, a rotary base, a fourth drive mechanism, a second arm, a fifth drive mechanism, a third arm, and a sixth drive mechanism. The third drive mechanism is located at one end of the first arm and connected to one end of the rotary base. The fourth drive mechanism is located at the other end of the rotary base and connected to one end of the second arm. The fifth drive mechanism is located at the other end of the second arm and connected to one end of the third arm. The sixth drive mechanism is located at the other end of the third arm and connected to the fixed frame. The third drive mechanism is used to drive the rotary base to rotate, the fourth drive mechanism is used to drive the second arm to rotate, the fifth drive mechanism is used to drive the third arm to rotate, and the sixth drive mechanism is used to drive the fixed frame to rotate.