A harvesting robot suitable for picking various fruits and vegetables and its harvesting method

Abstract

This invention discloses a harvesting robot and its harvesting method suitable for harvesting various fruits and vegetables. The harvesting robot includes a walking mechanism with a chassis, a robotic arm mounted on the chassis for delivering an end-effector harvesting mechanism to the fruit or vegetable to be harvested, an end-effector harvesting mechanism detachably mounted on the robotic arm for separating the fruit or vegetable from its stem, a collection mechanism for collecting the fruit or vegetable, a visual recognition system for acquiring harvesting-related images, and a control and processing system connected to all the above components. The robotic arm and the end-effector harvesting mechanism each have multiple degrees of freedom, and only the telescopic arm of the robotic arm actually moves relative to the fruit or vegetable plant. This harvesting robot can automate the entire harvesting process and can harvest various types of fruits and vegetables, exhibiting good versatility. Especially when harvesting various densely packed fruits and vegetables, it significantly improves harvesting efficiency and saves harvesting costs compared to traditional technologies, making it easy to promote and apply.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fruit and vegetable harvesting technology, specifically relating to a harvesting robot suitable for harvesting various fruits and vegetables and its harvesting method. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of agriculture in my country, the scale of fruit and vegetable planting has been increasing, and the output has also been growing year by year. However, as we all know, fruit and vegetable harvesting is seasonal, and the harvesting period is often short. This means that harvesting needs to be completed in a short time after the fruits and vegetables ripen. Currently in my country, most fruit and vegetable harvesting is still mainly done manually, with a low level of mechanization. Traditional manual harvesting has the following drawbacks:

[0003] First, it is costly, inefficient, and labor-intensive: Traditional fruit and vegetable harvesting requires a large amount of manpower, which is costly, and manual harvesting is labor-intensive and inefficient, making it difficult to meet market demand.

[0004] Second, there is a shortage of labor: With the acceleration of urbanization in my country, the outflow of rural labor is serious, resulting in a shortage of agricultural labor, which affects the efficiency and quality of fruit and vegetable harvesting.

[0005] Third, there are safety hazards during the harvesting process: harvesting fruits and vegetables requires climbing, bending over, and other actions, which can easily cause injuries to workers and pose safety hazards.

[0006] To address the aforementioned drawbacks of traditional manual harvesting, research institutions both domestically and internationally have successively developed various fruit and vegetable harvesting robots, such as citrus harvesting robots and tomato harvesting robots. However, existing harvesting robots are limited in the size and type of fruits and vegetables they can harvest, with some even only capable of harvesting a single type, resulting in poor versatility. Furthermore, some existing harvesting robots use Cartesian coordinate system robotic arms to deliver the end-effector to the target area, which has the disadvantage of slow movement response and a tendency to touch or even damage fruits, vegetables, and / or branches when moving along three axes. Other harvesting robots use multi-degree-of-freedom serial robotic arms (articular robotic arms) as their actuators, such as the Chinese patent application CN111937591A entitled "Multi-degree-of-freedom Fruit and Vegetable Harvesting Robot." However, due to the cumulative error and poor dynamic characteristics of serial harvesting robots, their operating efficiency is low, making them unsuitable for harvesting densely packed fruits and vegetables such as dates, walnuts, chestnuts, oranges, and cherry tomatoes.

[0007] In view of this, the inventor proposes a harvesting robot and harvesting method applicable to harvesting various fruits and vegetables, in order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a harvesting robot and harvesting method suitable for harvesting various fruits and vegetables. This harvesting robot can solve the problems of low harvesting efficiency, easy contact with or even damage to fruits and vegetables and / or branches, and poor versatility of the prior art. This harvesting robot can harvest various types of fruits and vegetables, especially for densely packed fruits and vegetables such as dates, walnuts, chestnuts, oranges, and cherry tomatoes, to achieve the goal of efficient harvesting.

[0009] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0010] A harvesting robot suitable for picking various fruits and vegetables, including;

[0011] A walking mechanism with a chassis is used to move the harvesting robot to the target area based on the location information of the harvesting area;

[0012] A robotic arm is mounted on the chassis of the walking mechanism. The robotic arm includes a rotatably mounted linear guide rail. A first drive mechanism is mounted on the linear guide rail. The first drive mechanism is used to drive a support assembly mounted on the linear guide rail to reciprocate along the linear guide rail. A telescopic arm is movably mounted on the support assembly. A second drive mechanism is mounted at the bottom of the telescopic arm to drive it to reciprocate on the support assembly. The direction of movement of the telescopic arm is perpendicular to the linear guide rail.

[0013] The end-harvesting mechanism is detachably installed at the front end of the telescopic arm to separate fruits and vegetables from their stems;

[0014] Collection facilities are used to collect fruits and vegetables picked by end-harvesting facilities in real time.

[0015] Visual recognition systems are used to acquire image data;

[0016] The control and processing system is mounted on the chassis of the walking mechanism. The walking mechanism, robotic arm, end-effector picking mechanism, collection mechanism, and visual recognition system are all connected to the control and processing system.

[0017] Furthermore, the support assembly includes a support base and a first roller connected to the support base and located on both sides of the linear guide rail, and a second roller connected to the support base and located on both sides of the telescopic arm;

[0018] Among them, the two ends of the same side of the linear guide rail are symmetrically equipped with limiting structures for limiting the extreme position of the support seat movement;

[0019] The bottom of the support base is fixedly connected to the first drive mechanism, and the upper part of the support base is equipped with a second transmission mechanism.

[0020] The linear guide rail is provided with first tracks on both sides for positioning and guiding the first roller, and the first roller is movably engaged on the first track.

[0021] The bottom sides of the telescopic arm are provided with second tracks for positioning and guiding the second roller, and the second roller is movably engaged with the second track.

[0022] Furthermore, both the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism include a synchronous belt pulley transmission structure and a drive motor;

[0023] The synchronous belt pulley transmission structure includes a driving gear, a driven gear, and a synchronous toothed belt wound around the driving gear and the driven gear, wherein the synchronous toothed belt meshes with the driving gear and the driven gear respectively, and the driving gear is driven by a drive motor;

[0024] The synchronous toothed belt of the first drive mechanism is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support base, and the synchronous toothed belt of the second drive mechanism is fixedly connected to the upper part of the support base.

[0025] Furthermore, the robotic arm also includes a lead screw and nut drive mechanism, which includes a lead screw motor, a lead screw and nut transmission unit, and a V-shaped bracket. The lead screw motor is fixed on the telescopic arm.

[0026] The top of the A-frame bracket is detachably equipped with an end-harvesting mechanism, one end of the bottom is hinged to the lead screw and nut transmission unit, and the other end is hinged to the telescopic arm; the lead screw motor applies tension or thrust to the A-frame bracket through the lead screw and nut transmission unit to adjust the tilt angle of the end-harvesting mechanism.

[0027] Furthermore, the chassis of the walking mechanism is fixedly provided with support columns at the front and rear, and one end of the linear guide rail is connected to the support column through a bearing, and the other end is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor provided on the support column.

[0028] The collection mechanism includes a collection frame, a collection channel, and a temporary storage chamber. The collection frame is placed in the middle area of ​​the chassis of the walking mechanism, and the collection frame is connected to the temporary storage chamber, which is fixedly set below the end picking mechanism, through the collection channel.

[0029] Furthermore, the end-harvesting mechanism includes a clamping part, a first driving unit, and a second driving unit; the first driving unit is connected to the clamping part and is used to drive the clamping part to rotate and / or extend; the second driving unit is connected to the first driving unit and is used to drive the first driving unit to pitch up and down and / or swing left and right.

[0030] Furthermore, the first drive unit includes a first mounting bracket and a ball screw spline structure mounted within the first mounting bracket;

[0031] The ball screw spline structure includes a screw spline shaft, a first driven wheel and a second driven wheel symmetrically distributed on the screw spline shaft, and a first geared motor and a second geared motor symmetrically distributed on one side of the first mounting bracket.

[0032] The first geared motor drives the first drive wheel to rotate, and the first drive wheel drives the first driven wheel to rotate via a conveyor belt; the second geared motor drives the second drive wheel to rotate, and the second drive wheel drives the second driven wheel to rotate via a conveyor belt.

[0033] The lead screw spline shaft has several sets of parallel grooves along the axial direction and a spiral groove along the helical direction; a ball screw nut and a spline nut are also installed on the lead screw spline shaft respectively. The ball screw nut is connected to the first driven wheel through a flange, and the spline nut is connected to the second driven wheel through a flange.

[0034] When either the first driven wheel or the second driven wheel rotates while the other remains stationary, the lead screw spline shaft extends / retracts axially under the rotation of the ball screw nut or the spline nut; when the first driven wheel and the second driven wheel rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, the lead screw spline shaft rotates under the combined action of the ball screw nut and the spline nut.

[0035] Furthermore, the second drive unit includes a U-shaped bracket, a third geared motor, a transmission assembly, and a fourth geared motor;

[0036] The third geared motor is horizontally fixedly installed inside the U-shaped bracket, and the fourth geared motor is vertically hinged to the U-shaped bracket. The third geared motor drives the fourth geared motor to pitch up and down through the transmission assembly.

[0037] The output shaft of the fourth geared motor is fixedly connected to the first drive unit to drive the first drive unit to swing left and right.

[0038] Furthermore, the visual recognition system includes a first camera, a second camera, and a third camera, which are respectively connected to the control and processing system;

[0039] The first camera is a navigation camera, installed at the front and rear ends of the walking mechanism, used to guide the picking robot to walk along the navigation route while avoiding obstacles;

[0040] The second camera is mounted on the robotic arm to collect data on the fruits and vegetables on both sides of the walking mechanism and upload it to the control and processing system. The control and processing system processes and outputs commands to control the walking mechanism and the robotic arm to send the end-harvesting mechanism to the position close to the fruits and vegetables to be harvested.

[0041] The third camera is installed on the end-harvesting mechanism to collect data on fruits and vegetables within the target harvesting area and feed it back to the processing control system. After processing and screening, the processing control system controls the end-harvesting mechanism to harvest fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements.

[0042] Meanwhile, the present invention provides a harvesting method based on the above-mentioned harvesting robot, the harvesting method comprising the following steps:

[0043] Step 1: Send a picking instruction to the picking robot. After receiving the picking instruction, the picking robot moves to the target area through the walking mechanism in coordination with the vision recognition system and the control processing system.

[0044] Step 2: After the picking robot moves to the target area, the control and processing system uses the characteristic image data of fruits and vegetables in the target area obtained by the visual recognition system to control the movement direction and angle of the robotic arm, so that the end picking mechanism installed at the front end of the telescopic arm moves into the position of the fruits and vegetables to be picked.

[0045] Step 3: Then, through the cooperation of the visual recognition system and the control processing system, the terminal harvesting mechanism is controlled to harvest fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements.

[0046] Step 4: The collection mechanism collects the fruits and vegetables harvested by the terminal harvesting mechanism.

[0047] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0048] 1. This invention relates to a harvesting method based on a harvesting robot. With the coordinated operation of a visual recognition system and a control processing system, the robot is first guided by a walking mechanism to move to the target area. Then, the control processing system, based on the characteristic image data of fruits and vegetables in the target area obtained by the visual recognition system, controls the direction and angle of the robotic arm's movement. This allows the end-effector of the telescopic arm to be quickly moved to the position close to the fruits and vegetables to be harvested without damaging the fruits and / or branches. The control processing system then filters the data (including but not limited to shape, size, and color) of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested from the visual recognition system and controls the end-effector to harvest the fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements. Finally, the harvested fruits and vegetables are collected by a collection mechanism, completing the harvesting process. The harvesting robot designed in this invention can achieve fully autonomous operation of the entire harvesting process, improving harvesting efficiency and solving the shortcomings of existing technologies that require a large harvesting period, large harvesting volume, high labor intensity, and a large amount of manpower to complete the harvesting work. At the same time, the end harvesting mechanism and telescopic arm of the harvesting robot of this invention are detachably connected. During actual harvesting, the end harvesting mechanism or clamping part can be replaced according to different fruits and vegetables being harvested. Therefore, this harvesting robot can harvest a variety of different types of fruits and vegetables and has good versatility.

[0049] 2. The harvesting robot provided by this invention has a robotic arm positioned along the robot's forward direction during operation. The robotic arm includes a rotatable horizontal linear guide rail, a support base and a telescopic arm that move along the linear guide rail, a telescopic arm that moves left and right on the support base, and a screw-nut drive mechanism mounted on the telescopic arm. As can be seen from the above configuration, the reciprocating movement of the telescopic arm along the linear guide rail (moving in the forward or backward direction of the harvesting robot) can be used to adjust the distance between the end-harvesting mechanism and the target fruit / vegetable along the X-axis; the reciprocating telescopic movement of the telescopic arm along the support base (moving left and right of the harvesting robot) can be used to adjust the distance between the end-harvesting mechanism and the target fruit / vegetable along the Y-axis; the linear guide rail itself can rotate, which can be used to adjust the distance between the end-harvesting mechanism and the target fruit / vegetable along the Z-axis (moving up and down of the harvesting robot); and the screw-nut drive mechanism can adjust the angle between the end-harvesting mechanism and the target fruit / vegetable. Therefore, by using a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, the end-harvesting mechanism can be quickly delivered to the position where the fruit and vegetables to be harvested are located. When the end-harvesting mechanism is close to the fruit and vegetables, only the telescopic arm of the robotic arm moves relative to the fruit and vegetables when transferring the end-harvesting mechanism. Therefore, it can better enter through the gaps in the fruit and vegetables and avoid touching or even damaging the fruit and vegetables and / or branches.

[0050] 3. The harvesting robot provided by this invention, upon receiving a harvesting command, has its end-effector harvesting mechanism driven by a second drive unit to tilt up and down and / or swing left and right, ensuring that the gripping part reaches the harvesting position for fruit and vegetable harvesting. Specifically, when the gripping part reaches the harvesting position, firstly, one driven wheel drives the ball screw nut to rotate (the other driven wheel remains stationary), causing the screw spline shaft to extend axially; then, the first driven wheel drives the ball screw nut to rotate, and the second driven wheel drives the spline nut to rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, causing the screw spline shaft to rotate, thereby causing the gripping part to rotate the fruit and vegetables to be harvested, separating the fruit and vegetables from the stem; finally, one driven wheel drives the ball screw nut to rotate (the other driven wheel remains stationary), causing the screw spline shaft to retract axially, thus completing the harvesting. Compared to existing technologies, this end-harvesting mechanism can adjust the angle and distance of the clamping part within a small range (while the robotic arm remains stationary). Therefore, it can avoid accidentally damaging nearby unsuitable ripe fruits and can harvest multiple suitable target fruits and vegetables within a small range. It is particularly suitable for harvesting concentrated fruits and vegetables such as dates, cherries, and oranges, thereby improving harvesting efficiency.

[0051] 4. The harvesting robot provided by this invention has a collection mechanism mainly composed of a collection frame, a collection channel, and a temporary storage chamber. The temporary storage chamber is located at a designated position below the end harvesting mechanism. After the fruits and vegetables are harvested, the gripping part retracts to the top of the temporary storage chamber under the drive of the lead screw spline shaft. After the gripping part is released, the fruits and vegetables fall into the temporary storage chamber and are then collected by the collection frame under the guidance of the collection channel. At the same time, the collection frame, collection channel, and temporary storage chamber are all made of flexible materials to avoid damaging the quality of the fruits and vegetables.

[0052] 5. The harvesting robot provided by the present invention has a chassis as its walking mechanism. The front and rear ends of the chassis are respectively provided with shell frames for accommodating hardware equipment such as energy storage batteries and control processing systems. The top surfaces of the front and rear shell frames serve as platforms for supporting the robotic arm. The middle area of ​​the chassis is used to place the collection box. Compared with the prior art, the harvesting robot has a reasonable layout, makes full use of the space of the chassis, and the harvesting robot is generally balanced and stable.

[0053] 6. The harvesting robot provided by the present invention also includes multiple encoders connected to the control processing system. The multiple encoders are used to record the position and angle of each rotating part and moving part. In the event of a power failure, the multiple encoders are powered by batteries so that the harvesting robot can remember the current position value of the moving mechanism after a power failure. When used again, it does not need to return to the position reference point for repositioning, thereby further improving harvesting efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0054] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and form part of this specification, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0055] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0056] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the harvesting robot of this invention;

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the robotic arm of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the linear guide rail and the support assembly in the robotic arm of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the first and second drive mechanisms in the robotic arm of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm limiting structure of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the end-harvesting mechanism of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first drive unit in the end-harvesting mechanism of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the second drive unit structure in the end-harvesting mechanism of the present invention.

[0064] in:

[0065] 1 represents the walking mechanism;

[0066] 2 is a robotic arm; 21 is a linear guide rail; 22 is a first drive mechanism; 23 is a support assembly; 24 is a telescopic arm; 25 is a second drive mechanism; 26 is a limiting structure; 27 is a lead screw and nut drive mechanism; 28 is a support column; 29 is a rotary motor; 211 is a first track; 231 is a support base; 232 is a first roller; 233 is a second roller; 241 is a second track; 261 is a sleeve; 262 is a sleeve rod; 263 is a fixed base; 271 is a lead screw motor; 272 is a lead screw and nut transmission unit; 273 is a "V"-shaped bracket;

[0067] 3 is the end-harvesting mechanism; 31 is the clamping part; 32 is the first drive unit; 33 is the second drive unit; 321 is the lead screw spline shaft; 322 is the first driven wheel; 323 is the second driven wheel; 324 is the first geared motor; 325 is the second geared motor; 326 is the first driving wheel; 327 is the second driving wheel; 328 is the mark identification point; 331 is the U-shaped bracket; 332 is the third geared motor; 333 is the transmission assembly; 334 is the fourth geared motor.

[0068] 4 is the collection mechanism; 41 is the collection box; 42 is the collection channel; 43 is the temporary storage room;

[0069] 5 represents the visual recognition system; 41 represents the first camera; 52 represents the second camera; 53 represents the third camera;

[0070] 6 represents the processing and control system. Detailed Implementation

[0071] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0072] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0073] Please see Figures 1-8This invention provides a harvesting robot suitable for picking various fruits and vegetables. This robot is used to replace manual harvesting in orchards and mainly includes a walking mechanism 1 with a chassis, a robotic arm 2, an end-effector harvesting mechanism 3, a collection mechanism 4, a vision recognition system 5, and a control and processing system 6. The robotic arm 2 is mounted on the chassis of the walking mechanism 1 and has four degrees of freedom (rotation, forward and backward horizontal movement, left and right extension and retraction, and angle adjustment). This facilitates the delivery of the end-effector harvesting mechanism 3, mounted on the robotic arm 2, to the location of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. The end-effector harvesting mechanism 3 then separates the fruits and vegetables from their stems for harvesting. Mechanism 3 is detachably connected to robotic arm 2, allowing the end-harvesting mechanism 3 to be replaced as needed when harvesting different types of fruits and vegetables, thereby enabling the harvesting of various fruits and vegetables and improving the applicability of the harvesting robot; collection mechanism 4 is used to collect the fruits and vegetables harvested by end-harvesting mechanism 3 in real time; visual recognition system 5 is used to acquire relevant image data to assist the harvesting robot in executing the harvesting program; control and processing system 6 is set on the chassis of walking mechanism 1 and is electrically connected to walking mechanism 1, robotic arm 2, end-harvesting mechanism 3, collection mechanism 4 and visual recognition system 5 respectively, controlling the above components to work together, thereby efficiently completing the harvesting program.

[0074] Specifically, the walking mechanism 1 of the harvesting robot of this invention includes, but is not limited to, tracked or roller-type mechanisms, as long as they enable the overall movement of the harvesting robot; no specific limitation is made. This embodiment takes the roller-type walking mechanism 1 as an example. Its chassis bottom has four rollers arranged in pairs along the front and rear directions. Correspondingly, a drive motor for driving the rollers and a steering system for controlling the rollers' direction are installed on the chassis, similar to a simple existing car chassis, which will not be described in detail. It should be noted that the upper surface of the chassis of the walking mechanism 1, as well as the front and rear ends, are respectively provided with shell frames. The steering system and the control processing system 6 connected to the steering system are installed in the front shell frame, and the drive motor and the energy storage battery that provides power to various electrical components are installed in the rear shell frame. The front and rear shell frames protect the various components inside and provide a platform for mounting the robotic arm 2. Simultaneously, the area on the upper surface of the chassis between the two shell frames is used to place the harvested fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the harvesting robot has a reasonable layout, making full use of the chassis space and ensuring the overall balance and stability of the harvesting robot.

[0075] like Figures 2-4As shown, the robotic arm 2 in this embodiment of the invention includes a rotatably mounted linear guide rail 21, which is horizontally positioned along the direction of the harvesting robot's movement. A first drive mechanism 22 is mounted on the linear guide rail 21, which drives a support assembly 23 movably mounted on the linear guide rail 21 to reciprocate along the linear guide rail 21. A telescopic arm 24 is movably mounted on the support assembly 23. A second drive mechanism 25 is mounted at the bottom of the telescopic arm 24 to drive the telescopic arm 24 to reciprocate on the support assembly 23, and the direction of movement of the telescopic arm 24 is perpendicular to the length direction of the linear guide rail 21. An end-harvesting mechanism 3 is mounted at the front end of the telescopic arm 24. With the above configuration, we establish a coordinate system with the geometric center of the linear guide rail 21 as the center, the length direction of the horizontally positioned linear guide rail 21 as the X-axis, the left and right extension directions of the telescopic arm 24 as the Y-axis, and the height of the end-harvesting mechanism 3 at the end of the telescopic arm 24 from the ground as the Z-axis. It can be seen that the telescopic arm 24 is mounted on the linear guide rail 21 through the support component 23, and is driven by the first drive mechanism 22 to reciprocate on the linear guide rail 21 (moving along the front and back direction of the harvesting robot), which can be used to adjust the distance between the end harvesting mechanism 3 and the target fruit and vegetable in the X-axis direction; the telescopic arm 24 is driven by the second drive mechanism 25 to reciprocate along the left and right direction of the support component 23 (moving along the left and right direction of the harvesting robot), which can be used to adjust the distance between the end harvesting mechanism 3 and the target fruit and vegetable in the Y-axis direction; and the linear guide rail 21 can be rotated to adjust the distance between the end harvesting mechanism 3 and the target fruit and vegetable in the Z-axis direction (moving along the up and down direction of the harvesting robot). Therefore, through the coordinated operation of the above components, the robotic arm 2 can accurately and quickly deliver the end-harvesting mechanism 3 to the location of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. At the same time, when the harvesting robot stops moving, since the position of the linear guide rail 21 relative to the fruits and vegetables remains unchanged, only the telescopic arm 24 and the end-harvesting mechanism 3 at its front end actually extend into the fruits and vegetables, which makes it easy to bypass obstacles (it can pass through the gaps in the fruits and vegetables) and avoid touching or even damaging the fruits and / or branches.

[0076] Specifically, in this embodiment of the invention, both ends of the linear guide rail 21 are connected to the support columns 28. One support column 28 is rotatably connected to one end of the linear guide rail 21 via a bearing, and a rotary motor 29 is fixedly mounted on the other support column 28. The output shaft of the rotary motor 29 is fixedly connected to the other end of the linear guide rail 21. That is, by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the rotary motor 29, the linear guide rail 21 can be controlled to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The two support columns 28 are vertically mounted on the front and rear housing frames of the chassis of the walking mechanism 1 by fastening screws. Preferably, the linear guide rail 21, the support columns 28, and the telescopic arm 24 are all frame structures. On the one hand, this facilitates the concealment of wiring to ensure electrical safety; on the other hand, it reduces the weight of the harvesting robot while ensuring structural strength, thereby reducing the robot's energy consumption and extending its working time.

[0077] In this embodiment of the invention, the support component 23 includes a support base 231, a first roller 232 connected to the support base 231 and located on both sides of the linear guide rail 21, and a second roller 233 connected to the support base 231 and located on both sides of the telescopic arm 24. The bottom of the support base 231 is fixedly connected to the first drive mechanism 22, and the top of the support base 231 is fixedly installed with the second drive mechanism 25. Correspondingly, a first track 211 for positioning and guiding the first roller 232 is arranged on both sides of the linear guide rail 21, and the first roller 232 is movably engaged on the first track 211. A second track 241 for positioning and guiding the second roller 233 is arranged on both sides of the bottom of the telescopic arm 24, and the second roller 233 is movably engaged on the second track 241. Preferably, the first roller 232 (second roller 233) and the first track 211 (second track 241) have a concave-convex fit structure to prevent the support component 23 from disengaging from the linear guide 21 and / or the telescopic arm 24 from disengaging from the support component 23 when the linear guide 21 rotates, thus ensuring the stability and safety of the structure. With the above configuration, since the power of the first drive mechanism 22 acts directly on the support base 231, and the support component 23 is connected to the linear guide 21 via a sliding connection between the rollers and the track, the friction and energy loss of the support component 23 when moving on the linear guide 21 are reduced, providing structural support for the high-speed movement of the telescopic arm 24 on the linear guide 21. Similarly, the principle of the telescopic arm 24 moving on the support component 23 is similar to the principle of the support component 23 moving on the linear guide 21, except that the moving part is the telescopic arm 24, while the support component 23 is a fixed part relative to the telescopic arm 24, which will not be described in detail here.

[0078] like Figure 4As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, both the first drive mechanism 22 and the second drive mechanism 25 include a synchronous belt pulley transmission structure and a drive motor. The advantages of choosing a synchronous belt pulley transmission structure are as follows: 1. Synchronous belt pulley transmission does not require slippage during operation and has an accurate transmission ratio; 2. High transmission efficiency and excellent energy-saving effect; 3. Reasonable layout and compact structure; 4. Convenient maintenance and low operating costs; 5. Normal operation even under harsh environmental conditions. Specifically, each synchronous belt pulley transmission structure includes a driving gear, a driven gear, and a synchronous toothed belt wound around the driving gear and the driven gear. The synchronous toothed belt meshes with the driving gear and the driven gear respectively. Simultaneously, the synchronous toothed belt of the first drive mechanism 22 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support base 231, and the synchronous toothed belt of the second drive mechanism 25 is fixedly connected to the upper part of the support base 231. The two driving gears are driven by their respective drive motors. This embodiment employs a synchronous belt pulley drive structure combined with a roller-track sliding movement method. Actual testing has shown that the support component 23 can move at a maximum speed of 10 meters per second on the linear guide rail 21, providing structural support for efficient and rapid fruit and vegetable harvesting. Preferably, brushes are installed on the inner sides of both the driving and driven wheels of the two synchronous belt pulley drive structures to clean foreign objects from the synchronous toothed belt, preventing them from affecting the meshing transmission between the gear teeth and the synchronous belt. Furthermore, the wiring of the first and second drive mechanisms 22 and 25 utilizes a built-in cable chain to prevent the wiring from being scratched by tree branches during harvesting in the fruit and vegetable field, thus ensuring the normal operation of the harvesting robot.

[0079] Furthermore, to ensure the safety of the support component 23 when it moves at high speed on the linear guide rail 21, limiting structures 26 for limiting the extreme positions of the support component 23 are respectively installed at both ends of the same side of the linear guide rail 21. The specific form of the limiting structure 26 is not specifically limited, as long as it can achieve the above-mentioned function. For example, the limiting structure 26 can adopt... Figure 5 As shown, the limiting structure 26 includes a horizontally arranged sleeve 261. A T-shaped cross-section sleeve rod 262 and a disc spring (not shown in the figure) are installed inside the sleeve 261. The larger diameter end of the sleeve rod 262 is located inside the sleeve 261, while the smaller diameter end always extends out of the opening end of the sleeve 261 under the compression of the disc spring. The sleeve 261 is installed on the side of the linear guide rail 21 by a fixing seat 263 and fastening screws. The two limiting structures 26 are symmetrically arranged. Correspondingly, a protruding limiting stop is installed on the support seat 231. When the limiting stop contacts the head of the sleeve rod 262, the impact force of the support seat 231 is unloaded by the elastic disc spring, ensuring that the support assembly 23 works stably and reliably for a long time.

[0080] In addition, to enable the robotic arm 2 to more easily deliver the end-harvesting mechanism 3 to the position close to the fruit and vegetables to be harvested, the embodiment of the present invention further includes a lead screw and nut drive mechanism 27. This lead screw and nut drive mechanism 27 includes a lead screw motor 271, a lead screw and nut transmission unit 272 (existing technology, not described in detail here), and an A-frame bracket 273. The lead screw motor 271 is fixed to the telescopic arm 24. The top of the A-frame bracket 273 is detachably connected to the end-harvesting mechanism 3, and one bottom end is connected to the lead screw. The nut transmission unit 272 is hinged, and the other end of the bottom is hinged to the telescopic arm 24; the screw motor 271 applies tension or thrust to the A-frame bracket 273 through the screw nut transmission unit 272 to adjust the tilt angle of the end harvesting mechanism 3; in addition, a horizontal platform is provided on the end harvesting mechanism 3, and through the linkage between the screw nut drive mechanism 27 and the end harvesting mechanism 3, the horizontal platform is kept parallel to the ground during the harvesting process, which facilitates the end harvesting mechanism 3 to collect fruits and vegetables in real time after harvesting.

[0081] like Figures 6-8 As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, the end-harvesting mechanism 3 includes a clamping part 31, a first driving unit 32, and a second driving unit 33. The first driving unit 32 is connected to the clamping part 31 and is used to drive the clamping part 31 to rotate and / or extend. The second driving unit 33 is located below the first driving unit 32 and is connected to the first driving unit 32. It is used to drive the first driving unit 32 to pitch up and down and / or swing left and right. This allows the end-harvesting mechanism 3 to be close to the fruit and vegetables to be harvested after the robotic arm 2 has made a large adjustment. Then, the end-harvesting mechanism 3 can be quickly adjusted by itself to harvest. This method can quickly harvest multiple target fruits and vegetables in a small area. It is especially suitable for harvesting concentrated fruits and vegetables such as dates, cherries, and oranges, thus improving harvesting efficiency.

[0082] Specifically, such as Figure 7As shown, the first drive unit 32 includes a first mounting bracket and a ball screw spline structure mounted within the first mounting bracket. The ball screw spline structure includes a screw spline shaft 321, a first driven wheel 322 and a second driven wheel 323 symmetrically distributed on the screw spline shaft 321, and a first geared motor 324 and a second geared motor 325 symmetrically distributed on one side of the first mounting bracket. The first geared motor 324 drives the first driving wheel 326 to rotate, and the first driving wheel 326 drives the first driven wheel 322 to rotate under the action of the conveyor belt. Similarly, the second geared motor 325 drives the second driving wheel 327 to rotate, and the second driving wheel 327 drives the second driven wheel 323 to rotate. The screw spline shaft 321 has several sets of parallel grooves along the axial direction and a spiral groove along the helical direction. A ball screw nut and a spline nut are also mounted on the screw spline shaft 321. The ball screw nut is connected to the first driven wheel 322 via a flange, and the spline nut is connected to the second driven wheel 323 via a flange. As can be seen from the above settings, when either the first driven wheel 322 or the second driven wheel 323 rotates while the other remains stationary, the lead screw spline shaft 321 extends / retracts axially under the rotation of the ball screw nut or spline nut, which is used to bring the clamping part 31 closer to or further away from the fruits and vegetables; when the first driven wheel 322 and the second driven wheel 323 rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, the lead screw spline shaft 321 rotates under the combined action of the ball screw nut and the spline nut, and at this time, the clamping part 31 can be used to separate the fruits and vegetables from the fruit stems.

[0083] Furthermore, when the first driven wheel 322 and the second driven wheel 323 rotate in the same direction and there is a certain speed difference between them, the lead screw spline shaft 321 performs helical motion under the combined action of the ball screw nut and the spline nut. In the technical solution of the end effector of the harvesting robot provided by the present invention, the first drive unit innovatively uses a ball screw spline mechanism as the drive device, which can achieve small size and lighter weight, making it easier to reach into the fruit tree for harvesting.

[0084] Furthermore, the clamping part 31 is a gripper or suction cup fixedly installed at the end of the lead screw spline shaft 321. In some embodiments, the gripper can be an electric gripper or a pneumatic gripper; the electric gripper is preferably a servo-electric gripper, and in this example, a pneumatic gripper is preferred. In specific implementations, a channel can be opened axially at the center of the lead screw spline shaft 321 to facilitate the passage of the air tube, so as to avoid the air tube of the pneumatic gripper being affected by the extension / retraction / rotation of the lead screw spline shaft 321, thereby extending the service life of the air tube. In addition, in some embodiments, the suction cup can be a vacuum suction cup device.

[0085] like Figure 8As shown, the second drive unit 33 includes a U-shaped bracket 331, a third geared motor 332, a transmission assembly 333, and a fourth geared motor 334. The U-shaped bracket 331 is fixedly connected to the A-frame bracket 273; the third geared motor 332 is horizontally fixedly installed inside the U-shaped bracket 331, and the fourth geared motor 334 is vertically hinged to the U-shaped bracket 331. The third geared motor 332 drives the fourth geared motor 334 to pitch up and down through the transmission assembly 333. Preferably, the transmission assembly 333 is a synchronous belt pulley transmission structure. The output shaft of the fourth geared motor 334 is fixedly connected to the first drive unit 32 to drive the first drive unit 32 to swing left and right.

[0086] In this embodiment of the invention, the collecting mechanism 4 includes a collecting frame 41, a collecting channel 42, and a temporary storage chamber 43. The collecting frame 41 is placed in the middle area of ​​the chassis of the walking mechanism 1. The collecting frame 41 is connected to the temporary storage chamber 43, which is fixedly installed below the end picking mechanism 3, through the collecting channel 42 (the position where the lead screw spline shaft 321 drives the clamping part 31 to retract is exactly above the opening of the temporary storage chamber 43). The temporary storage chamber 43 is used to receive fruits and vegetables picked after the clamping part 31 is released. When the temporary storage chamber 43 is in a high position, the fruits and vegetables pass through the collecting channel in real time under the action of gravity. Fruits and vegetables are collected by collection box 41. When the temporary storage chamber 43 is in a low position (at which time the fruits and vegetables cannot automatically roll to the collection box 41 under gravity), the harvested fruits and vegetables are first temporarily stored in the temporary storage chamber 43. An infrared sensor connected to the control and processing system 6 is installed at the top of the temporary storage chamber 43. When the infrared sensor detects that the fruits and vegetables in the temporary storage chamber 43 have reached a preset threshold (near full load), the control and processing system 6 controls the robotic arm 2 to raise the end-picking mechanism 3 fixedly connected to the temporary storage chamber 43 so that the fruits and vegetables in the temporary storage chamber 43 can be collected by the collection box 41 under gravity. At the same time, in order to ensure the quality of fruits and vegetables, in the specific implementation, the collection box 41, collection channel 42 and temporary storage chamber 43 are all made of soft cushioning material to reduce the impact of bumps and drops on the quality of fruits and vegetables during the collection process.

[0087] In this embodiment of the invention, the visual recognition system 5 includes a first camera 51, a second camera 52, and a third camera 53, which are respectively connected to the control and processing system 6. The first camera 51 is a navigation camera, installed at the front and rear ends of the walking mechanism 1, and is used to guide the picking robot to walk along the navigation route while avoiding obstacles. The second camera 52 is installed on the support column 28 of the robotic arm 2, and is used to collect data of fruits and vegetables on both sides of the walking mechanism 1 in real time (mainly collecting information such as the density distribution of fruits and vegetables on both sides of the picking robot) and upload it to the control and processing system 6. The control and processing system 6 processes and outputs instructions to control the walking mechanism 1 and the robotic arm 2 to send the end picking mechanism 3 to the position of the fruits and vegetables to be picked. The third camera 53 is installed on the end picking mechanism 3, and is used to collect data information of fruits and vegetables in the target picking area (mainly collecting information such as the position, shape, size, and color of fruits and vegetables) and feed it back to the processing and control system 6. After processing and screening, the processing and control system 6 controls the end picking mechanism 3 to pick the fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements. In addition, to improve the positioning accuracy of the visual recognition system 5, two mark recognition points 382 are set on the first drive unit 32; at the same time, the spatial coordinate points of the mark recognition points 382 can be recognized and read by the third camera 53, and the running speed of the entire robotic arm 2 can be further improved by using the spatial coordinate points.

[0088] It is worth noting that the harvesting robot of the present invention also includes multiple encoders connected to the control processing system 6. Each encoder is independently powered by a dedicated battery when power is off, and powered by the harvesting robot's energy storage battery during normal operation. Each encoder is used to record the rotation angle and direction of the linear guide rail 21, the position of the support component 23 on the linear guide rail 21, the position of the telescopic arm 24 extending out of the support component 23, the angle of the tilt of the end harvesting mechanism 3 adjusted by the screw nut drive mechanism 27, and the specific position and state of the end harvesting mechanism 3. This allows the harvesting robot to remember the current position values ​​after a power outage, eliminating the need to return to the initial position reference point for repositioning when used again, thus further improving harvesting efficiency. In this embodiment, all motors used by the harvesting robot's robotic arm 2 and end harvesting mechanism 3 are equipped with a brake system. This brake system has a power-off brake function to prevent slippage due to power failure.

[0089] In addition, based on the above-mentioned harvesting robot, the present invention provides a harvesting method, which includes the following steps:

[0090] 1) Send a picking instruction to the picking robot. After receiving the picking instruction, the picking robot moves to the target area by controlling the walking mechanism 1 in coordination with the visual recognition system 5 (first camera 51 and second camera 52) and the control processing system 6.

[0091] 2) When the picking robot moves to the target area, the control processing system 6 controls the movement direction and angle of the robotic arm 2 based on the target area fruit and vegetable plant feature image data obtained by the visual recognition system 5 (second camera 52), so that the end picking mechanism 3 installed at the front end of the telescopic arm 24 moves into the position of the fruit and vegetable to be picked.

[0092] 3) Then, through the cooperation of the visual recognition system 5 (third camera 53) and the control processing system 6, the terminal harvesting mechanism 3 is controlled to harvest the fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements.

[0093] 4) The collection mechanism 4 collects the fruits and vegetables picked by the end-harvesting mechanism 3. When the collection box 41 is full, the staff only needs to replace the collection box 41, and the picking robot can autonomously repeat the picking process.

[0094] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

[0095] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the content already described above, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A harvesting robot suitable for picking various fruits and vegetables, characterized in that, include; A walking mechanism (1) with a chassis is used to move the picking robot to the target area according to the location information of the picking area; A robotic arm (2) is mounted on the chassis of the walking mechanism (1). The robotic arm (2) includes a rotatably mounted linear guide rail (21). A first drive mechanism (22) is mounted on the linear guide rail (21). The first drive mechanism (22) is used to drive a support assembly (23) mounted on the linear guide rail (21) to reciprocate along the linear guide rail (21). A telescopic arm (24) is movably mounted on the support assembly (23). A second drive mechanism (25) is mounted at the bottom of the telescopic arm (24) to drive it to reciprocate on the support assembly (23). The direction of movement of the telescopic arm (24) is perpendicular to the linear guide rail (21). The robotic arm (2) also includes a lead screw and nut drive mechanism (27), which includes a lead screw motor (271), a lead screw and nut transmission unit (272), and a "V"-shaped bracket (273). The lead screw motor (271) is fixed on the telescopic arm (24). The top of the A-frame bracket (273) is detachably equipped with an end-harvesting mechanism (3), one end of which is hinged to the lead screw and nut transmission unit (272), and the other end is hinged to the telescopic arm (24). The lead screw motor (271) applies tension or thrust to the A-frame bracket (273) through the lead screw and nut transmission unit (272) to adjust the tilt angle of the end-harvesting mechanism (3). The end-harvesting mechanism (3) is detachably installed at the front end of the telescopic arm (24) to separate the fruits and vegetables from the stems; The end-harvesting mechanism (3) includes a clamping part (31), a first driving unit (32), and a second driving unit (33); the first driving unit (32) is connected to the clamping part (31) and is used to drive the clamping part (31) to rotate and / or extend; the second driving unit (33) is connected to the first driving unit (32) and is used to drive the first driving unit (32) to pitch up and down and / or swing left and right. Collection mechanism (4) is used to collect fruits and vegetables picked by the terminal picking mechanism (3) in real time; A visual recognition system (5) is used to acquire image data; The control and processing system (6) is set on the chassis of the walking mechanism (1), and the walking mechanism (1), the robotic arm (2), the end-picking mechanism (3), the collecting mechanism (4) and the visual recognition system (5) are respectively connected to the control and processing system (6).

2. The harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly (23) includes a support base (231), a first roller (232) connected to the support base (231) and located on both sides of the linear guide rail (21), and a second roller (233) connected to the support base (231) and located on both sides of the telescopic arm (24). Among them, the linear guide rail (21) has symmetrically installed limiting structures (26) at both ends of the same side to limit the movement limit position of the support base (231). The bottom of the support base (231) is fixedly connected to the first drive mechanism (22), and the top of the support base (231) is equipped with a second drive mechanism (25). The linear guide (21) is provided with a first track (211) on both sides for positioning and guiding the first roller (232), and the first roller (232) is movably engaged on the first track (211); The telescopic arm (24) is provided with a second track (241) on both sides of its bottom for positioning and guiding the second roller (233), and the second roller (233) is movably engaged on the second track (241).

3. The harvesting robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both the first drive mechanism (22) and the second drive mechanism (25) include a synchronous belt pulley transmission structure and a drive motor; The synchronous belt pulley transmission structure includes a driving gear, a driven gear, and a synchronous toothed belt wound around the driving gear and the driven gear, wherein the synchronous toothed belt meshes with the driving gear and the driven gear respectively, and the driving gear is driven by a drive motor; The synchronous toothed belt of the first drive mechanism (22) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the support base (231), and the synchronous toothed belt of the second drive mechanism (25) is fixedly connected to the upper part of the support base (231).

4. The harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The walking mechanism (1) has support columns (28) fixedly installed at the front and rear of the chassis respectively. One end of the linear guide rail (21) is connected to the support column (28) through a bearing, and the other end is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the rotary motor (29) installed on the support column (28). The collection mechanism (4) includes a collection frame (41), a collection channel (42) and a temporary storage chamber (43). The collection frame (41) is placed in the middle area of ​​the chassis of the walking mechanism (1). The collection frame (41) is connected to the temporary storage chamber (43) fixedly set below the end picking mechanism (3) through the collection channel (42).

5. The harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first drive unit (32) includes a first mounting bracket and a ball screw spline structure installed in the first mounting bracket; The ball screw spline structure includes a screw spline shaft (321), a first driven wheel (322) and a second driven wheel (323) symmetrically distributed on the screw spline shaft (321), and a first geared motor (324) and a second geared motor (325) symmetrically distributed on one side of the first mounting bracket. The first geared motor (324) drives the first drive wheel (326) to rotate, and the first drive wheel (326) drives the first driven wheel (322) to rotate via a conveyor belt; the second geared motor (325) drives the second drive wheel (327) to rotate, and the second drive wheel (327) drives the second driven wheel (323) to rotate via a conveyor belt; The lead screw spline shaft (321) has several sets of parallel grooves along the axial direction and a spiral groove along the helical direction; a ball screw nut and a spline nut are also installed on the lead screw spline shaft (321), the ball screw nut is connected to the first driven wheel (322) through a flange, and the spline nut is connected to the second driven wheel (323) through a flange; When either the first driven wheel (322) or the second driven wheel (323) rotates while the other remains stationary, the lead screw spline shaft (321) extends / retracts axially under the rotation of the ball screw nut or the spline nut; when the first driven wheel (322) and the second driven wheel (323) rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, the lead screw spline shaft (321) rotates under the combined action of the ball screw nut and the spline nut.

6. The harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second drive unit (33) includes a U-shaped bracket (331), a third geared motor (332), a transmission assembly (333), and a fourth geared motor (334). The third geared motor (332) is horizontally fixed inside the U-shaped bracket (331), and the fourth geared motor (334) is vertically hinged on the U-shaped bracket. The third geared motor (332) drives the fourth geared motor (334) to pitch up and down through the transmission assembly (333). The output shaft of the fourth geared motor (334) is fixedly connected to the first drive unit (32) to drive the first drive unit (32) to swing left and right.

7. The harvesting robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The visual recognition system (5) includes a first camera (51), a second camera (52) and a third camera (53), which are respectively connected to the control processing system (6); The first camera (51) is a navigation camera, which is installed at the front and rear ends of the walking mechanism (1) to guide the picking robot to walk along the navigation route while avoiding obstacles; The second camera (52) is mounted on the robotic arm (2) to collect data of fruits and vegetables on both sides of the walking mechanism (1) and upload it to the control processing system (6). The control processing system (6) processes and outputs instructions to control the walking mechanism (1) and the robotic arm (2) to send the end picking mechanism (3) to the position of the fruit and vegetables to be picked. The third camera (53) is installed on the end-harvesting mechanism (3) to collect fruit and vegetable data information in the target harvesting area and feed it back to the control and processing system (6). After processing and screening, the control and processing system (6) controls the end-harvesting mechanism (3) to harvest the fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements.

8. A harvesting method based on the harvesting robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The harvesting method includes the following steps: Step 1: Send a picking instruction to the picking robot. After receiving the picking instruction, the picking robot moves to the target area through the walking mechanism (1) in coordination with the visual recognition system (5) and the control processing system (6). Step 2: When the picking robot moves to the target area, the control processing system (6) controls the movement direction and angle of the robotic arm (2) based on the target area fruit and vegetable plant feature image data obtained by the visual recognition system (5), so that the end picking mechanism (3) installed at the front end of the telescopic arm (24) moves into the position of the fruit and vegetable to be picked. Step 3: Then, through the cooperation of the visual recognition system (5) and the control processing system (6), the terminal picking mechanism (3) is controlled to pick the fruits and vegetables that meet the requirements; Step 4: The collection mechanism (4) collects the fruits and vegetables harvested by the end harvesting mechanism (3).

Images