A fully automatic flow conveyor and intelligent seedling supply system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of agricultural machinery, and discloses a full-automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supply system, comprising: a flowing water conveying device, including a water tank and a water tank support, the water tank support being used for fixedly supporting the water tank, and conveying bare seedlings along the water tank path to a predetermined position by means of water flow; a visual recognition device, including a binocular camera and a data processor installed above the water tank, the binocular camera being used for capturing image information of the bare seedlings, and outputting information related to the orientation and angle of the bare seedlings after processing the image information through the data processor; a robotic arm grasping device, communicatively connected to the visual recognition device, including a motor, a robotic arm and an end effector; the motor is electrically connected to the robotic arm and the end effector, and is used for driving the robotic arm and the end effector to move, and the end effector completes the grasping and conveying of the bare seedlings according to the information related to the orientation and angle of the bare seedlings output by the data processor. The above system can efficiently and stably provide bare seedlings and prevent the bare seedlings from being damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of agricultural machinery, and particularly relates to a full-automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system. Background Art

[0002] The standardized pot seedling transplanting method has gradually received attention. Compared with the traditional seedling raising and transplanting, the standardized pot seedling transplanting has many advantages. First, the pot seedlings used do not need to go through the indoor plug tray seedling raising stage, which not only reduces the seedling raising cost but also simplifies the seedling raising process. Second, when transplanting standardized pot seedlings, there is no need to go through the seedling taking stage in the traditional transplanting process. Only the conveying of the pot seedlings needs to be completed to achieve full-automatic transplanting operation. Moreover, the standardized pot seedlings are small in size and high in pot stability, and are more suitable for mechanization. In addition, the standardized pot seedlings are batch-prepared indoors by a supporting pot making machine, which can ensure the robustness of each transplanted seedling, reduce the missing planting rate, improve the growth quality of the seedlings after planting, and the standardization of the pot seedlings can promote the standardized design and manufacture of transplanting equipment.

[0003] As a key device in the standardized pot seedling transplanting, although the standardized pot seedling making machine performs well in improving the quality of seedling transplantation and reducing the seedling raising cost, there are still some limitations in the seedling supplying stage. The current seedling supplying process of the pot making machine relies on manual operation. Workers need to place the bare seedlings one by one in the pot forming device, which not only requires a high labor force but also has low seedling supplying efficiency and is difficult to meet the needs of large-scale production. The instability in the manual seedling supplying process may also affect the quality and survival rate of the pot seedlings. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a full-automatic seedling supplying system to provide efficient and stable bare seedling supply for the pot making machine. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies and defects in the background art, and provide a full-automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system that can efficiently and stably provide bare seedlings.

[0005] To solve the above technical problem, the technical solution proposed by the present invention is: A full-automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system, comprising:

[0006] A flowing water conveying device, comprising a water tank and a water tank support. The water tank support is used to fixedly support the water tank, and the bare seedlings are conveyed along the water tank path to a predetermined position by using water flow;

[0007] A visual recognition device, comprising a binocular camera and a data processor installed above the water tank. The binocular camera is used to capture the image information of the bare seedlings, and the data processor processes the image information and outputs information related to the orientation and angle of the bare seedlings;

[0008] The robotic arm grasping device, which is communicatively connected to the vision recognition device, includes a motor, a robotic arm, and an end effector; the motor is electrically connected to the robotic arm and the end effector and is used to drive the robotic arm and the end effector to move. The end effector grasps and conveys the bare seedlings at a predetermined position according to the information related to the orientation and angle of the bare seedlings output by the data processor.

[0009] In one embodiment, the water tank includes a water tank bottom and baffles provided on both sides of the water tank bottom.

[0010] In one embodiment, the baffles are provided with spoiler rods for separating the stacked bare seedlings during the conveying process.

[0011] In one embodiment, the water tank bottom is a V-shaped trough bottom.

[0012] In one embodiment, the water tank is an annular runway water tank, and the predetermined position is located on the straight section of the annular runway water tank.

[0013] In one embodiment, the flowing water conveying device further includes a water pump and a water pump base. The water pump is fixed through the water pump base, and the water pump is connected to the water tank through a water pump suction pipe and a water pump discharge pipe.

[0014] In one embodiment, after the binocular camera captures the stereoscopic image of the bare seedlings, the data processor performs preprocessing such as denoising, edge detection, and image enhancement on the image information, and extracts the characteristics of the bare seedlings based on the object detection algorithm of deep learning, and outputs the information related to the orientation and angle of the bare seedlings for the robotic arm grasping device.

[0015] In one embodiment, the robotic arm grasping device includes a robotic arm frame and a robotic arm static platform connected to the robotic arm frame. The motor includes a rotating motor and a motion motor. The robotic arm includes a main arm and a driven arm. The rotating motor and the motion motor are connected to the robotic arm static platform. The main arm is connected to the motion motor through a flange. One end of the driven arm is connected to the main arm, and the other end is connected to the end effector.

[0016] In one embodiment, the end effector includes a universal joint, a rotating base, a moving platform, a mounting flange, and a flexible gripper. The universal joint is fixed on the rotating base. The flexible gripper is connected to the moving platform through the mounting flange. The moving platform is connected to the rotating motor through the universal joint and a telescopic shaft.

[0017] In one embodiment, the flexible gripper is a pneumatic two-finger flexible gripper, and the air source is driven by a flexible gripper driver to generate and adjust the air pressure so as to change the closing force of the gripper.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: For the fully automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system of this patent application, the flowing water conveying device uses water flow to flexibly convey bare seedlings along the water tank path to a predetermined position. Compared with traditional conveyor belts such as belts, the flexible characteristics of water flow avoid mechanical damage to bare seedlings during the conveying process, while maintaining the humidity of bare seedlings, preventing dehydration, keeping the bare seedlings in a fresh state all the time, and maintaining the freshness and survival rate of bare seedlings. Furthermore, the flowing characteristics of water flow also help to separate the stacked bare seedlings, facilitating subsequent identification and grasping. The visual recognition device consists of a binocular camera and a data processor, which can real-time recognize the root and stem positions of bare seedlings and the rotation angle information of bare seedlings. The visual recognition device transmits the orientation information and angle information of bare seedlings to the robotic arm grasping device. The robotic arm grasping device grasps the bare seedlings through the robotic arm to control the end effector, ensuring the precise grasping and placement of bare seedlings. This patent application realizes the full automation and intelligence of the bare seedling supplying process, greatly improving the production efficiency, reducing manual intervention, and lowering the labor intensity and production cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the fully automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system in one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 2 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flowing water conveying device in one embodiment;

[0022] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the installation position structure of the visual recognition device in one embodiment;

[0023] Figure 4 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robotic arm grasping device in one embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the structure of the end effector in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] To facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the following will describe the present invention more comprehensively and meticulously in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specification and the preferred embodiments. However, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used hereinafter have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The technical terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0027] Unless otherwise specifically stated, various raw materials, reagents, instruments, equipment, etc. used in the present invention can be obtained through market purchase or can be prepared by existing methods.

[0028] Please refer to Figures 1-5 , a fully automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system in an embodiment includes a flowing water conveying device, a visual recognition device, and a robotic arm grasping device.

[0029] Specifically, the flowing water conveying device includes a water tank 1, which conveys bare seedlings along the water tank path to a predetermined position by using water flow; the visual recognition device includes a binocular camera 4 and a data processor 7 installed above the water tank. The binocular camera 4 is used to capture image information of the bare seedlings, and the image information is processed by the data processor 7 and relevant information is output; the robotic arm grasping device is communicatively connected to the visual recognition device. The robotic arm grasping device mainly includes a motor, a robotic arm, and an end effector. The motor is electrically connected to the robotic arm and the end effector and is used to drive the robotic arm and the end effector to move. The end effector completes the grasping and conveying of the bare seedlings according to the relevant information output by the data processor 7.

[0030] Specifically, in an embodiment, the fully automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system mainly includes a water tank 1, a robotic arm grasping device 2, a robotic arm frame 3, a binocular camera 4, an end effector 24, a water tank bracket 6, a data processor 7, a controller 8 (controller for the motor and the gripper), a water pump suction pipe 9, a water pump 10, a water pump bracket 11, a water pump outlet pipe 12, and a spoiler rod 13.

[0031] More specifically, the flowing water conveying device includes a water tank 1 and a water tank support 6. The water tank 1 is fixed to the water tank support 6 by welding, and fixing the water tank 1 by welding ensures stability. The water tank 1 includes a water tank bottom and baffles provided on both sides of the water tank bottom. Turbulence rods are provided on the baffles for separating the stacked bare seedlings during the conveying process. Preferably, a plurality of turbulence rods 13 are spaced apart on the baffles, and the turbulence rods 13 form an inclination angle with the baffles, so that the turbulence rods 13 form an included angle with the water flow direction. The turbulence rods 13 have a certain elasticity. Preferably, the water tank bottom is a V-shaped tank bottom, and the water tank 1 is an annular runway water tank, that is, the path of the water tank 1 is in the shape of an annular runway. When the bare seedlings are taken out, their roots are with matrix and soil. During the flowing water conveyance, part of the matrix and soil will sink to the bottom of the water tank. The V-shaped tank bottom of the water tank bottom can gather the soil and matrix, facilitating subsequent cleaning. The water tank 1 adopts a runway annular water tank. The straight section is at the predetermined position (grasping position) of the bare seedlings. The conveyance stability of the bare seedlings is better, which is beneficial for the visual recognition system to recognize and the end effector 24 to grasp the bare seedlings more stably. In addition, the water tank 1 adopts a runway annular water tank, and the bare seedlings can be circulated and conveyed in the water tank. If there is a stacking situation, after the visual recognition system collects relevant information, the controller 8 controls the end effector 24 not to perform the action of grasping the bare seedlings, and the stacked bare seedlings continue to move forward along the water flow direction and are grasped again after the next separation.

[0032] In a specific embodiment, specifically, the turbulence rods 13 are fixed to the baffles of the water tank 1 by welding and are staggeredly installed one position ahead on the left and right baffles. When the bare seedlings move forward in the water flow, the bare seedlings may overlap. Since the turbulence rods 13 are provided in the water tank 1, the double action of the water flow and the turbulence rods 13 can prevent the stacking of the bare seedlings, providing convenience for the subsequent recognition and grasping work.

[0033] Specifically, in an embodiment, the water pump 10 is connected to the water pump base 11 by bolts. The water pump base 11 and the water tank support 6 are arranged in parallel and have the same height. One end of the water pump 10 is connected to the outlet of the water tank 1 through a water pump suction pipe 9, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the water tank 1 through a water pump discharge pipe 12. Preferably, a filtering device is provided at the outlet of the water tank 1 (at the inlet pipe of the water pump 10), and a filtering device is also provided at the outlet of the water pump 10, so that the recycling of water resources can be realized by using the water pump 10. Preferably, the water pump 10 is preferably a speed-adjustable water pump. Using a speed-adjustable water pump can control the water flow speed according to actual needs. For example, in an embodiment, when the bare seedlings are rape seedlings, by controlling an appropriate water flow speed and combining with the cooperative action of the turbulence rods 13, the stacking of rape seedlings can be prevented and the rape seedlings can be smoothly conveyed to the predetermined position. In other embodiments, the bare seedlings can also be other vegetables or flower and tree bare seedlings, such as rape, pepper, wax gourd bare seedlings, etc.

[0034] The binocular camera 4 of the visual recognition device is fixed on the camera bracket 14 by screws, and the camera bracket 14 is fixed on the robotic arm frame 3 by bolts. The overall height of the robotic arm frame 3 is higher than that of the sink bracket 6. The binocular camera 4 and the end effector 24 of the robotic arm grasping device are located above the sink 1. Preferably, the binocular camera 4 and the end effector 24 are located directly above the sink 1, which is convenient for photographing and grasping the bare seedlings in the sink 1. Specifically, the binocular camera 4 captures images of the bare seedlings in real time and provides accurate depth information through stereoscopic imaging technology. The data processor 7 preprocesses the captured images of the bare seedlings, including denoising, edge detection, and image enhancement, to improve the image quality and recognition accuracy. Then, a target detection algorithm based on deep learning is used to extract the features of the bare seedlings, and the positions of the root stalks and the rotation angles in the horizontal direction of the bare seedlings are identified. The recognition results are transmitted to the controller 8 of the robotic arm grasping device through the data processor, providing accurate position information and angle information for subsequent grasping actions. The data processor 7 can be a computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone, etc. The deep learning method of the visual recognition device has been widely used and will not be elaborated here.

[0035] The robotic arm grasping device is communicatively connected to the visual recognition device. The robotic arm grasping device mainly consists of a controller 8, a rotating motor 21, a robotic arm (a driving arm 22 and a driven arm 23), an end effector 24, a telescopic shaft 25, a motion motor 26, etc. The rotating motor 21 and the three motion motors 26 are connected to the static platform of the robotic arm by bolts, and the static platform of the robotic arm is connected to the robotic arm frame 3 by bolts to ensure the stable overall posture of the robotic arm. The driving arm 22 is connected to the motion motor 26 by a flange, and the driven arm 23 is connected to the driving arm 22 and the end effector 24 by spherical hinges. The telescopic shaft 25 is connected to the motion motor 26 and the end effector 24. Preferably, the robotic arm is a four-axis Delta parallel robotic arm, which can achieve movements in the X, Y, and Z directions and control the horizontal rotation of the end effector.

[0036] The welding, bolt, hinge connection and other methods mentioned in this application are just one kind of connection methods, and other similar connection methods can also be adopted.

[0037] Specifically, the end effector 24 is successively provided with a universal joint 241, a rotating base 242, a moving platform 243, a mounting flange 244, and a flexible gripper 245 from top to bottom. The top of the universal joint 241 is connected to the driven arm 23, and the bottom of the universal joint 241 is fixed to the rotating base 242 by bolts. The moving platform 243 is connected to the rotating motor 21 through the universal joint 241 and the telescopic shaft 25. The mounting flange 244 is fixed to the rotating base 242 by bolts, and the flexible gripper 245 is connected to the mounting flange 244 by bolts. Through the movement of the robotic arm in cooperation with the universal joint 241 and the rotating base 242, the flexible gripper 245 can rotate freely by 360°, and the up and down movement can be achieved by the telescopic shaft 25. Preferably, the flexible gripper 245 is a pneumatic two-finger flexible gripper. The flexible gripper driver drives the air source to generate negative pressure, causing the two-finger flexible gripper to close and clamp the root stalk of the bare seedling. The flexible setting of the flexible gripper 245 prevents the bare seedling from being damaged when being clamped. Further, the flexible gripper driver drives the air source to generate and adjust the air pressure, thereby changing the closing force of the gripper. By adopting the pneumatic adjustment method, the closing force of the gripper is changed by adjusting the air pressure, which can stably pick up the seedling without damaging the stem of the bare seedling, ensuring that the bare seedling is not easily damaged when being clamped.

[0038] The working process and principle of the specific fully automatic flow conveying and intelligent seedling supply system are as follows: First, water is filled in the water tank 1 until the water surface is flush with the spoiler rod 13. Start the fully automatic flow conveying and intelligent seedling supply system, and the water pump 10 starts to operate. The water suction pipe 9 of the water pump pumps water from one end of the water tank 1 and injects the water into the other end of the water tank 1 through the water pump outlet pipe 12, forming a runway-shaped water flow. After adjusting the water flow speed to an appropriate speed by the water pump 10, the bare seedlings are placed near the water outlet of the water pump 10 in the water tank 1. The bare seedlings float on the water surface and move along the track of the water tank 1. Due to the spoiler rod 13 arranged in the water tank 1, the overlapping bare seedlings will be separated under the dual action of the water flow and the spoiler rod 13. When the bare seedlings move to the predetermined position through the flow conveying device, the visual recognition device starts to work. The binocular camera 4 captures the images of the bare seedlings in real time and provides accurate depth information through the stereoscopic imaging technology. The data processor 7 preprocesses the collected images, obtains information such as the position of the root stalk of the bare seedling and the rotation angle in the horizontal direction, and transmits the results to the controller of the robotic arm grasping device, providing accurate orientation information and angle-related information for the subsequent grasping action. According to the bare seedling orientation information and angle-related information provided by the visual recognition system, the robotic arm grasping device controls the system to drive the rotating motor 21 and the three motion motors 26 to move, and moves the moving platform 243 of the robotic arm above the root stalk of the bare seedling. The flexible gripper driver drives the air source to generate negative pressure, causing the two-finger flexible gripper to close and clamp the root stalk of the bare seedling. Subsequently, the robotic arm rises, grabs the clamped bare seedling out of the water tank 1, and places it at the designated position. The robotic arm then returns to the initial position, ready for the next round of grasping and placing operations.

[0039] The full-automatic flowing water conveying and intelligent seedling supplying system of this patent application. The flowing water conveying device uses water flow to flexibly convey bare seedlings along the water tank path to a predetermined position. Compared with traditional conveyor belts such as belts, the flexible characteristics of water flow avoid mechanical damage to bare seedlings during the conveying process, while maintaining the humidity of bare seedlings, preventing dehydration, keeping the bare seedlings in a fresh state all the time, and maintaining the freshness and survival rate of bare seedlings. Further, the flowing characteristics of water flow also help to separate the stacked bare seedlings, providing convenience for subsequent identification and grasping. The visual recognition device consists of a binocular camera and a data processor, which can identify the root and stem positions of bare seedlings and the rotation angle information of bare seedlings in real time. The visual recognition device transmits the orientation information and angle information of bare seedlings to the robotic arm grasping device. The robotic arm grasping device grasps the bare seedlings by controlling the end effector through the robotic arm, ensuring the accurate grasping and placement of bare seedlings. This patent application realizes the full automation and intelligence of the bare seedling supplying process, greatly improving the production efficiency, reducing manual intervention, and lowering the labor intensity and production cost.

Claims

1. A fully automatic water conveying and intelligent seedling supply system, characterized in that: include: The water flow conveying device comprises a water trough and a water trough bracket, wherein the water trough bracket is used to fix and support the water trough, and uses water flow to convey the bare seedlings along the water trough path to a predetermined position; the water trough is an annular runway water trough, and the predetermined position is located at a straight section of the annular runway water trough, and the water trough comprises a water trough bottom and baffles arranged on both sides of the water trough bottom; the baffles are provided with spoiler rods for separating the stacked bare seedlings during the conveying process; The visual recognition device includes a binocular camera and a data processor installed above the water tank. The binocular camera is used to capture the image information of the naked seedlings. The data processor processes the image information and outputs the information related to the position and angle of the naked seedlings. The mechanical arm grasping device is communicatively connected with the visual recognition device, and comprises a motor, a mechanical arm and an end effector; the motor is electrically connected with the mechanical arm and the end effector, and is used to drive the mechanical arm and the end effector to move, and the end effector completes the grasping and transmission of the bare seedlings at a predetermined position according to the bare seedling orientation and angle related information output by the data processor. If there is a stacking situation, after the visual recognition device collects the relevant information, the controller controls the end effector not to execute the action of grasping the bare seedlings, and the stacked bare seedlings continue to move along the direction of the water flow, and the bare seedlings are grasped after the next separation; the mechanical arm grasping device also It includes a mechanical arm frame, a mechanical arm static platform connected to the mechanical arm frame, the motor includes a rotating motor and a moving motor, the mechanical arm includes an active arm and a driven arm, the rotating motor and the moving motor are connected to the mechanical arm static platform, the active arm is connected to the moving motor through a flange, one end of the driven arm is connected to the active arm, and the other end is connected to the end effector; the end effector includes a universal joint, a rotating base, a moving platform, a mounting flange and a flexible clamp, the universal joint is fixed on the rotating base, the flexible clamp is connected to the moving platform through a mounting flange, and the moving platform is connected to the rotating motor through a universal joint and a telescopic shaft; After the binocular camera captures the stereo image of the naked seedlings, the data processor performs denoising, edge detection and image enhancement preprocessing on the image information, and extracts features of the naked seedlings based on the target detection algorithm based on deep learning, and outputs information related to the orientation and angle of the naked seedlings to the robotic arm grasping device.

2. The fully automatic water flow conveying and intelligent seedling supply system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The bottom of the water tank is a V-shaped bottom.

3. The fully automatic water flow conveying and intelligent seedling supply system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The water conveying device also includes a water pump and a water pump base. The water pump is fixed by the water pump base, and the water pump is connected to the water tank through a water pump suction pipe and a water pump outlet pipe.

4. The fully automatic water flow conveying and intelligent seedling supply system according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The flexible clamp is a pneumatic two-finger flexible clamp, which is driven by a flexible clamp driver to generate and adjust air pressure to change the clamp closing force.

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