Shed frame type orchard kiwi fruit picking device and picking method

Abstract

The invention discloses a shed frame type orchard kiwi fruit picking device and a picking method. The device comprises a walking mechanism; the picking mechanism is installed on the frame of the walking mechanism through a lifting mechanism and comprises a support, a driving component, a transmission shaft, picking discs and shifting fingers, the support is installed at the top end of the lifting mechanism, the driving component is installed on the support and connected with the transmission shaft, the picking discs are installed on the transmission shaft in a staggered mode, and an included angle is formed between every two adjacent picking discs; the gaps between the adjacent picking discs are periodically expanded and contracted; the shifting fingers are connected with the driving part, are arranged corresponding to the picking disc and are mounted on the bracket through a supporting shaft; the detection mechanism is used for detecting the density and height distribution of the fruits to be picked in real time to obtain detection information; and the controller is connected with the walking mechanism, the picking mechanism and the detection mechanism, dynamically plans an optimal picking path and an optimal picking sequence according to the detection information, and adjusts picking operation parameters and picking postures in real time. The invention further provides a shed frame type orchard kiwi fruit picking method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to agricultural harvesting technology, in particular to a trellis type orchard kiwifruit picking device and a picking method. Background Art

[0002] Kiwifruit picking is highly seasonal and has a short picking cycle. The fruit is relatively delicate and distributed on vines. Manual picking is not only labor-intensive, but also inefficient and easy to damage the fruit. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a mechanized picking device that can improve kiwifruit picking efficiency and reduce fruit damage.

[0003] Existing kiwifruit picking devices mostly use a single or multiple robotic arms to coordinate picking operations, which have problems such as low picking efficiency, limited picking range, poor field adaptability, complex structure, high price and difficult maintenance. The two-arm kiwifruit picking device can achieve fruit picking through the gripper at the end of the robotic arm, which improves the picking efficiency, but there are problems such as complex structure, high cost, and difficulty in operation, and lack of flexibility in complex orchard environments. At the same time, the coordinated control of the two arms increases the complexity of the algorithm and hardware, and also limits the flexibility of the device in an environment with dense fruit trees, and the improvement of picking efficiency is limited. Its size also limits operations in areas with dense branches and leaves, and may cause damage to fruit trees. In practical applications, due to factors such as changes in ambient light and fruit occlusion, the accuracy and stability of image recognition are difficult to guarantee, resulting in unsatisfactory picking efficiency and effects, further limiting its application in actual production.

[0004] Existing fruit picking technology is mainly based on selective picking robots. Its basic working principle is: first, the target fruit is identified and spatially located through the computer vision system, and then the end effector (such as a gripper, suction cup, etc.) is aligned with the target fruit using the motion planning and precise control algorithm of the robotic arm to achieve precise picking of a single fruit. By repeating the above process, the fruit harvesting operation is completed. However, this "single-time single-fruit" picking method still has many limitations in practical applications. First, the complex and changeable orchard environment poses a severe challenge to the performance of the computer vision system. Factors such as lighting changes, fruit occlusion, and background interference will directly affect the accuracy and stability of fruit recognition, resulting in missed detection or false detection. Secondly, in order to achieve precise picking, the motion planning algorithm of the robotic arm needs to process a large amount of sensor data in real time and make decisions quickly, which places extremely high demands on the computing power and response speed of the system, not only increasing the complexity of the controller, but also greatly increasing the overall cost of the equipment. Furthermore, as a key component that comes into direct contact with the fruit during the picking process, the end effector must have strong environmental adaptability and flexible design. It must be able to automatically adjust the grasping strategy according to the shape and size of different fruits and ensure that the picking process does not cause damage to the fruit surface. This places high demands on the design and manufacturing process of the actuator, further increasing the difficulty of system research and development and production.

[0005] Although the selective picking robot has made some progress in theory and technology, it is limited by many bottlenecks in visual perception, motion planning, execution control, etc., and cannot fully meet the actual needs of large-scale production in terms of key indicators such as picking efficiency, system reliability, and economic cost. This "single-time single-fruit" picking mode is still significantly different from the urgent need for mass and low-loss harvesting of kiwifruit in modern agricultural production. It is difficult to give full play to the efficiency advantages of robots, which has largely restricted the mechanization and intelligent development of the kiwifruit industry.

[0006] The separation and vibration comb kiwifruit picking device generates relative motion between the vibrating comb teeth and the kiwifruit branches, and uses the inertial force and the impact of the comb teeth to separate the fruit from the fruit stalk. To a certain extent, it has realized the mechanization of kiwifruit picking. However, due to the problems of large fruit damage, low picking efficiency and poor adaptability, it is still difficult to fully meet the needs of industrial development. For example, its vibration frequency and amplitude are difficult to accurately control, and it is easy to have under-vibration or over-vibration, resulting in low picking efficiency; if the impact force is not properly controlled, especially when the impact force is too large, it is easy to cause mechanical damage such as bruises and abrasions on the surface of the fruit, and it is more harmful to fruits with higher maturity; because the vibration effect is difficult to be fully transmitted to each fruit, and the fruit branches have different shapes, the picking is often not thorough enough, and the residual rate is high; in addition, frequent vibration impacts will also cause damage to the fruit branch tissue, and long-term use may affect the health and yield of the tree. Moreover, the vibration device itself has high energy consumption and high noise, which not only affects the working environment, but also is detrimental to the health of workers. Due to the large differences in the morphology of fruit branches of different varieties and ages, the vibration comb teeth are difficult to adapt to all situations, resulting in high use and maintenance costs.

[0007] In summary, the existing technology has the following main problems in practical application:

[0008] 1) High fruit damage rate: Existing mechanical picking methods can easily squeeze or scratch soft fruits such as kiwifruit, affecting the quality of the fruit; mechanical picking equipment mostly uses clamping or shearing mechanisms made of rigid materials, lacking flexible protection for the fruit, resulting in excessive force being applied to the fruit during the picking process, inaccurate mechanical force control, unreasonable contact between the fruit and the equipment, and differences in fruit maturity, which can cause mechanical damage such as abrasions, bruises, and fruit stalk tears, which seriously affect the fruit quality and later storage;

[0009] 2) Low picking efficiency: Manual picking has limited efficiency, and mechanical picking equipment has complex structure and inconvenient operation. It requires professional personnel to maintain and operate it, and cannot be flexibly moved in complex orchard environments, which fails to significantly improve picking efficiency.

[0010] 3) Poor adaptability: Existing equipment is difficult to adapt to different tree shapes, fruit sizes and orchard terrains, limiting its scope of application; the tree heights, fruit distribution and terrain in the orchard are complex and changeable, and the differences in the shape, stalk and hardness of different varieties of kiwifruit make it difficult for existing equipment to adapt, resulting in a decrease in picking efficiency and fruit integrity. The orchard environment, such as tree shape, branch density, and planting pattern, also poses challenges to the applicability of the equipment. Fixed-structure equipment is difficult to meet the picking needs under different conditions;

[0011] 4) High cost: The complex mechanical structure leads to high equipment cost and maintenance costs. Compared with the flexibility of manual picking, mechanical picking equipment does not show significant efficiency advantages in complex orchard environments, especially in scenes with dense branches and leaves, where it is difficult to accurately locate and pick the target fruit. In addition, most existing equipment requires manual assistance, and the degree of automation in the transportation and position adjustment process is low, which further limits the improvement of picking efficiency. The high price and complex maintenance of some advanced picking equipment also increase the economic burden on fruit farmers, especially in small and medium-sized orchards, where the equipment investment is not proportional to the benefits.

[0012] 5) The lack of effective objective indicators and detection methods in the picking process makes it difficult to judge the best time to pick. Relying mainly on manual experience can easily lead to picking too early or too late, affecting the quality of the fruit;

[0013] 6) The grading and packaging processes in the post-harvest processing stage mainly rely on manual labor, which is inefficient and labor-intensive. Summary of the invention

[0014] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a trellis type orchard kiwifruit picking device and a picking method in view of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a trellis type orchard kiwifruit picking device, which comprises:

[0016] Traveling mechanism;

[0017] At least one group of picking mechanisms is installed on the frame of the walking mechanism through a lifting mechanism, and the picking mechanism includes a bracket, a driving component, a transmission shaft, a picking plate and a knocking finger. The bracket is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism, the driving component is installed on the bracket and connected to the transmission shaft, and the picking plates are staggered on the transmission shaft. There is an angle between adjacent picking plates, so that the gaps between adjacent picking plates expand and contract periodically; the knocking finger is connected to the driving component, is set corresponding to the picking plate, and is installed on the bracket through a supporting shaft;

[0018] A detection mechanism, used for real-time detection of the density and height distribution of the fruits to be picked to obtain detection information; and

[0019] The controller is connected to the walking mechanism, the picking mechanism and the detection mechanism respectively, and dynamically plans the optimal picking path and picking sequence according to the detection information, and adjusts the picking operation parameters and picking posture in real time.

[0020] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, wherein the traveling mechanism includes a frame, a hub motor, a traveling wheel, a shock-absorbing component, a steering component and a braking component, wherein the traveling wheel is connected to the hub motor and is connected to the frame through the shock-absorbing component; the hub motor integrates the motor and the transmission system into the hub, and achieves flexible movement and precise positioning by precisely controlling the driving torque and rotation speed of each traveling wheel; the steering component is connected to the traveling wheel for flexibly adjusting the traveling direction; the braking component is integrated in the hub for rapid braking to cooperate with the picking action to achieve intermittent movement.

[0021] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, wherein the detection mechanism includes a laser radar, which is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism to scan the surrounding environment at high speed to obtain three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and the three-dimensional point cloud data includes fruit tree location, fruit density, height distribution and terrain information.

[0022] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, wherein the driving component includes a picking stepper motor and a knocking stepper motor, the picking stepper motor is connected to the transmission shaft, and the knocking stepper motor is connected to the support shaft; the controller accurately controls the rotation speed and direction of the picking plate through the picking stepper motor according to the detection information to complete the clamping and picking of the fruit; the knocking stepper motor controls the knocking finger to contact the fruit at the optimal position to separate the fruit from the picking plate.

[0023] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, wherein the knocking finger is installed between adjacent picking plates, the end of the knocking finger is a curved hook structure, the front end of the knocking finger is installed on the support shaft through a connecting hole, and one end of the support shaft is connected to the knocking stepping motor.

[0024] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, wherein the picking plate is a disc structure, and a fan-shaped closed area and an open area are arranged on the disc surface of the disc, and picking finger mounting parts are respectively arranged near the center and the edge of the open area, and a plurality of flexible picking fingers are evenly arranged along the circumference in the open area, and both ends of the flexible picking fingers are respectively installed in the open area through the picking finger mounting parts.

[0025] In the above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, the number of the flexible picking fingers is adapted to the size of the fruit to be picked, and the flexible picking fingers are made of flexible material with a high friction coefficient.

[0026] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device, wherein the picking mechanisms are in three groups, which are evenly installed on the bracket along the traveling direction, and the phase angle between each group of the picking mechanisms is 120 degrees.

[0027] The above-mentioned trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device further includes a fruit box, which is arranged below the picking mechanism and is used to hold the picked kiwifruits. A buffer liner is arranged in the fruit box.

[0028] In order to better achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking method, wherein the trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device is used to pick and harvest kiwifruit to realize intelligent control of the picking operation, comprising the following steps:

[0029] Acquire the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and the controller plans the optimal path of the picking device in the orchard according to the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and adjusts the driving speed in real time to ensure that the picking mechanism efficiently approaches the fruits to be picked;

[0030] According to the fruit height information, the height and angle of the picking mechanism are adjusted dynamically in real time through the lifting mechanism to ensure that the fruits to be picked enter the feeding port of the adjacent picking plate at the best angle;

[0031] The rotation of the picking plate is controlled to be consistent with the forward direction of the walking mechanism, and the flexible clamping and progressive stretching bending are adopted. Under the coupling effect of bending force and stretching force, the fruits to be picked held by the picking plate are separated from the fruit tree;

[0032] The picked fruits continue to rotate with the picking plate, and the picking fingers smoothly pick the fruits off the picking plate and smoothly drop them into the fruit box;

[0033] Repeat the above steps until the set picking task is completed or the entire orchard area is covered.

[0034] The technical effects of the present invention are:

[0035] The present invention is suitable for picking kiwifruit in orchards planted in a trellis style. The picking device has a simple and light structure, and the picking fingers made of flexible materials can gently contact the fruit, reducing mechanical damage during fruit picking. By controlling the rotation of the picking disk, continuous and efficient picking is achieved, reducing dependence on manual labor and improving picking efficiency. The device has height adjustment and angle adjustment functions, can adapt to different tree shapes and orchard terrains, and has enhanced adaptability. The mechanical structure is simplified, the manufacturing and maintenance costs are reduced, and the device is more economically feasible, providing technical support for achieving efficient, practical and economical kiwifruit picking.

[0036] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but is not intended to limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a picking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a picking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A top view of

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a picking plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a finger that is removed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 7 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a walking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Among them, the reference numerals

[0045] 1 Walking mechanism

[0046] 11 Frame

[0047] 12 Travel wheels

[0048] 13 shock absorbing components

[0049] 2. Testing agency

[0050] 3. Picking mechanism

[0051] 31Stand

[0052] 32 drive components

[0053] 33 Transmission shaft

[0054] 34 Picking Plate

[0055] 341 disc

[0056] 342 Closed Area

[0057] 343 Open Area

[0058] 344 Flexible picking finger

[0059] 35 Flick off finger

[0060] 351 connection hole

[0061] 352 end

[0062] 36 Support shaft

[0063] 4 Lifting mechanism

[0064] 41 columns

[0065] 42 Hydraulic Cylinder

[0066] 43 beam

[0067] 44 Slide Rail

[0068] 45 support plate

[0069] 5 fruit boxes DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] The structural principle and working principle of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0071] See also Figure 1-Figure 3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a picking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a picking mechanism 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 for Figure 2 In order to break through the current technical bottleneck and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the kiwifruit industry, the present invention comprehensively uses sensor technology, intelligent control algorithms, flexible design and other means to provide an intelligent disc-type orchard kiwifruit picking device with high efficiency, low damage, strong adaptability and high automation, so as to reduce the picking cost and improve the fruit quality, thereby accelerating the comprehensive mechanization and intelligentization process of kiwifruit production, and providing strong support for improving quality and efficiency and industrial upgrading. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device of the present invention comprises: a walking mechanism 1; at least one group of picking mechanisms 3, which are installed on the frame 11 of the walking mechanism 1 through a lifting mechanism 4, and the picking mechanism 3 comprises a bracket 31, a driving component 32, a transmission shaft 33, a picking plate 34 and a picking finger 35, wherein the bracket 31 is installed at the top of the lifting mechanism 4 for supporting and fixing the picking mechanism 3; the driving component 32 is installed on the bracket 31 and connected to the transmission shaft 33, and the picking plates 34 are staggeredly installed on the transmission shaft 33, and adjacent picking plates 34 are staggered. 4 have an angle between them, so that the gap between adjacent picking plates 34 expands and contracts periodically; the knocking finger 35 is connected to the driving component 32, is set corresponding to the picking plate 34, and is installed on the bracket 31 through the support shaft 36; the detection mechanism 2 is used to detect the density and height distribution of kiwifruit in the area to be picked in real time to obtain detection information; and the controller is connected to the walking mechanism 1, the picking mechanism 3 and the detection mechanism 2 respectively, and dynamically plans the optimal picking path and picking sequence according to the detection information, and adjusts the picking operation parameters and picking posture in real time. It can also include a fruit box 5, which is arranged below the picking mechanism 3 and is used to hold the picked kiwifruit. The fruit box 5 is provided with a buffer lining to effectively absorb the impact force when the fruit falls and reduce bruises.

[0072] In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 2 includes a laser radar, which is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism 4, and is used to detect the density and height distribution information of kiwifruit fruits in the area to be picked in real time, and timely feedback to the walking mechanism 1 and the lifting mechanism 4, and transmit the data to the controller for analysis and processing. The laser radar scans the surrounding environment at high speed to obtain the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and the three-dimensional point cloud data includes the position of the fruit tree, the density of the fruit, the height distribution and the terrain information. The controller comprehensively considers the fruit distribution characteristics, the topography of the orchard, the characteristics of the walking mechanism 1 and other factors, dynamically plans the optimal picking path and picking sequence, and adjusts the picking operation parameters and picking posture in real time to improve the picking efficiency and the clean picking rate. After receiving the data from the laser radar, the controller identifies and locates the fruit. According to the fruit distribution information provided by the laser radar, the walking mechanism 1 can adjust the travel speed and path of the device, avoid obstacles, give priority to the fruit-dense area, and reduce the empty travel time. At the same time, the lifting mechanism 4 dynamically adjusts the height and angle of the picking mechanism 3 according to the height distribution of the fruit to ensure that the picking plate 34 maintains the best contact position with the fruit.

[0073] Laser radar (such as Velodyne series or Livox series) can generate three-dimensional point cloud data and extract the height information of the target object through an algorithm. Combined with hydraulic proportional valve control, high-precision position control can be achieved. The closed-loop control of the hydraulic cylinder 42 can use a position sensor (such as a displacement encoder or a potentiometer) for real-time position monitoring, and combine it with a PID control algorithm to achieve high-precision adjustment. The methods used for processing point cloud data (such as target recognition and height extraction) may include principal component analysis (PCA), clustering algorithms (such as K-Means), etc. As a detection device for fruit density and height distribution, the main function of the laser radar is to scan the position of kiwi fruit in the area to be harvested in real time, and transmit the collected point cloud data to the controller for analysis and processing.

[0074] In this embodiment, the laser radar is preferably installed above the frame 11 or on the top of the picking mechanism 3 to obtain a wide field of view and perform real-time scanning of the density and height distribution of kiwifruit. The point cloud data collected by the laser radar is transmitted to the controller through a high-speed communication interface (such as CAN bus, Ethernet or wireless communication). The embedded processor of the controller runs the point cloud data processing algorithm, which is mainly used to extract the position and height data of the fruit, calculate the distribution density of the fruit in the area to be picked, and determine the picking order and path planning of the target fruit. Among them, the fruit density and spatial distribution information generated by the laser radar directly affect the path planning and dynamic adjustment of the walking mechanism 1. The controller calculates the fruit distribution area according to the point cloud data transmitted by the laser radar, generates the optimal walking path, and avoids repeated picking or missing areas; the control signal is sent to the hub motor through the drive controller of the walking mechanism 1 to adjust the driving torque and speed of the walking wheel 12 to achieve dynamic following of the path. When the fruit is concentrated in the distribution area far away, the walking mechanism 1 will accelerate to move to the target area; when approaching the target area or entering complex terrain, the walking mechanism 1 accurately adjusts the walking speed and direction according to the feedback of the laser radar to ensure accurate positioning. The laser radar is connected to the controller of the walking mechanism 1 (which can be integrated into the vehicle-mounted controller) through a data line or a wireless module to form an integrated closed-loop controller.

[0075] At the same time, the fruit height distribution information generated by the laser radar is used to guide the lifting mechanism 4 to dynamically adjust the working height of the picking device. The controller calculates the target height that the lifting mechanism 4 needs to adjust based on the fruit height data fed back by the laser radar and the current position of the lifting mechanism 4; the control signal is sent to the hydraulic cylinder 42 or other lifting drive device through the servo control unit of the lifting mechanism 4 to drive the lifting mechanism 4 to raise or lower the picking device. Ensure that the picking device is always in the best picking position for the target fruit to avoid height errors; when the fruit height changes greatly, adjust the speed and displacement of the lifting mechanism 4 in real time to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of picking. The laser radar is connected to the servo drive control unit of the lifting mechanism 4 through a data bus or a wireless communication module; the real-time position data fed back by the displacement sensor and the hydraulic cylinder 42 will be combined with the laser radar data to form a dynamic height adjustment closed-loop control.

[0076] In this embodiment, the laser radar forms an efficient collaborative working system with the walking mechanism 1 and the lifting mechanism 4. The laser radar first performs an all-round scan of the area to be harvested, collects the three-dimensional spatial distribution data of the fruit in real time and transmits it to the controller for processing. The controller then transmits the horizontal position information of the fruit, including density and distribution status, to the drive controller of the walking mechanism 1, thereby accurately adjusting the operating parameters of the hub motor to ensure that the robot can achieve accurate navigation and optimal path planning in the orchard. At the same time, the controller also sends the vertical height information of the fruit to the servo drive control unit of the lifting mechanism 4, driving the hydraulic cylinder 42 or other lifting devices to adjust the working height of the picking device accordingly. Through this information transmission and collaborative control mechanism, the walking mechanism 1 and the lifting mechanism 4 can coordinate and cooperate under the unified command of the controller to guide the picking device to accurately reach the target fruit position, and finally achieve efficient automated picking operations.

[0077] The driving component 32 of this embodiment includes a picking stepper motor and a knocking stepper motor. The controller accurately controls the rotation speed and direction of the picking plate 34 through the picking stepper motor according to the detection information to complete the clamping and picking of the fruit, and controls the knocking finger 35 to contact the fruit at the optimal position to separate the fruit from the picking plate 34 through the knocking stepper motor. The picking stepper motor accurately controls the rotation speed and direction of the picking plate 34 according to the fruit density distribution, drives the picking plate 34 to rotate, and completes the clamping and picking of the fruit. When entering the fruit-dense area, the density and position of the fruit are analyzed according to the real-time data of the laser radar, and the picking stepper motor speeds up the rotation speed according to the instructions of the controller to improve the picking efficiency; in the fruit-sparse area, the rotation speed is reduced, and the fruit is picked carefully to reduce omissions. The precise control of the picking stepper motor and the knocking stepper motor can ensure that the speed of the picking mechanism 3 is controllable, and at the same time, the fruit knocking finger 35 can contact the fruit at the optimal position to complete the separation of the fruit from the picking plate 34.

[0078] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4The picking plate 34 of one embodiment of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the structure. The picking plate 34 of this embodiment is a circular plate 341 structure, and a fan-shaped closed area 342 and an open area 343 are provided on the surface of the circular plate 341. The open area 343 is provided with picking finger mounting parts near the center and the edge, respectively. A plurality of flexible picking fingers 344 are evenly arranged along the circumference in the open area 343, and the two ends of the flexible picking fingers 344 are respectively installed in the open area 343 through the picking finger mounting parts. The fan-shaped structure partition can facilitate the replacement of picking fingers of different materials and different shapes, thereby improving the flexibility of the picking process. Among them, the number of the flexible picking fingers 344 is adapted to the size of the fruit to be picked, and the flexible picking fingers 344 are made of flexible materials with a high friction coefficient. The flexible picking fingers 344 are made of a material with appropriate softness and elasticity and are evenly spaced to ensure that they can effectively and evenly contact the fruit during rotation and protect the surface of the fruit from damage. In order to improve the picking efficiency, the picking mechanism 3 adopts multiple groups of picking discs 34, and a phase angle of 120 degrees is set between each group of discs 341 to form a uniform distribution, ensuring that the flexible picking fingers 344 cover the picking area without interfering with each other during rotation. The two adjacent rows of picking discs 34 are also staggered at a specific angle (usually a phase angle of 120 degrees) to form a continuous picking coverage in the fruit concentration area, which can reduce omissions and improve the cleaning rate. A knocking finger 35 is provided at the end of the working area of ​​the picking disc 34. The knocking finger 35 is a flexible combing brush structure, and its length and density can effectively knock away the fruit without causing damage.

[0079] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5The structure diagram of the finger 35 of one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The finger 35 of this embodiment is installed between adjacent picking plates 34, and the end 352 of the finger 35 is a curved hook structure. The front end of the finger 35 is installed on the support shaft 36 through the connecting hole 351, and one end of the support shaft 36 is connected to the stepping motor. The present invention can realize that the finger 35 contacts the fruit at the best position. First, the three-dimensional position information of the fruit, including the horizontal position, vertical height and orientation of the fruit, is detected in real time by a laser radar or a visual sensor, and the controller calculates the best position for the finger 35 to contact the fruit in combination with the current state of the picking mechanism 3; then, the controller further analyzes the size, shape and orientation of the fruit, calculates the most suitable contact point on the surface of the fruit (for example, the surface normal direction), and determines the target position and angle of the finger 35 in combination with the structural characteristics of the finger 35 and the actual distribution of the fruit, and dynamically plans the motion trajectory of the finger 35 in combination with the distribution state of the fruit to ensure that the fruit is efficiently removed and not damaged. In order to accurately adjust the position of the knocking finger 35, the present invention adopts a knocking stepping motor to directly drive the knocking finger 35, and controls the knocking finger 35 to move to the target position and contact the fruit surface by adjusting the speed and angle of the knocking stepping motor. The controller monitors the movement trajectory of the knocking finger 35 in real time to ensure that it touches the fruit at an appropriate speed and angle. In addition, in order to achieve precise linkage control, the movement of the knocking finger 35 is synchronized with the speed of the picking mechanism 3. The controller synchronously adjusts the speed of the stepping motor and the swing frequency of the knocking finger 35, so that the knocking finger 35 always works at the best position of the fruit. At the same time, by installing a force sensor at the end of the knocking finger 35 to detect the contact force between the knocking finger 35 and the fruit in real time, the controller adjusts the speed and swing angle of the knocking finger 35 according to the feedback signal, ultimately ensuring that the fruit is safely and efficiently knocked off.

[0080] Among them, the specific motion trajectory of the finger 35 is crucial in fruit picking, directly affecting the picking efficiency and the protection effect of the fruit. The motion trajectory of the finger 35 has multiple characteristics, including spatial characteristics and temporal characteristics. In space, the finger 35 usually moves around the rotation center point of the picking plate 34 to form an arc trajectory. The radius of the trajectory is determined by the length and installation position of the finger 35, and can be adaptively adjusted according to the needs of different picking areas. In time, the finger 35 can adopt uniform or variable speed motion, wherein variable speed control is adopted in areas with dense fruit distribution to improve the flexible protection effect, while uniform speed motion may be adopted in areas with sparse fruit distribution. The motion trajectory of the finger 35 is synchronized with the rotation of the picking plate 34 to ensure that the fruit contacts the finger 35 in the best position to maximize the picking efficiency.

[0081] In order to determine the specific trajectory of the finger 35, the rotation trajectory can be calculated according to the radius of the picking plate 34 and the length of the finger 35. Combined with the motion angle, the spatial range covered by the finger 35 during the rotation process is calculated. In addition, the three-dimensional position of the fruit can be detected by a laser radar or a visual sensor, and the distribution range of the fruit can be analyzed to adjust the trajectory radius and swing amplitude of the finger 35, and the motion simulation software can be used for simulation optimization, and the trajectory parameters can be further optimized according to the picking effect data. Setting this specific trajectory can ensure that the fruit can be picked effectively, maximize the coverage of the picking range and optimize the contact position, and improve the success rate of picking. At the same time, the picking efficiency is improved by synchronizing the trajectory of the finger 35 with the rotation movement of the picking plate 34 and the clamping action of the flexible picking finger 344, and the trajectory can be dynamically adjusted according to the distribution of the fruit. Finally, the impact force on the surface of the fruit is reduced by the flexible motion trajectory and the optimized contact angle, and the fruit is ensured to be picked on the best path, thereby reducing fruit damage.

[0082] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6The lifting mechanism 4 of one embodiment of the present invention is a structural schematic diagram. The lifting mechanism 4 of the present invention is mainly used to adjust the height of the picking device so that it is aligned with the position of the target fruit, and the picking operation of fruits of different heights is realized through the lifting action, thereby improving the automation and work efficiency of the equipment. The lifting mechanism 4 of this embodiment is installed on the frame 11 of the walking mechanism 1, and the lifting mechanism 4 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder 42 or an electric cylinder to realize the lifting movement of the picking mechanism 3. When working, the lifting mechanism 4 dynamically adjusts the height of the picking mechanism 3 according to the fruit height distribution information provided by the laser radar. The controller receives the data of the sensor, accurately calculates the required lifting height, and realizes the rapid and accurate lifting of the picking mechanism 3 by adjusting the extension and contraction of the hydraulic cylinder 42, ensuring that the picking mechanism 3 accurately reaches the target height. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 4 is fixedly installed above the frame 11, and is reliably fixed by bolts or other mechanical connection methods to ensure that the lifting mechanism 4 will not be displaced or loosened during operation. A rigid frame can be combined with a buffer pad to reduce the impact of vibration on the frame 11 during operation. The bottom support plate 45 of the lifting mechanism 4 is tightly connected to the frame 11 through a flange or a mounting seat, and the vertical movement of the picking mechanism 3 is supported by a sliding assembly composed of a column 41 and a slide rail 44. The two slide rails 44 are connected by a crossbeam 43, and the slide rail 44 is driven by a hydraulic cylinder 42 or an electric cylinder. The output end of the hydraulic cylinder 42 is fixedly connected to the crossbeam 43 through a coupling, and the crossbeam 43 drives the slide rail 44 to perform vertical lifting movement along the guide rail of the column 41. The slide rail 44 is made of high-strength alloy material to ensure the accuracy and stability of the lifting movement. The lifting power drive component can also use an electric push rod or a ball screw drive structure, and is equipped with a servo motor for adjusting the lifting position. The lifting power drive component is connected to the lifting guide rail to ensure that the picking mechanism 3 can be lifted and lowered smoothly. The lifting guide rail adopts a double column 41 guide rail structure, and the slide rail 44 is connected to the guide rail of the column 41, which can bear the weight of the picking mechanism 3 and ensure the stability of lifting.

[0083] The present invention can realize highly adaptive control, and realize dynamic height adjustment of the picking mechanism 3 by integrating the lifting height calculation module and the hydraulic drive control module, which significantly improves the automation level and operation efficiency of fruit picking. The lifting height calculation module collects the spatial information of the target fruit tree area in real time through the three-dimensional laser radar carried, including the spatial distribution position, relative height and three-dimensional point cloud data of the fruit tree branch outline, uses the cluster analysis algorithm to identify and extract the position of the target fruit, and calculates the optimal picking working height through the mathematical model. In the batch picking mode, the system calculates the average height of the fruit in the target area, and directly extracts the height value of the specified fruit as the target height in the selective picking mode, and compensates and corrects the height in combination with the installation characteristics of the picking mechanism 3. The hydraulic drive control module receives the target height signal output by the calculation module, converts it into the extension amount of the hydraulic cylinder 42, and implements closed-loop feedback control through the built-in high-precision displacement sensor, and uses the improved PID algorithm to dynamically adjust the opening of the hydraulic proportional valve, thereby realizing the precise displacement control of the hydraulic cylinder 42 and the smooth lifting and lowering of the picking mechanism 3. When the laser radar detects that the position of the fruit has changed, the controller can update the target height calculation result in real time and drive the hydraulic system to make dynamic adjustments to ensure that the picking mechanism 3 always remains in the optimal working position. By integrating high-precision sensor detection, intelligent algorithm processing and precise hydraulic drive, the present invention overcomes the limitations of the traditional fixed-height picking method, realizes highly adaptive control of the fruit picking device, significantly improves the efficiency and accuracy of orchard picking operations, and reduces operating costs and fruit damage rates, providing reliable technical support for the practical application of batch picking of fruits and vegetables.

[0084] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the structure of the traveling mechanism 1 of an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The traveling mechanism 1 includes a frame 11, a wheel hub motor, a traveling wheel 12, a shock absorbing component 13, a steering component and a braking component. The traveling wheel 12 is connected to the wheel hub motor and connected to the frame 11 through the shock absorbing component 13, which effectively buffers the bumps and vibrations of the orchard ground and ensures the stability of the picking device; the wheel hub motor integrates the motor and the transmission system in the wheel hub, and realizes flexible movement and precise positioning by accurately controlling the driving torque and speed of each of the traveling wheels 12; the steering component is connected to the traveling wheel 12, and is used to control the steering of the front wheel according to the picking demand, flexibly adjust the walking direction, and realize precise alignment with the target fruit; the braking component is integrated in the wheel hub, and is used to quickly stop the traveling mechanism 1, so as to cooperate with the picking action to realize intermittent movement and improve the picking efficiency.

[0085] The walking mechanism 1 of this embodiment mainly includes eight independent walking wheels 12 and a frame 11. The walking wheels 12 are connected to the frame 11 through a shock-absorbing component 13. The eight walking wheels 12 are respectively installed at the eight corners of the frame 11 and are tightly connected to the frame 11 through bearings to ensure stability during walking. Each support point allows a certain suspension travel to enhance its obstacle crossing performance. The frame 11 is made of high-strength lightweight materials to reduce weight while maintaining overall rigidity. Each walking wheel 12 has a hub motor integrated inside. Each walking wheel 12 has a built-in hub motor. The motor and the transmission system are integrated into the hub of the walking wheel 12. No external transmission device is required, which reduces the weight of the whole vehicle and improves reliability. The hub motor includes a stator, a rotor and a control module, which can independently drive each walking wheel 12 to achieve eight-wheel independent drive. The brake component is integrated in the wheel hub, and electromagnetic braking or mechanical braking is used, which can not only accurately stop the car, but also provide stable braking capabilities under complex terrain. The wheel hub motor is connected to the controller through an electrical connection, and the brake component is connected to the controller through a hydraulic pipeline or an electrical line to ensure that the drive and brake of the running wheel 12 can work in coordination. Each running wheel 12 is provided with a position sensor and a speed sensor for real-time detection of the position and speed of the running wheel 12 to ensure the accuracy of the walking control. The driving torque and speed of each running wheel 12 are independently controlled by the wheel hub motor to achieve flexible movement of the harvesting device in the orchard. The controller accurately adjusts the driving torque and speed of each running wheel 12 according to the path planning and environmental perception information to achieve complex actions such as straight-line walking, turning, and obstacle avoidance. When it is necessary to stop or adjust the walking direction, the controller responds quickly through the brake component to ensure that the running wheel 12 can be stopped or adjusted in time to ensure the stability and safety of the device movement. The controller receives information from each sensor module and the navigation system, calculates and sends drive instructions to each wheel hub motor in real time, and controls the opening and closing of the brake component as needed. Through the closed-loop controller, the driving torque and speed of each running wheel 12 are adjusted in real time to achieve precise motion control. The control algorithm may include PID control, fuzzy control, etc. to adapt to the complex and changeable environment of the orchard.

[0086] The picking plate 34 of this embodiment is fixed on the transmission shaft 33, and each picking unit includes a disc 341 perpendicular to the axis of the transmission shaft 33 and a disc 341 inclined to the axis of the transmission shaft 33. Through the synergistic effect of the vertical disc 341 and the inclined disc 341, the clamping and picking of the fruit are completed. During the rotation process, the gap between adjacent picking units will expand and contract periodically, and the kiwi fruit enters the picking unit from the expanded feeding port and is then stably clamped by the contracted gap. The picking plate 34 is a disc 341 structure, and a sector-shaped partition is arranged on the disc 341, wherein part of the sector-shaped area is a closed area 342, and the other part of the sector-shaped area is an open area 343. A plurality of flexible picking fingers 344 are evenly installed along the circumference of the open area 343, and the number of flexible picking fingers 344 can be adjusted according to the size of the fruit. The flexible picking fingers 344 are preferably made of a flexible material with a high friction coefficient such as rubber, which can stably clamp the fruit while allowing a certain degree of deformation to minimize fruit damage. The finger 35 for removing the fruit is installed between the vertical picking plate 34 and the inclined picking plate 34, and is close to the vertical picking plate 34. It is made of flexible material, and the end 352 is a curved hook structure, which is driven by a removing stepping motor. As the picking plate 34 rotates, the finger 35 for removing the fruit moves in a specific trajectory, gently removing the picked fruit, and causing the fruit to separate from the picking plate 34. After the fruit falls off, it falls into the fruit box 5 below under the action of gravity. The fruit box 5 is provided with a buffer material to further protect the integrity of the fruit. The picking mechanism 3 is preferably arranged in three groups, which are evenly installed on the bracket 31 along the direction of travel, and the phase angle between each group of the picking mechanism 3 is preferably 120 degrees. Complementary picking is formed by the combination of different phases. The fruit that the first row of picking mechanisms 3 fails to pick can be supplemented by the subsequent second and third rows of picking mechanisms 3, which maximizes the picking effect of a single pass through the orchard, and improves the picking efficiency and the clean picking rate.

[0087] The present invention adopts an array picking disk 34 as a picking actuator. Adjacent discs 341 are arranged in a staggered manner. During the rotation process, a periodic expanding and contracting fruit clamping gap is formed. In combination with the synchronous rotation and forward movement, the separation of the fruit and the branch is achieved under the coupling effect of the bending and stretching forces of the fruit. The angular arrangement of the picking disk 34 can ensure the smooth entry of the fruit. The adjacent picking disks 34 are arranged in an array at a certain angle. During the rotation process, the gap can expand and narrow periodically to ensure that the fruit can normally enter the picking mechanism 3 and be stably clamped. In order to enhance the adaptability to the fruit, the picking disk 34 can be a flat disk, a wavy disk or a fan-shaped disk. As long as During the rotation process, the periodic expansion and narrowing of the gap can be guaranteed, and the fruit can enter normally, which enhances the adaptability to different fruits and tree shapes; the picking plate 34 rotates all the time during the picking process, and the successfully clamped fruit will move around the axis of the transmission shaft 33 with the continuous rotation of the disc 341. As the walking mechanism 1 moves forward, the fruit is clamped, and the fruit stalk is bent and pulled. Under the combined action of the bending force and the tensile force, the fruit and the fruit stalk are stretched and separated, completing the picking of the fruit; the successfully picked fruit will continue to rotate with the picking plate 34, and under the action of the array knocking fingers 35, the fruit will break away from the gap of the disc 341 and fall into the fruit collection box 5 below. The knocking finger 35 is made of flexible material to avoid fruit damage to the greatest extent during the knocking process, and the angle of the knocking finger 35 can be adjusted according to actual needs; the picking plate 34 is different from the cutting table. The vertical picking plate 34 only guides the fruit to be picked to the gap between the two discs 341 for clamping. During the operation, it can avoid the entanglement of branches and the rotating shaft to the greatest extent, thereby ensuring the stability and efficiency of the operation; the integration of the intelligent controller detects the density and height distribution of kiwifruit fruits in the area to be picked in real time through the laser radar, and the information is fed back to the walking mechanism 1 and the lifting mechanism 4 in time, dynamically adjusting the picking operation parameters and picking posture to improve the picking efficiency and the picking rate; the lifting mechanism 4 is installed on the frame 11 of the walking mechanism 1, and is driven by a hydraulic rod or an electric cylinder to realize the lifting and lowering of the picking mechanism 3. The picking mechanism 3 is adjusted in real time according to the height of the fruit on the trellis, so that the fruit enters the optimal position of the picking plate 34; the multi-stage picking mechanism 3 is configured, and the phase angle between each group of picking mechanisms 3 can be adjusted according to information such as fruit size, distribution density and distribution height. Through the combination of different phases, the fruit that the first group of picking mechanisms 3 fails to pick can be continued to be picked by the subsequent picking mechanism 3, thereby improving the picking efficiency and the net picking rate; the picking mechanism 3, the lifting mechanism 4, the walking mechanism 1, etc. are all modular components, which are easy to maintain, upgrade and replace, and reserve standardized mechanical and electrical interfaces to support connection with other picking tools or auxiliary equipment to meet diverse picking needs.

[0088] The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking method of the present invention adopts the trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device to pick and harvest kiwifruit, integrates advanced intelligent sensing and control technologies, and realizes efficient and low-damage picking of fruits, comprising the following steps:

[0089] Acquire the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and the controller plans the optimal path of the picking device in the orchard according to the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and adjusts the driving speed in real time to ensure that the picking mechanism 3 is able to efficiently approach the fruit to be picked; specifically, it may include: starting the kiwifruit picking device, and using the laser radar equipped with it to perform a real-time three-dimensional scan of the orchard environment to obtain key information such as the density, position and height distribution of the fruit, and the controller receives and analyzes the data scanned by the laser radar, and automatically plans the optimal path of the walking chassis in the orchard according to the distribution of the fruit, and adjusts the driving speed in real time to ensure that the picking mechanism 3 can efficiently approach the target fruit;

[0090] According to the fruit height information, the height and angle of the picking mechanism 3 are dynamically adjusted through the lifting mechanism 4 to ensure that the fruit to be picked enters the feeding port of the adjacent picking tray 34 at the best angle; specifically, it may include: the controller drives the lifting mechanism 4 to perform precise and rapid lifting and lowering adjustment according to the scanned fruit height information, so that the height of the picking mechanism 3 matches the height of the target fruit; at the same time, the controller will also adjust the posture of the picking mechanism 3 according to the position and growth state of the fruit to ensure that the fruit can enter the picking tray 34 at the best angle; when the picking mechanism 3 moves to the vicinity of the target fruit, the fruit enters from the feeding port between the picking trays 34 of the picking mechanism 3, and under the precise drive of the picking stepper motor, the picking trays 34 are staggered at a specific angle of 120 degrees phase angle, and the gap is expanded and narrowed periodically. The picking tray 34 is made of a flexible material with large surface friction such as rubber, or a composite material of a metal keel and a rubber sheath, which not only ensures the rigidity of the disc 341, but also provides a flexible clamping force, allowing a certain degree of deformation, and avoiding mechanical damage to the fruit to the greatest extent. The flexible picking fingers 344 are evenly distributed and made of highly elastic material, and have a large friction force on the surface, so that they can firmly clamp kiwi fruits of different sizes and shapes;

[0091] The picking disc 34 is controlled to rotate in the same direction as the forward direction, and the fruit to be picked held by the picking disc 34 is separated from the fruit tree under the coupling effect of the bending force and the tensile force; specifically, the picking disc 34 may include: the picking disc 34 is driven by the rotating shaft to rotate in the same direction as the forward direction of the walking mechanism 1; after the fruit is clamped, as the device continues to move forward and the disc 341 rotates, the fruit is separated from the fruit tree under the coupling effect of the bending force and the tensile force, thereby achieving successful picking of the fruit. This coupling effect not only improves the picking efficiency, but also effectively reduces the damage to the fruit and the fruit tree;

[0092] The picked fruits continue to rotate with the picking plate 34, and the knocking fingers 35 knock the fruits off the picking plate 34 smoothly and smoothly fall into the fruit box 5; specifically, the picked fruits continue to rotate with the picking plate 34, enter the knocking area of ​​the flexible comb brush knocking fingers 35 below, and the flexible comb brush knocking fingers 35 are made of materials such as flexible polymers or silicone, and their angles can be adjusted according to actual needs, so as to effectively and smoothly knock the fruits off the picking plate 34, and smoothly fall into the fruit box 5 below which is provided with a buffer device (such as a flexible cushion layer, an air cushion or an elastic net bag) for collection, so as to further prevent the fruits from being damaged due to free fall;

[0093] Repeat the above steps until the set picking task is completed or the entire orchard area is covered.

[0094] In order to further improve the picking efficiency and the clean picking rate, the present embodiment adopts three-level picking. Three rows of picking mechanisms 3 are installed on the bracket 31. Each row is staggered with a phase angle of 120 degrees. Each row of picking mechanisms 3 can independently control its height, rotation speed and angle, and use the controller to accurately pick fruits at different positions and heights. The first row of picking mechanisms 3 picks according to the above steps. For fruits that are not successfully picked, the controller will automatically guide the device forward, and the subsequent second and third rows of picking mechanisms 3 will repeat the above steps to ensure a high clean picking rate. The configuration of the multi-level picking mechanism 3 enables the device to adapt to the uneven distribution of fruits and improve the overall operating efficiency.

[0095] The orchard environment is scanned in real time by laser radar to obtain three-dimensional information such as the density, position and height distribution of the fruit. By analyzing these data, the controller automatically adjusts the path and speed of the walking chassis, the height of the lifting mechanism 4 and the posture of the picking mechanism 3 to ensure that the fruit can always enter the flexible picking tray 34 in the best position. The lifting mechanism 4 is driven by an electric cylinder, and combined with the feedback of the sensor, it can accurately and quickly adjust the lifting of the picking mechanism 3 to adapt to fruits of different heights; the adjacent flexible picking trays 34 of the picking mechanism 3 are staggered according to the set angle, usually at a phase angle of 120 degrees. Under the precise drive of the picking stepper motor, the gap between the picking trays 34 will expand and narrow periodically. The picking tray 34 is made of flexible materials with large surface friction such as rubber, or a composite material of a metal keel and a rubber sheath, which not only ensures the rigidity of the picking tray 34, but also provides a flexible clamping force, allowing a certain degree of deformation, and avoiding mechanical damage to the fruit to the greatest extent. When moving forward, the fruit enters from the feeding port between the picking plates 34 of the picking mechanism 3. As the picking plates 34 rotate, the picking gap is continuously narrowed, and the fruit is firmly clamped by the flexible picking fingers 344. The flexible picking fingers 344 are evenly distributed between the picking plates 34, and are made of highly elastic materials. The surface has a large friction force, and can firmly clamp kiwifruits of different sizes and shapes; driven by the transmission shaft 33, the rotation direction of the picking plates 34 is consistent with the forward direction of the walking chassis. After clamping the fruit, as the device moves forward and the picking plates 34 rotate, the fruit is successfully picked under the coupling effect of bending and tensile forces. The combined effect of bending and tensile forces generated by mechanical movement is used to improve the picking efficiency and reduce damage to fruits and fruit trees; the picked fruit continues to rotate with the picking plates 34 and enters the removal area of ​​the flexible comb brush finger 35 below. The comb brush finger 35 is made of flexible materials, such as flexible polymers or silicone. The angle of the knocking finger 35 can be adjusted according to actual needs, as long as the fruit can be knocked off. During the knocking process, secondary damage to the fruit is avoided to the greatest extent; after the fruit is knocked off, it falls into the fruit collection box 5 below. A buffer device, such as a flexible cushion, an air cushion or an elastic net bag, is provided in the fruit box 5 to prevent the fruit from being damaged by free fall. In order to further improve the picking efficiency and the clean picking rate, a three-level picking mechanism 3 is set, and three rows of picking mechanisms 3 are installed on the bracket 31, and the phase angle between each row is different, usually 120 degrees. Each row of picking mechanisms 3 can independently control its height, rotation speed and angle, and use the controller to accurately pick fruits at different positions and heights. The fruits that cannot be picked by the first row of picking mechanisms 3 can be processed by the subsequent second and third rows of picking mechanisms 3 to ensure a high clean picking rate. The configuration of the multi-level picking mechanism 3 enables the device to adapt to the situation of uneven distribution of fruits and improves the working efficiency.

[0096] The present invention realizes efficient, low-loss and intelligent kiwifruit picking by means of flexible clamping and progressive stretching and bending. The picking mechanism 3, which is matched with the inclined disc 341 and the vertical disc 341, is clamped, and the flexible picking finger 344 with high friction coefficient and elasticity is used to increase the friction between the clamping surface and the fruit, effectively preventing the fruit from sliding. By optimizing the shape arrangement of the picking disc 34 and the flexible picking finger 344, the movement of the fruit is reliably limited and guided, and the clamping and movement stability are further improved. The fruit movement is driven by the rotation of the disc 341, and the separation of the fruit stalk and the branch is achieved by the gradually accumulated tensile force and bending moment, avoiding sudden impact loads, thereby reducing the damage rate of the fruit. The device has a simple structure, low processing cost, low noise, and low energy consumption. It can pick kiwifruit efficiently and with low damage, and is suitable for orchards of different sizes and terrains. By optimizing the motion parameters, efficient batch harvesting of fruits can be achieved, greatly reducing the labor intensity of workers. With the further development of technologies such as machine vision and flexible machinery, intelligent upgrades can be achieved, making greater contributions to the mechanization and informatization of the kiwifruit industry and having broad application prospects.

[0097] The present invention adopts a brand-new disc-type flexible clamping mechanism. Through the synergistic effect of the inclined disc 341 and the vertical disc 341, the flexible clamping pad with a high friction coefficient is used to increase the friction with the fruit, effectively preventing the fruit from sliding and falling off. At the same time, by optimizing the shape of the flexible picking finger 344 and the arrangement of the disc 341, the movement trajectory of the fruit is accurately limited and guided, further improving the stability and reliability of the clamping process. Compared with rigid clamps or suction cups, the disc-type clamping method of the present invention can significantly reduce the mechanical stress on the surface of the fruit, minimize the risk of damage during the picking process, and ensure the integrity and commodity value of the fruit. Different from the way that the rotary shearing picker directly shears the fruit stalk, the present invention uses the rotation of the disc 341 to drive the fruit movement, and completes the separation of the fruit stalk, fruit and branches through the gradually accumulated tensile force and bending moment. It adopts a progressive tensile bending effect, realizes continuous and efficient picking, avoids sudden impact loads, and causes the shaking of branches. While ensuring successful picking, it minimizes the risk of damage to fruits and branches. In addition, since the movement trajectory of the fruit on the disc 341 is controllable, by optimizing the rotation speed of the disc 341 and the movement time of the fruit, efficient picking of fruits of different sizes can be achieved; the height and angle of the whole machine are adjustable, which enhances the adaptability to different fruit trees; the structure is simple and compact, with a high degree of modularization, easy to manufacture and assemble, and can effectively reduce production costs. The key components adopt a standardized and universal design concept, which is convenient for mass production and maintenance and replacement. Compared with multi-joint robotic arms and complex end effectors, the present invention greatly reduces the complexity of the system while improving performance, and has a higher cost performance and promotion and application prospects.

[0098] In addition, the disc-type structure and flexible clamping method are adopted, and the present invention has stronger environmental adaptability and can be applied to kiwi fruit orchards of different varieties and different growth states. The existing robot picking method has high requirements for visual recognition and motion planning, and is prone to problems such as recognition failure and motion interference in complex environments. The present invention mainly realizes passive adaptation through mechanical structure, has low dependence on the visual system, and has higher robustness and stability. At the same time, the disc-type structure is also convenient for integrating multiple groups of clamping units to realize batch picking, and the picking efficiency per unit time is much higher than that of the single robotic arm solution. In practical applications, it can significantly improve the mechanization and intelligence level of kiwi fruit picking operations, effectively solve the problem of labor shortage, reduce labor costs, improve picking efficiency and fruit quality, and increase economic benefits. At the same time, batch and low-damage harvesting methods are conducive to improving raw material quality and yield, reducing post-harvest losses, and enhancing product competitiveness. In addition, the promotion and application of intelligent picking equipment will also drive the development of related industries such as agricultural machinery equipment manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things.

[0099] The present invention realizes intelligent control of picking operations by constructing a complete fruit position information collection and path planning system. First, the area to be picked is scanned in real time by a laser radar or a visual sensor to obtain the three-dimensional spatial distribution data of the fruit, and the orchard terrain model is constructed by combining GNSS and terrain modeling technology. After obtaining these basic data, the controller uses a path optimization algorithm (such as A* algorithm, Dijkstra algorithm) to plan the optimal path, and optimizes the picking order through a fruit clustering algorithm and a dynamic task allocation algorithm. In the actual operation process, the planning scheme can be adjusted in real time according to environmental changes to ensure the continuity and efficiency of the picking operation. With the shortest path, high-density area priority and avoidance of repeated picking as the optimization goals, intelligent dynamic planning of the picking path and order is realized.

[0100] The present invention dynamically adjusts the operating parameters and picking posture in real time, and incorporates parameters such as the speed direction of the walking mechanism 1, the height of the lifting mechanism 4, and the clamping force of the picking device into unified control. According to the distribution characteristics of the fruit, the lifting height and walking speed can be adjusted in real time; based on the terrain conditions, the driving torque and walking parameters are dynamically optimized; when encountering obstacles, the motion trajectory is adjusted in time. The shortest walking distance and the fruit-dense area are prioritized as the optimization goals, and the torque and speed of the hub motor are controlled to achieve precise adjustment of the walking speed. In the fruit-dense area, the system will appropriately reduce the travel speed to cooperate with the picking operation; while in the open area, the speed will be increased accordingly to improve the work efficiency. In terms of obstacle avoidance, the present invention adopts a multi-level obstacle avoidance strategy. The sensor carried by the walking mechanism 1 can generate point cloud data or a two-dimensional depth map of the environment in real time, and accurately identify the type, position and size of obstacles through a deep learning target detection model. When an obstacle is detected, the controller will select an appropriate obstacle avoidance plan based on the specific situation: for large obstacles, the SLAM technology is used to replan the detour path; for small obstacles, local avoidance is achieved through differential steering technology; in emergency situations, it has a quick stop function to ensure safety.

[0101] For fruit-dense areas, clustering algorithms are used to perform real-time analysis of fruit distribution. The fruit spatial distribution data collected by the sensor is received, and clustering algorithms such as K-means are used to calculate the fruit density of each area, and high-density areas are marked as priority picking targets. During actual operation, the controller will continuously update the fruit distribution information and dynamically adjust the travel path to ensure that it always moves towards the optimal picking area. The intelligent adaptation of the walking mechanism 1 to the complex orchard environment is realized, and the picking efficiency is improved through dynamic path planning and speed adjustment.

[0102] The present invention realizes the dynamic adjustment of the height of the picking mechanism 3, and the fruit distribution area is scanned in real time by the installed laser radar to generate point cloud data containing the fruit height information. The controller then performs noise reduction and segmentation processing on the collected point cloud data to accurately extract the vertical height coordinate (Z-axis data) of the fruit. In the data processing stage, the controller extracts the highest point or the most suitable picking point of the target fruit according to the height information of the fruit, and calculates the difference (height deviation) between the target picking height and the current height in combination with the current position information of the picking mechanism 3 provided by the encoder. Based on the calculated height deviation, the controller generates a corresponding control signal to drive the hydraulic cylinder 42 of the lifting mechanism 4 to adjust the height. The entire adjustment process adopts the PID control algorithm, and the height of the lifting mechanism 4 is adjusted in real time through the closed-loop feedback system, so as to ensure that the picking mechanism 3 can accurately align with the target fruit and realize efficient and accurate picking operations. By adjusting the speed of the stepper motor, the picking disc 34 of the picking mechanism 3 is periodically expanded and narrowed during the rotation of the angle, so as to realize the dynamic adjustment of the angle of the picking mechanism 3. The speed of the picking mechanism 3 is precisely controlled by the precise control of the stepper motor. By utilizing the response characteristics of the stepper motor to the digital pulse signal, each pulse signal can make the motor rotate a specific step angle, thereby achieving precise positioning control. The controller drives the stepper motor by generating a PWM signal or a pulse sequence, and dynamically adjusts the pulse frequency and number according to the distribution of the fruit. A closed-loop feedback mechanism is adopted to detect the motor speed in real time through a position encoder or an angle sensor to ensure that it is consistent with the target speed. The controller intelligently adjusts the operating speed of the picking mechanism 3 based on the fruit position and density information collected by the laser radar or visual sensor: reduce the speed in the fruit-dense area to improve the picking accuracy, and appropriately increase the speed in the sparse area to improve the work efficiency. At the same time, the micro-step drive technology is used to improve the positioning accuracy and running stability of the motor, and the S-shaped speed curve is used to achieve smooth speed adjustment, effectively avoiding mechanical damage to the fruit during the picking process.

[0103] The present invention can realize independent control. According to the actual picking needs, each row of picking mechanisms 3 is equipped with an independent lifting device, such as an electric push rod driven by a servo motor, a hydraulic cylinder 42 or a ball screw, and combined with a height sensor such as a displacement sensor or an encoder for feedback closed-loop control, and the target height is calculated in real time according to the fruit height information detected by the laser radar or the visual sensor; at the same time, the rotating part of each row of picking mechanisms 3 is driven by an independent stepping motor or servo motor, and the rotation speed can be dynamically adjusted according to the fruit density and distribution, and the speed feedback control is realized by the rotary encoder equipped with the motor. According to the actual picking needs, each row of picking mechanisms 3 can also be provided with an angle adjustment component, such as an electric rotating table or a servo rotating shaft, whose adjustment range can be preset, and combined with the fruit tilt angle or orientation detected by the visual sensor or the laser radar, the target angle is calculated through a kinematic model, and an angle sensor such as a rotary encoder or a gyroscope is used for real-time angle feedback to form an angle closed-loop control. The realization of this independent control relies on the controller's collection and analysis of multi-source data, including the fusion of the fruit height distribution information provided by the laser radar and the tilt angle and density distribution information provided by the visual sensor, so as to generate independent control instructions for each row of picking mechanisms 3 and perform dynamic task allocation and real-time optimization. The controller can adopt a multi-channel control method to allocate an independent control channel for each row of picking mechanisms 3, send height, speed and angle command signals separately, and receive feedback data in real time for dynamic adjustment to ensure accurate movements; further, the controller also plans the picking path according to the spatial distribution of the fruit, and avoids mechanism interference and repeated operations through optimization algorithms, and realizes the coordinated control of multiple picking mechanisms 3 when necessary, dynamically adjusts the action sequence and time nodes, and ensures the efficiency of collaborative operations.

[0104] The present invention realizes modular design by decomposing each function into independent modules, and each module has independent functions and standardized interfaces, so as to facilitate maintenance, expansion and adaptation to different operation requirements. Among them, the picking mechanism 3 adopts an independent unit mode, and each group of picking mechanisms 3 (including picking plates 34, flexible picking fingers 344 and falling fingers 35, etc.) is an independent module unit, equipped with an independent drive system (such as a stepper motor) and a control interface to ensure that each module can work independently. The advantage of the modularization of the picking mechanism 3 is that it can be disassembled, replaced or upgraded separately without affecting the operation of other modules. The modules are connected by standardized electrical and mechanical interfaces (such as quick plug-in connectors and universal mechanical card slots, etc.), which not only improves the versatility and flexibility of the equipment, but also facilitates the customization or replacement of applicable picking modules according to different fruit types. The lifting mechanism 4 also adopts an independent unit, and each row of lifting mechanisms 4 is an independent module, equipped with a dedicated drive device (such as an electric push rod or a hydraulic cylinder 42) and a control unit, and has an independent height adjustment capability. It is allowed to freely increase or decrease the lifting module according to the operation requirements to adapt to different scales of operation tasks. The lifting module is fixed by a universal support frame, and the installation method is flexible. The size and stroke of the lifting device can be adjusted according to the different requirements of the height of the fruit trees to ensure that it can efficiently adapt to different working environments. The modularity of the walking mechanism 1 improves the adaptability and flexibility of the equipment. Each wheel set (such as hub motor, shock absorbing components, etc.) is an independent module, and the number and distribution of wheel sets can be adjusted according to work requirements. The independent control of the wheel sets is achieved through a distributed controller to achieve collaborative work. The walking mechanism 1 supports multiple terrain adaptation and has the ability to quickly replace different types of walking mechanisms 1 (such as crawler, wheeled or multi-legged) to cope with complex and changeable orchard terrain. The installation interface of the walking mechanism 1 is standardized and can be compatible with multiple drive forms, further improving the scalability and compatibility of the equipment.

[0105] In order to adapt to the picking needs of different fruits, the material, shape and flexibility of the flexible picking finger 344 can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the fruit. For example, for different types of fruits such as kiwi, apple, citrus, etc., special modules such as clamping modules or cutting modules can be set to optimize the picking effect and adapt to different picking methods. By increasing the number of picking plates 34, the operating range can be expanded and the picking efficiency can be improved. On this basis, the degree of freedom of the picking mechanism 3 can also be increased, such as rotation, swinging and other movements, to cope with more complex fruit distribution and different picking environments. The operation needs of higher fruit trees can be met by replacing the lifting mechanism 4 with a longer stroke. The operating area can also be further expanded by increasing the number of lifting mechanisms 4 to adapt to a wider range of orchard operations. More precise displacement sensors can be integrated to achieve fine-tuning of the lifting height and ensure accurate fruit positioning. In addition, it can also be combined with a visual system to expand dynamic recognition capabilities and intelligently adjust the lifting height to cope with complex fruit distribution and irregular operating environments. Different types of walking mechanisms 1 can be equipped, such as high obstacle crawlers or independent suspension systems, to adapt to orchards with various complex terrains. By adding a multi-wheel drive module, the equipment's ability to pass through complex terrain can be enhanced to ensure stable operation in different orchard environments. A high-precision GNSS module can be integrated to achieve precise navigation to improve the positioning accuracy of the equipment in large-scale orchards. At the same time, the path planning system is expanded and combined with laser radar to enhance the autonomous obstacle avoidance and path replanning capabilities, so that the equipment can make real-time adjustments in a dynamic environment to avoid obstacles and improve operating efficiency. By increasing the number of picking mechanisms 3, multi-row synchronous operations can be achieved to meet the picking needs of large-scale orchards. The use of distributed controllers enables multiple devices to work together, further improving operating efficiency and reducing operating costs per unit area.

[0106] The present invention combines laser radar and intelligent sensing technology, through intelligent sensing and control, multi-level picking mechanism 3 and modular design and flexible disc picking mechanism 3, through multiple coupling effects such as flexible clamping, bending and pulling, it realizes efficient, accurate, low-damage, automated and batch picking of kiwifruit, significantly improves the picking efficiency and fruit integrity rate, and has obvious advantages in picking efficiency, fruit quality assurance, environmental adaptability, economic cost, etc. compared with the existing rotary shearing pickers and mechanical arm robots, which will effectively promote the mechanization, automation and intelligentization of the kiwifruit industry, provide strong support for quality improvement and efficiency increase and industrial upgrading, and have broad market application prospects and economic and social benefits.

[0107] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A trellis type orchard kiwifruit picking device, characterized in that: include: Walking mechanism; At least one group of picking mechanisms is installed on the frame of the walking mechanism through a lifting mechanism, and the picking mechanism includes a bracket, a driving component, a transmission shaft, a picking plate and a knocking finger. The bracket is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism, the driving component is installed on the bracket and connected to the transmission shaft, and the picking plates are staggered on the transmission shaft. There is an angle between adjacent picking plates, so that the gaps between adjacent picking plates expand and contract periodically; the knocking finger is connected to the driving component, is set corresponding to the picking plate, and is installed on the bracket through a supporting shaft; A detection mechanism, used for real-time detection of the density and height distribution of the fruits to be picked to obtain detection information; as well as The controller is connected to the walking mechanism, the picking mechanism and the detection mechanism respectively, and dynamically plans the optimal picking path and picking sequence according to the detection information, and adjusts the picking operation parameters and picking posture in real time.

2. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The traveling mechanism includes a frame, a wheel hub motor, a traveling wheel, a shock absorbing component, a steering component and a braking component. The traveling wheel is connected to the wheel hub motor and is connected to the frame through the shock absorbing component. The wheel hub motor integrates the motor and the transmission system in the wheel hub, and achieves flexible movement and precise positioning by accurately controlling the driving torque and rotation speed of each traveling wheel. The steering component is connected to the traveling wheel for flexibly adjusting the traveling direction. The braking component is integrated in the wheel hub for rapid braking to cooperate with the picking action to achieve intermittent movement.

3. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection mechanism includes a laser radar, which is installed on the top of the lifting mechanism to scan the surrounding environment at high speed to obtain three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard. The three-dimensional point cloud data includes fruit tree locations, fruit density, height distribution and terrain information.

4. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving component includes a picking stepper motor and a knocking off stepper motor, the picking stepper motor is connected to the transmission shaft, and the knocking off stepper motor is connected to the support shaft; the controller accurately controls the rotation speed and direction of the picking plate through the picking stepper motor according to the detection information to complete the clamping and picking of the fruit; the knocking off stepper motor controls the knocking off finger to contact the fruit at the optimal position to separate the fruit from the picking plate.

5. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The knocking finger is installed between adjacent picking plates, the end of the knocking finger is a curved hook structure, the front end of the knocking finger is installed on the support shaft through a connecting hole, and one end of the support shaft is connected to the knocking stepping motor.

6. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The picking plate is a disc structure, and a fan-shaped closed area and an open area are arranged on the disc surface of the disc. Picking finger mounting parts are respectively arranged near the center and the edge of the open area. A plurality of flexible picking fingers are evenly arranged along the circumference in the open area, and both ends of the flexible picking fingers are respectively installed in the open area through the picking finger mounting parts.

7. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The number of the flexible picking fingers is adapted to the size of the fruits to be picked, and the flexible picking fingers are made of flexible material with a high friction coefficient.

8. The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The picking mechanisms are divided into three groups, which are evenly installed on the bracket along the traveling direction, and the phase angle between each group of the picking mechanisms is 120 degrees.

9. The trellis type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a fruit box, which is arranged below the picking mechanism and is used to hold the picked kiwi fruits. A buffer liner is arranged in the fruit box.

10. A method for picking kiwi fruit in a trellis orchard, characterized in that: The trellis-type orchard kiwifruit picking device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is used to pick and harvest kiwifruit to realize intelligent control of the picking operation, comprising the following steps: Acquire the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and the controller plans the optimal path of the picking device in the orchard according to the three-dimensional point cloud data of the orchard, and adjusts the driving speed in real time to ensure that the picking mechanism efficiently approaches the fruits to be picked; According to the fruit height information, the height and angle of the picking mechanism are adjusted dynamically in real time through the lifting mechanism to ensure that the fruit to be picked enters the feeding port of the adjacent picking plate at the best angle; The rotation of the picking plate is controlled to be consistent with the forward direction of the walking mechanism, and the flexible clamping and progressive stretching bending are adopted. Under the coupling effect of bending force and stretching force, the fruits to be picked held by the picking plate are separated from the fruit tree; The picked fruits continue to rotate with the picking plate, and the picking fingers smoothly pick the fruits off the picking plate and smoothly drop them into the fruit box; Repeat the above steps until the set picking task is completed or the entire orchard area is covered.

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