Double-arm fruit picking robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a double-arm fruit picking robot, and belongs to the technical field of agricultural machinery. The device comprises a movable chassis, a vehicle body and a picking mechanism, the movable chassis comprises a box body and a walking mechanism, the vehicle body is fixedly installed on the box body, a control system used for controlling the picking mechanism is arranged in a containing space in the vehicle body, and a walking navigation positioning mechanism is arranged outside the vehicle body; the picking mechanism comprises an execution assembly, two mechanical arms and a gripper. The double mechanical arms are installed on the double-shaft electric cylinder module, the Z-shaft module and the Y module enable the double mechanical arms to move up and down and left and right to pick fruits at high positions and deep positions, so that the fruits on fruit trees of different tree ages and different heights can be efficiently picked, and a picking blind area of the fruits at the high positions is avoided; multi-point operation can be carried out through the design of the double mechanical arms, and the picking efficiency is improved; the mechanical arm is a six-axis mechanical arm, two claws or three claws can be selected for the gripper according to the types of the fruits, free gripping during picking is achieved, and the mechanical arm is compatible with various types of fruits.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of agricultural machinery, and in particular to a double-arm fruit picking robot. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of agricultural modernization, the improvement of fruit tree planting and fruit picking efficiency has become the focus of attention of fruit farmers and agricultural enterprises. The traditional way of fruit picking usually relies on manual labor. Operators need to wear work clothes and carry baskets to shuttle back and forth in the orchard to pick fruits one by one. This method is not only labor-intensive, but also inefficient. Especially in the peak picking season, it is difficult to meet the demand for picking a large number of high-quality fruits. Due to the low efficiency, it is impossible to ensure timely picking during the best maturity period of the fruit, which is easy to cause losses.

[0003] In addition, traditional manual picking requires ladders or other auxiliary tools when encountering fruits at high places, which poses certain safety hazards. Manual picking cannot accurately judge the maturity of the fruit, and the experience and judgment of different pickers vary, making it difficult to ensure the uniformity of fruit quality, thus affecting the quality and market competitiveness of the fruit.

[0004] In order to deal with these problems, it is particularly necessary to develop an automatic picking device. The device can autonomously walk under the fruit tree, accurately identify the ripe fruits through intelligent image recognition technology, and pick them and put them into the collection box. When encountering high-altitude fruits, the device can rise to a specified height to pick the high-altitude fruits safely and efficiently, realizing intelligent picking and reducing labor intensity and labor costs. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a double-arm fruit picking robot to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A double-arm fruit picking robot comprises a mobile chassis, a body and a picking mechanism, wherein the mobile chassis comprises a box body and a walking mechanism, wherein the walking mechanism is arranged on both sides of the box body, and a power device and a control module for driving the walking mechanism are installed in the box body;

[0008] The vehicle body is fixedly mounted on the box body, the vehicle body is composed of a frame and a plurality of mounting plates, and forms a placement space for installing parts, a control system for controlling the picking mechanism is arranged in the placement space, and a walking navigation positioning mechanism is arranged outside the vehicle body;

[0009] The picking mechanism includes an execution component, two robotic arms and a gripper, the execution component includes a dual-axis electric cylinder module, the dual-axis electric cylinder module includes a Z-axis module and a Y-axis module, the two robotic arms are installed on the Y-axis module, and the two robotic arms can realize left and right linear motion in opposite or same directions on the Y-axis module, and the gripper is connected to the robotic arm.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the walking mechanism includes two crawler-type walking assemblies with the same structure, which are respectively installed on both sides of the box body, and the crawler-type walking assembly includes multiple supporting rollers, track wheels, guide wheels and tracks, wherein the multiple supporting rollers are arranged at equal intervals, the guide wheels are arranged above the supporting rollers, the track wheels are rotatably connected to the output end of the power device, and the track is a closed ring and is meshed on the outside of the track wheels and contacts with the outside of the supporting rollers and the guide wheels.

[0011] Through the above technical solution, the robot can walk with high stability and flexibility in complex terrain.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the power device includes a drive motor and a battery compartment fixedly installed in the box body, the drive motor is used to drive the track wheel to rotate so that the track moves, and the battery compartment is used to provide power.

[0013] Through the above technical solution, power support is provided for the robot's walking mechanism to ensure efficient operation of the equipment.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the walking navigation and positioning mechanism includes a laser radar, an image collector and a satellite navigation and positioning system. The laser radar is installed on the vehicle body to build a map to avoid obstacles. The image collector is installed on the top of the execution component to obtain picking image information. The satellite navigation and positioning system is installed on the vehicle body to provide global positioning.

[0015] Through the above technical solutions, the robot can achieve autonomous navigation and precise positioning, and improve the level of intelligent operation.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the frame is formed by a plurality of horizontal and vertical support rods fixed by steel connectors.

[0017] Through the above technical solution, a stable supporting structure is provided to carry the picking mechanism and other components.

[0018] In a further embodiment, a material frame is installed on the vehicle body for placing picked fruits.

[0019] The above technical solution facilitates the centralized storage of fruits after picking and reduces manual handling.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the Z-axis module includes a first slide rail vertically arranged on the vehicle body, a first slider slidably mounted on the first slide rail, the Y-axis module includes a second slide rail horizontally arranged and fixed on the first slider, a second slider and a third slider slidably mounted on the second slide rail, the second slider and the third slider are both connected to a mechanical arm, and the two mechanical arms respectively move left and right with the second slider and the third slider in a linear motion;

[0021] When the two mechanical arms move in opposite directions along the second slide rail with the slider and approach each other, the connection between one mechanical arm and the second slider and the connection between the other mechanical arm and the third slider do not contact.

[0022] Through the above technical solution, a flexible range of motion of the robotic arm is achieved to ensure multi-angle picking.

[0023] In a further embodiment, a stop block is provided on the second slide rail, and a tow chain is installed on the first slide block, the second slide block and the third slide block through a connecting plate.

[0024] Through the above technical solution, the safety of the slider operation and the orderliness of the cables are ensured.

[0025] In a further embodiment, the robotic arm is a six-axis robotic arm, and the gripper is a two-claw or three-claw robotic arm.

[0026] Through the above technical solution, the robotic arm can grab fruits for picking with a high degree of freedom, and the gripper can be suitable for fruits of different shapes and sizes, with a wide range of applications.

[0027] In a further embodiment, the control system includes a visual system, a fruit picking system and a fault handling system, wherein the visual system is used to perceive fruit and environmental information and provide data support for the fruit picking system and the fault handling system; the fruit picking system is used to perform specific operations of fruit picking; and the fault handling system is used to monitor and respond to abnormal conditions of the control system.

[0028] Through the above technical solution, intelligent picking operations can be realized and the reliability of equipment can be improved.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0030] 1. By installing the dual robotic arms on the dual-axis electric cylinder module, the Z-axis module and the Y-axis module enable the dual robotic arms to move up and down and left and right to pick fruits at high and deep places, so that fruits from trees of different ages and heights can be picked efficiently, avoiding blind spots for picking fruits at high places, and the picking range is wide; the design of the dual robotic arms can perform multi-point operations to improve picking efficiency; and the robotic arms use six-axis robotic arms, and the grippers can choose two or three claws according to the type of fruit, so as to realize free grabbing of picking, compatible with a variety of fruit types, and have a wide range of applications;

[0031] 2. The walking positioning and navigation mechanism composed of laser radar, image acquisition device and satellite navigation and positioning system enables the walking mechanism to achieve high-precision path planning and obstacle avoidance, so that the picking robot can work in greenhouses and complex field ridges without being restricted by the environment;

[0032] 3. By integrating vision and navigation functions through the control system, the target fruit can be accurately located to improve the picking quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the mobile chassis in the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the vehicle body in the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 It is a structural diagram of the execution component in the present invention.

[0037] Attached figure numbers: 1. Mobile chassis; 11. Box body; 12. Walking mechanism; 121. Track; 122. Guide wheel; 123. Track wheel; 124. Support wheel; 13. Driving motor; 14. Battery compartment; 2. Vehicle body; 3. Actuator; 31. First slide rail; 32. First slider; 33. Second slide rail; 34. Second slider; 35. Third slider; 36. Connecting plate; 37. Drag chain; 38. Stop block; 4. Robotic arm; 5. Gripper; 6. Laser radar; 7. Image collector; 8. Material frame; 9. Support rod; 10. Control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present invention, some technical features well known in the art are not described.

[0039] See also Figure 1-Figure 4The present invention provides a dual-arm fruit picking robot, hereinafter referred to as "the robot". The robot comprises a mobile chassis 1, a vehicle body 2 and a picking mechanism.

[0040] See also Figure 2 The mobile chassis 1 includes a box body 11 and a walking mechanism 12, wherein a power device and a control module for driving the walking mechanism 12 are installed in the box body 11, and the walking mechanism 12 includes two crawler 121-type walking assemblies with the same structure, which are respectively installed on both sides of the box body 11.

[0041] Among them, the track 121 type walking assembly includes multiple supporting wheels 124, track wheels 123, guide wheels 122 and track 121, wherein multiple supporting wheels 124 are arranged at equal intervals, the guide wheels 122 are arranged above the supporting wheels 124, the track wheels 123 are rotatably connected to the output end of the power device, and the track 121 uses a closed ring track 121, which is meshed with the outer side of the track wheel 123 and contacts with the outer sides of the supporting wheels 124 and the guide wheels 122.

[0042] The power device includes a drive motor 13 and a battery compartment 14 fixedly installed in the box body 11, wherein the drive motor 13 is used to drive the track wheel 123 to rotate to move the track 121, and the battery compartment 14 is used to provide power support for the entire system of the robot, and there is no exhaust emission during operation, thereby reducing pollution.

[0043] Specifically, when the battery compartment 14 provides power to the drive motor 13, the drive motor 13 rotates, driving the track wheel 123 to rotate, thereby causing the track 121 engaged with the track wheel 123 to roll. When the track 121 rolls, the supporting wheels 124 and the guide wheels 122 in contact with the track 121 rotate, increasing the stability of the track 121 when rolling.

[0044] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 The vehicle body 2 is fixedly mounted on the box body 11. The vehicle body 2 is composed of a frame and a plurality of mounting plates, and forms a placement space for installing parts. A control system 10 for controlling the picking mechanism is installed in the placement space. A walking navigation and positioning mechanism is provided outside the vehicle body 2.

[0045] The frame is formed by a plurality of horizontal and vertical support rods 9 fixed by steel connectors, which ensures the stability of the vehicle body 2 and can carry the picking mechanism and other components; a material frame 8 is installed on the vehicle body 2 for placing picked fruits.

[0046] The walking navigation and positioning mechanism includes a laser radar 6, an image collector 7 and a satellite navigation and positioning system. The laser radar 6 is installed on the vehicle body 2 and is used to build a map to avoid obstacles. The image collector 7 is installed on the top of the execution component 3 and is used to obtain picking image information. The satellite navigation and positioning system is installed on the vehicle body 2 and is used to provide global positioning.

[0047] See also Figure 1 and Figure 4 The picking mechanism includes an execution component 3, two robotic arms 4 and a gripper 5. The execution component 3 includes a dual-axis electric cylinder module. The dual-axis electric cylinder module includes a Z-axis module and a Y-axis module. The two robotic arms 4 are installed on the Y-axis module, and the two robotic arms 4 can realize left and right linear motion with opposite or same motion directions on the Y-axis module. The gripper 5 is connected to the robotic arm 4.

[0048] Continue reading Figure 4 The Z-axis module includes a first slide rail 31 vertically arranged on the vehicle body 2, a first slider 32 slidably installed on the first slide rail 31, and the Y-axis module includes a second slide rail 33 horizontally arranged and fixed on the first slider 32, a second slider 34 and a third slider 35 slidably installed on the second slide rail 33, and the second slide rail 33 is provided with a stop block 38 between the second slider 34 and the third slider 35, and the first slider 32, the second slider 34 and the third slider 35 are all provided with a drag chain 37 through a connecting plate 36, so that the cables are arranged in order.

[0049] Continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 4 The second slider 34 and the third slider 35 are both connected to a robotic arm 4, and the two robotic arms 4 can respectively move left and right in a straight line with the second slider 34 and the third slider 35; when the two robotic arms 4 move in opposite directions along the second slide rail 33 with the sliders and approach each other, the connection between one robotic arm 4 and the second slider 34 and the connection between the other robotic arm 4 and the third slider 35 do not contact.

[0050] Specifically, when the Z-axis module starts to work, the first slider 32 drives the Y-axis module to move up and down along the first slide rail 31; when the Y-axis module is working, the second slider 34 drives a robot arm 4 to move left and right along the second slide rail 33, and the third slider 35 drives another robot arm 4 to move left and right along the second slide rail 33, and the movement directions of the second slider 34 and the third slider 35 can be the same or opposite; when the second slider 34 and the third slider 35 move in opposite directions and approach each other, the connection points of the two robot arms 4 with the second slider 34 and the third slider 35 respectively do not contact due to the isolation of the stop block 38, ensuring that the two robot arms 4 do not collide when moving left and right, thereby increasing the safety of the slider operation.

[0051] As a preferred solution, the robotic arm 4 adopts a six-axis robotic arm 4, which can enable the gripper 5 to rotate flexibly according to actual conditions to ensure the accuracy of picking.

[0052] As a preferred solution, the gripper 5 can be detached from the rotating end of the mechanical arm 4. The gripper 5 adopts two claws or three claws, which can pick different kinds of fruits and has a wide range of applications.

[0053] The control system 10 includes a visual system, a fruit picking system and a fault handling system, wherein the visual system is used to perceive fruit and environmental information and provide data support for the fruit picking system and the fault handling system; the fruit picking system is used to perform specific operations of fruit picking; the fault handling system is used to monitor and respond to abnormal situations of the control system 10 to ensure the stability and reliability of the system.

[0054] Specifically, the visual system uses the image collector 7 to collect images, perceive the color, shape and size of the fruit, identifies the position, maturity and feasibility of picking the fruit through the image processing algorithm, and detects obstacles around the fruit, providing a basis for picking path planning; the fruit picking system moves the robot arm 4 to the target fruit position according to the position information provided by the visual system, controls the gripper 5 to complete the fruit picking action, and ensures that the damage to the fruit and the plant during the picking process is minimized; the fault handling system monitors the operating status of the fruit picking system and the visual system in real time, records and analyzes the errors that occur, and takes emergency measures when errors occur, such as replanning the picking path, restarting the equipment, or notifying maintenance personnel.

[0055] The present invention plans the robot's route through the control system 10 and the walking navigation positioning mechanism. The mobile chassis 1 moves according to the planned path and stops at the designated position. The actuator 3 drives the mechanical arm 4 and the gripper 5 to start picking. The image collector 7 takes pictures of the fruit and the environment, and digitally processes the pictures obtained by the image collector 7 based on the algorithm language. The two sets of data are simultaneously transmitted to the control system 10. The control system 10 compares the two sets of data to obtain the best picking object and picking route and returns the picking task to the two mechanical arms 4. When the mechanical arm 4 reaches the pre-arrival position, the gripper 5 picks the fruit tree and then puts the fruit into the material frame 8.

[0056] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0057] (1) Efficient picking: The dual robotic arm 4 design can perform multi-point operations simultaneously, significantly improving picking efficiency; the six-axis robotic arm 4 and flexible gripper 5 can adapt to fruits of different sizes and shapes to ensure picking accuracy.

[0058] (2) Intelligent navigation: The walking navigation and positioning mechanism composed of laser radar 6, image collector 7 and satellite navigation and positioning system can realize high-precision path planning and obstacle avoidance, and improve the adaptability of the robot in the complex environment of the orchard.

[0059] (3) Modular design: The skeleton structure and mounting plate design facilitate the installation, debugging and maintenance of various components; the Z-axis module and Y-axis module of the actuator 3 have clear division of labor, and the movement is stable and reliable.

[0060] (4) Safe and reliable: The use of the stop block 38 and the drag chain 37 avoids component collision and cable damage during operation, thereby increasing the service life of the equipment.

[0061] (5) Energy saving and environmental protection: It adopts battery-driven mode and has no exhaust gas emissions during operation, which meets the environmental protection requirements of modern orchards.

[0062] (6) Strong adaptability: The control system 10 integrates vision and navigation functions, can accurately locate the target fruit and adapt to different orchard layouts, which helps to improve the coverage and flexibility of the picking operation.

[0063] As described above, although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should not be construed as limiting the present invention itself. Various changes may be made to it in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A double-arm fruit picking robot, comprising a mobile chassis (1), a body (2) and a picking mechanism, characterized in that: The mobile chassis (1) comprises a box (11) and a walking mechanism (12), wherein the walking mechanism (12) is arranged on both sides of the box (11), and a power device and a control module for driving the walking mechanism (12) are installed in the box (11); The vehicle body (2) is fixedly mounted on the box body (11); the vehicle body (2) is composed of a frame and a plurality of mounting plates, and forms a placement space for mounting parts; a control system (10) for controlling the picking mechanism is arranged in the placement space; and a walking navigation positioning mechanism is arranged outside the vehicle body (2); The picking mechanism comprises an execution component (3), two mechanical arms (4) and a gripper (5); the execution component (3) comprises a dual-axis electric cylinder module, the dual-axis electric cylinder module comprises a Z-axis module and a Y-axis module, the two mechanical arms (4) are mounted on the Y-axis module, and the two mechanical arms (4) can realize left-right linear motion in opposite or same directions on the Y-axis module; the gripper (5) is connected to the mechanical arm (4).

2. A dual-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking mechanism (12) comprises two crawler (121) type walking assemblies with the same structure, which are respectively installed on both sides of the box (11); the crawler (121) type walking assemblies comprise a plurality of supporting rollers (124), crawler (121) wheels, guide wheels (122) and crawler (121); wherein the plurality of supporting rollers (124) are arranged at equal intervals, the guide wheels (122) are arranged above the supporting rollers (124), the crawler (121) wheels are rotatably connected to the output end of the power device, and the crawler (121) is in a closed ring shape and meshes with the outer side of the crawler (121) wheels and contacts with the outer sides of the supporting rollers (124) and the guide wheels (122).

3. A dual-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power device comprises a drive motor (13) and a battery compartment (14) fixedly mounted in the box (11); the drive motor (13) is used to drive the track (121) wheel to rotate so as to move the track (121); and the battery compartment (14) is used to provide power.

4. A dual-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking navigation and positioning mechanism comprises a laser radar (6), an image collector (7) and a satellite navigation and positioning system. The laser radar (6) is installed on the vehicle body (2) and is used to construct a map to avoid obstacles. The image collector (7) is installed on the top of the execution component (3) and is used to obtain picking image information. The satellite navigation and positioning system is installed on the vehicle body (2) and is used to provide global positioning.

5. The double-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is formed by a plurality of horizontal and vertical support rods (9) fixed by steel connectors.

6. The double-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A material frame (8) is installed on the vehicle body (2) for placing picked fruits.

7. The double-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Z-axis module comprises a first slide rail (31) vertically arranged on the vehicle body (2), a first slider (32) slidably mounted on the first slide rail (31), the Y-axis module comprises a second slide rail (33) horizontally arranged and fixed on the first slider (32), a second slider (34) and a third slider (35) slidably mounted on the second slide rail (33), the second slider (34) and the third slider (35) are both connected to a mechanical arm (4), and the two mechanical arms (4) respectively move left and right in a linear motion along with the second slider (34) and the third slider (35); When the two mechanical arms (4) move in opposite directions along the second slide rail (33) with the slider and approach each other, the connection between one mechanical arm (4) and the second slide block (34) and the connection between the other mechanical arm (4) and the third slide block (35) are not in contact.

8. The double-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: A stop block (38) is provided on the second slide rail (33), and a drag chain (37) is installed on the first slide block (32), the second slide block (34) and the third slide block (35) via a connecting plate (36).

9. The double-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical arm (4) is a six-axis mechanical arm (4), and the gripper (5) is a two-claw or three-claw mechanical arm.

10. The double-arm fruit picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system (10) comprises a visual system, a fruit picking system and a fault handling system, wherein the visual system is used to perceive fruit and environmental information and provide data support for the fruit picking system and the fault handling system; the fruit picking system is used to perform specific operations of fruit picking; and the fault handling system is used to monitor and respond to abnormal conditions of the control system (10).

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