Obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone picking robot

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone picking robot, it is related to the technical field of fruit picking robot, including robot rotating platform, climbing mechanism, clamping mechanism, vision camera, manipulator and mechanical arm etc..The robot rotating platform is driven by stepping motor, drives mechanical arm, manipulator and camera rotation, realizes climbing obstacle and pine cone picking target identification and positioning;The clamping mechanism is driven by cylinder and tension pulley extension, for adapting to climb different thickness of trunk;The climbing mechanism has two groups, and is distributed with clamping mechanism circumferentially equidistant;By controlling the rotating speed of climbing motor, the climbing operation of robot and tilt etc. Action can be realized, driving steering motor can change the deflection angle of driving wheel, to adapt to more complex climbing operation scene;The application effectively solves the problems of poor adaptability of traditional equipment, insufficient active obstacle avoidance capability and other problems, improves the efficiency of harvesting, and is suitable for complex forest area pine efficient automatic harvesting operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of forest fruit harvesting robot technology, specifically to an obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot, suitable for efficient and automated pine cone harvesting in complex forest areas. Background Technology

[0002] Pine cones mostly grow on the middle and upper branches of pine trees (2-15 meters high). Traditional manual harvesting requires climbing or using aerial work platforms, which is inefficient and dangerous. Existing ground-based mobile harvesting robots cannot overcome vertical space limitations and are unable to cover the main pine cone distribution areas. Vibrating pine cone harvesting equipment can damage pine trees during the vibration harvesting process, and the vibration transmission effect is poor, affecting their growth and yield.

[0003] Existing climbing and harvesting robots mainly employ winding, clamping, and encircling mechanisms. Among these, the winding type (e.g., CN110065054A, CN116902102) offers high flexibility and strong obstacle-crossing ability, but its actuator and controller design is relatively complex. The clamping type (e.g., CN114261457A) primarily relies on claws for climbing, requiring multiple clamping components and resulting in lower climbing efficiency. The encircling type (e.g., CN117429529) distributes force evenly, has a strong load capacity, and is reliable in operation; however, current encircling climbing and harvesting robots have complex structures, typically requiring at least two encircling clamping mechanisms, leading to an excessively large overall structure that is unsuitable for climbing in complex obstacle scenarios or scenarios with multiple obstacles at the same height. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a climbing robot with a simple structure, high climbing efficiency, and strong obstacle avoidance capabilities to achieve precise high-altitude harvesting of pine cones. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to propose an obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot, which aims to effectively solve the technical problems of existing tree-climbing robots, such as poor trunk adaptability, insufficient active obstacle avoidance ability, and high harvesting damage rate.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0006] An obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot includes a robot rotating platform, a climbing mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a vision camera, a robotic hand, and a robotic arm.

[0007] The robot rotating platform includes a robot platform, a stepper motor, gears, a ring rack, and guide wheels;

[0008] The guide wheels are arranged circumferentially above the robot platform for guiding the ring rack. The stepper motor is placed below the robot platform to drive the gears and ring rack to rotate, which is used for the circumferential rotation of components such as robotic arms, robotic hands, and vision cameras.

[0009] Optionally, the number of guide wheels can be multiple;

[0010] The robotic arm is fixed to a ring rack, and the robotic hand and vision camera are arranged at the wrist of the robotic arm;

[0011] The clamping mechanism includes a telescopic cylinder, a bracket, and a tensioning wheel;

[0012] The clamping mechanism is fixed below the robot platform and is used to clamp tree trunks of different sizes. The support is arranged on the telescopic rod of the cylinder, and the tensioning wheel is arranged at both ends of the support.

[0013] Optionally, the number of tensioning pulleys is two;

[0014] Optionally, the clamping mechanism may also include a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure applied to the tree trunk;

[0015] The climbing mechanism includes a driven wheel, a driven wheel bracket, a tension spring, a support, a drive wheel bracket, a steering wheel platform, a gear shaft, a spur gear, a pin shaft, a spur bevel gear, a drive wheel, a bearing housing, a climbing motor, a climbing pulley, a climbing synchronous belt, a steering motor, a steering pulley, a steering synchronous belt, a large pulley, an end cap, screws, a steering shaft, and bearings.

[0016] Optionally, the number of climbing mechanisms is two sets, which are equidistant from the clamping mechanisms in the circumferential direction of the robot platform;

[0017] The climbing mechanism is fixed to the bottom of the robot platform with screws via a support. The driven wheel bracket and the driving wheel bracket are fixed to the support via a shaft and connected by a tension spring.

[0018] The driven wheel is fixed to the driven wheel bracket by a shaft, and the steering wheel platform is fixed to the driving wheel bracket by screws;

[0019] The climbing motor and steering motor are fixed to the steering wheel platform with screws. The climbing motor is connected to the climbing pulley with a set screw. The climbing pulley and the pulley part on the gear shaft transmit power through the climbing synchronous belt. The gear part of the gear shaft meshes with the spur gear to realize power transmission.

[0020] Optionally, the gear shaft has a hollow structure, and its outer surface includes a pulley mating section and a gear mating section in addition to the stepped shaft section;

[0021] The spur gear and the spur bevel gear are connected by a pin and fixed to the bearing housing. The bearing housing is fixed to the steering wheel platform by screws.

[0022] The spur bevel gear meshes with the tooth surface of the drive wheel end face, which is used for the circumferential rotation of the drive wheel to achieve the climbing action;

[0023] Optionally, the end face of the drive wheel is a gear surface, and the circumferential surface is a spike array structure;

[0024] The steering pulley is fixed to the steering motor shaft by set screws and connected to the large pulley by the steering pulley. The steering pulley is fixed to the steering shaft by screws through the end cover. The outside of the steering shaft is fitted with a bearing, and the outside of the bearing is fitted with a hole in the gear shaft. The rotation of the steering shaft drives the drive wheel to deflect, which is used to avoid complex obstacles.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0026] (1) The obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone picking robot of the present invention can control the tilt angle and direction of travel of the robot platform by the speed difference of each climbing motor and steering motor in the two sets of climbing mechanisms, and in conjunction with the vision camera, clamping mechanism, etc., it can achieve autonomous obstacle avoidance and climbing of multiple obstacles at the same height, solving the problem that existing climbing robot platforms are difficult to avoid complex obstacles.

[0027] (2) During the pine cone harvesting process, the deflection angle of the drive wheel is controlled by the steering motor so that the end face of the drive wheel is perpendicular to the trunk axis. This enables the clamping mechanism to clamp the trunk while self-locking with the trunk, increasing the stability of the harvesting process and simplifying the self-locking structure.

[0028] (3) By using a ring rack to drive the robotic arm, robotic hand and vision camera to rotate circumferentially, obstacle and target recognition is faster and picking is more convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a climbing pine cone harvesting robot;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the climbing mechanism.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. Robotic arm; 2. Vision camera; 3. Robotic arm; 4. Clamping mechanism; 5. Ring rack; 6. Gear; 7. Stepper motor; 8. Robot platform; 9. Climbing mechanism; 10. Guide wheel; 4-1. Telescopic cylinder; 4-2. Support; 4-3. Tensioning wheel; 9-1. Driven wheel; 9-2. Driven wheel support; 9-3. Tensioning spring; 9-4. Support; 9-5. Drive wheel support; 9-6. Steering wheel platform; 9-7. Gear shaft; 9-8. Spur gear; 9-9. Pin; 9-10. Spur bevel gear; 9-11. Drive wheel; 9-12. Bearing housing; 9-13. Climbing motor; 9-14. Climbing pulley; 9-15. Climbing synchronous belt; 9-16. Steering motor; 9-17. Steering pulley; 9-18. Steering synchronous belt; 9-19. Large pulley; 9-20. End cap; 9-21. Screw; 9-22. Steering shaft; 9-23. Bearing; 9-24. Steering support. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] This invention provides an obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot, see [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 3 . Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a climbing pine cone harvesting robot. The robotic arm 1 and the vision camera 2 are mounted on the wrist of the robotic arm 3 and are arranged on the ring rack 5. The gear 6 is fixed on the stepper motor 7 and cooperates with the ring rack 5, driving the ring rack 5 to rotate in the grooves of the guide wheels 10 evenly distributed around the robot platform. A clamping mechanism 4 and two climbing mechanisms 9 are also arranged on the robot platform 8.

[0036] Figure 2 The diagram shows the clamping mechanism. The telescopic cylinder 4-1 is located at the bottom of the robot platform. A pair of tension wheels 4-3 are arranged on the bracket 4-2 and fixed to the telescopic rod of the telescopic cylinder 4-1.

[0037] Figure 3The diagram shows the climbing mechanism. The entire climbing mechanism is fixed to the bottom of the robot platform 8 via support 9-4. The driven wheel bracket 9-2 and the driving wheel bracket 9-5 are fixed to support 9-4 and connected by tension spring 9-3. The driven wheel 9-1 is fixed to the driven wheel bracket 9-2, and the steering wheel platform 9-6 is fixed to the driving wheel bracket 9-5. The climbing motor 9-13 and the steering motor 9-16 are arranged on the steering wheel platform 9-6. The climbing pulley 9-14 is fixed to the climbing motor 9-13 and cooperates with the climbing synchronous belt 9-15. The belt drive drives the pulley on the gear shaft 9-7 to rotate. The gear shaft 9-7 drives the spur gear 9-8 to rotate through gear meshing. Gear 9-8 and spur bevel gear 9-10 are fixed to bearing housing 9-12 by pin 9-9. Bearing housing 9-12 is arranged on steering bracket 9-24. Spur bevel gear 9-10 drives drive wheel 9-11 to rotate through gear meshing, realizing climbing action. Steering pulley 9-17 is fixed to steering motor 9-16 and cooperates with steering timing belt 9-18. Power is transmitted to large pulley 9-19 through belt drive. Large pulley 9-19 is fixed to steering shaft 9-22 by end cover 9-20 and screw 9-21. Steering shaft 9-22 and gear shaft 9-7 are fixed by bearing 9-23. Rotation of large pulley 9-19 drives steering shaft 9-22 to rotate, thereby realizing deflection of drive wheel.

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The following describes the working process of an obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot according to the present invention: During the climbing process, the climbing motor 9-13 drives the climbing pulley 9-14 to transmit power to the gear shaft through the climbing synchronous belt 9-15. The gear shaft transmits power to the spur gear 9-8 through gear meshing, and drives the spur bevel gear 9-10 to rotate through the pin shaft 9-9. The spur bevel gear 9-10 drives the drive wheel 9-11 to rotate through gear meshing. At the same time, it cooperates with the telescopic cylinder 4-1 and the tensioning wheel 4-3 to realize the robot's climbing action. During the climbing process, the elastic mechanisms such as the tensioning mechanism 4 and the tensioning spring 9-3 can be used in conjunction with the drive wheel 9-11 and its support 9-2, the driven wheel 9-1 and its support 9-5, and other components to adapt to small obstacles or size changes on the tree trunk surface.

[0039] When the vision camera 2 detects an obstacle or tree branch, the robot begins to change its posture. The steering motor 9-16 drives the steering pulley 9-17, which in turn drives the large pulley 9-19 to rotate via the steering timing belt 9-18. The large pulley 9-19 is fixed to the steering shaft 9-22 by screws 9-21 and end caps 9-20. The rotation of the steering shaft causes the steering bracket 9-24 and the drive wheel 9-11 to deflect, and works in conjunction with components such as the climbing motor 9-13, enabling the robot to move along vertical, horizontal, and spiral directions at different angles. By utilizing the gaps in the robot platform 8 and the ring rack 5, the robot can pass through obstacles, thus achieving climbing operations in scenarios with multiple obstacles at the same height and complex obstacles.

[0040] When the robot climbs to a suitable picking position, the steering motor 9-16, through the aforementioned transmission route, keeps the end face of the drive wheel 9-11 horizontal and cooperates with the clamping mechanism 4 to achieve self-locking of the robot platform. Simultaneously, the vision camera 2 identifies and locates the picking target position. The stepper motor 7 drives the gear 6, which in turn drives the ring rack 5 to rotate within the grooves of a series of guide wheels 10, enabling the ring rack 5 to move circumferentially around the tree trunk. Since the base of the robotic arm 3 is fixed to the ring rack 5, when the ring rack 5 brings the robotic arm 3 to a branch close to the picking target, the stepper motor 7 stops rotating. At the same time, the robotic arm 3, through the coordinated movements of its joint motors, moves the robotic hand 1 to the picking target position, opens its mechanical fingers, grasps the target pine cone to separate it from the branch, and then opens its mechanical hand again, allowing the pine cone to fall naturally to the ground, thus completing the pine cone picking operation.

[0041] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot, characterized in that: It includes a robot rotating platform, a climbing mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a vision camera, a robotic arm, and a robotic arm; the vision camera and the robotic arm are mounted on the wrist of the robotic arm, the robotic arm is mounted on the ring rack of the robot rotating platform, and the clamping mechanism and the climbing mechanism are circumferentially and equidistantly mounted on the bottom of the robot platform. The climbing mechanism consists of a driven wheel, a driven wheel bracket, a tension spring, a support, a drive wheel bracket, a steering wheel platform, a gear shaft, a spur gear, a pin shaft, a spur bevel gear, a drive wheel, a bearing housing, a climbing motor, a climbing pulley, a climbing synchronous belt, a steering motor, a steering pulley, a steering synchronous belt, a steering bracket, a large pulley, an end cap, screws, a steering shaft, and bearings. The climbing mechanism is fixed to the bottom of the robot platform by the support. The driven wheel bracket and the drive wheel bracket are fixed to the support by the shaft and connected by the tension spring to adapt to small changes in tree trunk size and to overcome small obstacles. A driven wheel is mounted on the driven wheel bracket; a steering wheel platform is mounted on the driving wheel bracket, and a climbing motor and a steering motor are mounted on the steering wheel platform; a climbing pulley is mounted on the motor shaft of the climbing motor, and the climbing pulley and the gear shaft are transmitted through a climbing synchronous belt; the gear shaft drives the spur gear to rotate through gear meshing; the spur gear and the spur bevel gear are fixed to the bearing seat by a pin, the bearing seat is fixed to the steering bracket, and the spur bevel gear drives the driving wheel to rotate through gear meshing, realizing the forward and backward movements during the climbing process; A steering pulley is installed on the steering motor. The steering pulley is connected to the large pulley through a steering timing belt and transmits power. The large pulley is fixed to the steering shaft by an end cap and screws. One end of the steering shaft is fitted with the inner hole of a bearing, and the outer hole of the bearing is fitted with the inner hole of a gear shaft. The other end of the steering shaft is connected to a steering bracket. The drive wheel is fixed on the steering bracket. The rotation of the steering shaft drives the drive wheel to deflect, thereby realizing obstacle avoidance during climbing and the self-locking function of the robot on the tree trunk during the picking process. The climbing mechanism consists of two sets. By controlling the speed difference between the climbing motors in the two sets, the tilt angle of the robot platform can be adjusted. In conjunction with the steering motor, the overall direction of travel of the picking robot during the climbing process can be controlled. At the same time, it can realize the self-locking function, enabling it to achieve different running trajectories in up and down, left and right, and different spiral angles, so as to adapt to autonomous obstacle avoidance of multiple obstacles at the same height.

2. The obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot rotating platform consists of a robot platform, a ring rack, gears, a stepper motor, and guide wheels. The gears are fixed to the stepper motor and mesh with the ring rack. The guide wheels are circumferentially distributed on the robot platform. The outer ring of the ring rack is installed in the groove of the guide wheel. By controlling the stepper motor to drive the gear to rotate, and by utilizing the meshing of the gears with the ring rack, the ring rack drives the robotic arm, robotic arm, and camera to rotate rapidly around the tree trunk.

3. The obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism consists of a telescopic cylinder, a bracket, and tension wheels. The telescopic cylinder is fixed below the robot platform, and a bracket is installed on its telescopic rod. A pair of tension wheels are installed on the bracket. By controlling the extension and retraction of the cylinder, it can climb tree trunks of different sizes and prevent falling.

4. The obstacle-avoiding climbing pine cone harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gear shaft has a hollow internal structure. In addition to the stepped shaft section, the external structure also includes a spur gear shaft section and a synchronous belt pulley shaft section. The spur gear shaft section meshes with the spur gear through gear meshing, and the synchronous belt pulley shaft section engages with the climbing synchronous belt.

Images