Plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping end effector and use method

Abstract

The invention relates to a plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping end effector and a using method thereof.The plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping end effector comprises a fixed shell, a depth camera fixedly connected to the fixed shell and a center push rod connected to the fixed shell in a front-back sliding mode, and two side-by-side positioning hooks are fixedly connected to the front end of the fixed shell; the front end of the central push rod is fixedly connected with a blade and a clamping mechanism positioned on one side of the blade; the device further comprises a driving mechanism for driving the center push rod to move front and back, when the blade moves forwards from the tool retracting position to the tool feeding position, the blade penetrates through the two positioning hooks, and the clamping mechanism abuts against the interior of one positioning hook. The operation stability and adaptability of the fruit and vegetable management and harvesting robot are remarkably improved, efficient cooperation of various operation tasks such as fruit picking, branch wiping, leaf threshing and top pinching can be achieved, the crop damage rate is reduced, and the actual requirement for intelligent management of various types of fruits and vegetables is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of agricultural intelligent equipment, and in particular to an end effector with plant anti-shake and synchronized cutting and clamping, and a use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the process of intelligent management and harvesting of fruit and vegetable crops, the end effector is the core component that directly contacts the crops, and its structural design has an important impact on the efficiency and stability of plant management and fruit harvesting.

[0003] Existing end effectors have problems such as unstable clamping, complex structure, and poor adaptability, which make it difficult to meet the needs of various types of fruit and vegetable management and harvesting operations. In addition, due to the soft branches and slender fruit stalks of crops, it is easy to cause unstable clamping, cutting failure, and plant shaking, which affects the recognition accuracy and operation success rate. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a universal end effector with anti-shake function, compact structure, and strong adaptability to improve the operation stability and adaptability of the management and harvesting robot and meet the needs of intelligent management of various types of fruits and vegetables. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides an end effector with plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping and a use method. The end effector has the operating capabilities of plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping, which significantly improves the operating stability and adaptability of the fruit and vegetable management and harvesting robot, and can achieve efficient coordination of various operating tasks such as fruit picking, branch removal, leaf beating, and top pinching, thereby reducing the crop damage rate and meeting the actual needs of intelligent management of various types of fruits and vegetables.

[0005] The present invention is achieved through the following technical scheme, which provides an end effector with plant anti-shake and synchronized cutting and clamping, including a fixed shell, a depth camera fixedly connected to the fixed shell, and a central push rod slidably connected to the fixed shell front and back, the front end of the fixed shell is fixedly connected to two side-by-side positioning hooks, the front end of the central push rod is fixedly connected to a blade and a clamping mechanism located on one side of the blade; it also includes a driving mechanism for driving the central push rod to move forward and backward, when the blade moves forward from the retracting position to the feeding position, the blade passes through the two positioning hooks and the clamping mechanism is pressed against one of the positioning hooks.

[0006] The depth camera recognition and path planning in this solution realize the automation of the entire process of positioning, cutting, and clamping, reduce manual intervention, and improve the level of intelligence. The positioning hook is used to locate the cutting position, and the clamping mechanism is used to press it into one of the positioning hooks to prevent the cutting part from shaking. After the cutting is completed, the cut part is clamped for easy removal; the cutting operation at the target position is achieved by the blade passing through the two positioning hooks.

[0007] As an optimization, the blade is connected to the central push rod through a quick tool change device. The quick tool change device includes a connecting rod fixedly connected to the front end of the central push rod, an elastic jaw fixedly connected to the front end of the connecting rod, and a conical pressing sleeve sleeved on the connecting rod. The inner hole at the front end of the conical pressing sleeve is a conical hole. A spring for pushing the conical pressing sleeve forward is installed on the connecting rod. The conical hole at the front end of the conical pressing sleeve presses the elastic jaw to clamp the blade. In this solution, the blade is detachably connected by a quick tool change device, which is convenient for blade replacement and maintenance, and improves the operation continuity and service life of the end effector. When replacing the blade, the hand pushes the conical pressing sleeve towards the connecting rod to open the elastic jaw. After replacing the blade, release the conical pressing sleeve. Under the action of the spring force, the conical pressing sleeve squeezes the elastic jaw to clamp the blade, completing the tool change operation.

[0008] As an optimization, anti-slip lines are provided on the surface of the conical pressing sleeve. The anti-slip lines provided in this solution can effectively increase the friction with the hand, prevent slipping, and make the operation more labor-saving and convenient.

[0009] As an optimization, the drive mechanism includes a rotating sleeve located between the central push rod and the fixed housing and a servo motor for driving the rotating sleeve to rotate. A spiral groove is opened on the rotating sleeve, and a linear guide groove extending forward and backward is opened on the fixed housing. A guide key is fixedly connected to the central push rod, and the guide key passes through the spiral groove and the linear guide groove. In this solution, the guide key passes through the linear guide groove, so that the central push rod can only slide back and forth. The servo motor drives the rotating sleeve to rotate, and the forward and backward movement of the central push rod is realized through the spiral groove.

[0010] As an optimization, the two positioning hooks are a V-shaped positioning hook and a rectangular positioning hook respectively, and the clamping mechanism abuts against the inside of the rectangular positioning hook. In this solution, the clamping mechanism abuts against the inside of the rectangular positioning hook, so as to prevent the cutting part from shaking during cutting, and clamp the cut part after cutting is completed, which is convenient for taking away. The groove inside the V-shaped positioning hook is V-shaped, which can enhance the positioning effect when the blade cuts the target and effectively prevent the target from moving.

[0011] As an optimization, anti-slip sponge is provided at the front end of the clamping mechanism. The anti-slip sponge provided in this solution has a soft contact, which effectively reduces the probability of fruit and vegetable damage and plant virus infection, and protects the health of crops.

[0012] As an optimization, the fixed housing is connected to the end of the robotic arm. Thus, the movement of the end effector is realized.

[0013] As an optimization, the front end of the blade is sharpened, and the width of the blade is greater than the width inside the positioning hook. Thus, it is ensured that the blade can effectively cut the target point.

[0014] A method for using an end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization, when used for fruit picking, includes the following steps: S1: Install the blade; S2: Identify the target fruit through a depth camera, locate the operation point, plan the operation path, and determine the insertion position, hooking position, and cutting position; S3: Drive the end effector by the robotic arm to reach each path point in sequence. At the insertion position, adjust the positioning hook body to be parallel to the fruit stalk direction. At the hooking position, the end effector rotates 90° towards the fruit stalk direction to allow the fruit stalk to enter the positioning hook. At the cutting position, control the blade to translate forward along the gap between the two positioning hooks. While cutting the fruit stalk, the clamping device simultaneously clamps the target fruit.

[0015] A method for using an end effector with plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping, which is used for pruning side branches, defoliating, or pinching the top of plants, includes the following steps: A1: Install the blade; A2: Control the rotation of the end joint of the robotic arm to invert the end effector. At the same time, adjust the depth camera image, and perform two-way flipping of the image after frame acquisition; A3: Identify the target part through a depth camera, locate the operation point, plan the operation path, and determine the insertion position, hooking position, and cutting position; A4: Drive the end effector by the robotic arm to reach each path point in sequence: At the insertion position, adjust the positioning hook body to be parallel to the growth direction of the target part. At the hooking position, the end effector rotates 90° towards the side branch direction to allow the target part to enter the positioning hook. At the cutting position, control the blade to translate forward along the gap between the two positioning hooks. While cutting the target part, the clamping device simultaneously clamps the target part.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. The present invention provides a general end effector with a compact structure and integrated functions, which has the operation capabilities of plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping, significantly improves the operation stability and adaptability of the fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, and meets the actual needs of multi-category fruit and vegetable intelligent management.

[0017] 2. The present invention can achieve the efficient coordination of multiple operation tasks such as fruit picking, pruning side branches, defoliating, and pinching the top, and can be used for multiple purposes, improving the equipment utilization rate.

[0018] 3. The present invention effectively fixes the operation target by setting the cooperative structure of the positioning hook and the clamping device, reduces the shaking of the crop, avoids the damage caused by the rebound of the fruit stalk or side branch, and improves the operation efficiency and success rate.

[0019] 4. The present invention adopts a quick tool change device and a detachable structure, which is convenient for blade replacement and maintenance, and improves the operation continuity and service life of the end effector.

[0020] 5. The present invention is attached with anti-slip sponge at the clamping end, with soft contact, effectively reducing the probability of fruit and vegetable damage and plant virus infection, and ensuring the health of the crop.

[0021] 6. The present invention combines depth camera recognition with path planning to automate the entire process of positioning, cutting, and clamping, reduce manual intervention, and improve the level of intelligence. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the quick tool changing device of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the quick tool changing device of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the knife cutting position during the picking operation of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the knife cutting position during the wiping operation of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the knife cutting position during the pinching operation of the present invention; As shown in the figure: 1. V-shaped positioning hook, 2. Rectangular positioning hook, 3. Blade, 4. Clamping mechanism, 5. Quick tool changing device, 6. Front cover, 7. Linear guide groove, 8. Depth camera, 9. Fixed shell, 10. Back cover, 11. Anti-slip sponge, 12. Spiral groove, 13. Spiral groove guide mechanism, 14. Vent, 15. Center push rod, 16. Rotating sleeve, 17. Guide key, 18. Servo, 19. Servo fixing plate, 20. Elastic clamping claw, 21. Conical pressure sleeve, 22. Spring, 23. Connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to clearly illustrate the technical features of this solution, this solution is described below through a specific implementation method.

[0024] like Figures 1 - 7 As shown, an end effector for plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping of the present invention comprises a fixed housing 9, a depth camera 8 fixed to the fixed housing 9, and a central push rod 15 slidably connected to the fixed housing 9 in front and back directions. The fixed housing 9 comprises a front cover 6 and a rear cover, the front cover 6 and the rear cover 10 are connected by a flange, and the rear cover 10 is connected to the end of the robot arm by bolts, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the front cover 6 is a circular tubular structure, and the central push rod 15 passes through the central hole at the front end of the front cover 6. The depth camera 8 is fixed on the side of the rear cover 10, facing forward.

[0025] The front end of the fixed housing 9 is fixedly connected to two side-by-side positioning hooks, which are fixedly connected to the front end of the front cover 6 and are located on the side of the central push rod 15. Figure 1As shown, the positioning hooks first extend forward from the front end of the front cover 6 and then bend backward. There is a gap between the two positioning hooks to facilitate the arrangement of the blade 3.

[0026] The two positioning hooks are respectively a V-shaped positioning hook 1 and a rectangular positioning hook 2. The inside of the bent part of the V-shaped positioning hook 1 is V-shaped, and the inside of the bent part of the rectangular positioning hook 2 is rectangular.

[0027] It also includes a driving mechanism for driving the central push rod 15 to move back and forth, such as Figure 2 As shown, the driving mechanism includes a rotating sleeve 16 located between the central push rod 15 and the fixed housing 9 and a servo 18 for driving the rotating sleeve 16 to rotate. A servo fixing plate 19 is fixedly connected inside the fixed housing 9, and the servo 18 is installed on the servo fixing plate 19. The rotating sleeve 16 is a circular tube structure and is coaxially arranged between the central push rod 15 and the fixed housing 9, and can be rotated by the driving of the servo 18.

[0028] The rotating sleeve 16 is provided with a spiral groove 12. A vent hole 14 is opened on the side surface at the rear end of the rotating sleeve 16. A linear guide groove 7 extending forward and backward is opened on the fixed housing 9. A guide key 17 is fixedly connected to the central push rod 15, and the guide key 17 passes through the spiral groove 12 and the linear guide groove 7.

[0029] The central push rod 15, the guide key 17, the rotating sleeve 16 and the fixed housing 9 form a spiral groove guiding device 13. The width of the linear guide groove 7 is consistent with the outer diameter of the guide key 17, thus realizing the guiding of the forward and backward movement of the central push rod 15, preventing the central push rod 15 from rotating, and realizing the forward and backward sliding connection of the central push rod 15 on the fixed housing 9. The width of the spiral groove 12 is consistent with the outer diameter of the guide key 17, so that by the rotation of the rotating sleeve 16, the guide key 17 is driven to move back and forth, thereby driving the central push rod 15 to move back and forth.

[0030] The servo 18 of the spiral groove guiding device 13 is provided with three angles: a retracting angle, a tool changing angle and a feeding angle, corresponding to three positions of the blade. Among them, the retracting angle is the position where the blade 3 retracts to the last position, the feeding angle is the position where the blade 3 moves forward to the front end, and the tool changing angle is the position where the blade 3 is located in the middle position, which is convenient for replacing or installing the blade.

[0031] The front end of the central push rod 15 is fixedly connected with the blade 3. The front end of the blade 3 is sharpened, and the width of the blade 3 is greater than the width inside the positioning hook. When the blade 3 moves forward from the retracting position to the feeding position, the blade 3 passes through the two positioning hooks.

[0032] In this embodiment, the blade 3 is connected to the central push rod 15 through a quick tool change device 5, such as Figure 3 、 4As shown in the figure, the quick tool change device 5 includes a connecting rod 23 fixedly connected to the front end of the central push rod 15, an elastic collet 20 fixedly connected to the front end of the connecting rod 23, and a tapered bushing 21 sleeved on the connecting rod 23. The connecting rod 23, the elastic collet 20, and the tapered bushing 21 are all coaxial with the central push rod 15. A separation slit is provided at the front end of the elastic collet 20. The blade 3 is inserted into the separation slit, and the diameter of the front end of the elastic collet 20 increases. The inner hole at the front end of the tapered bushing 21 is a tapered hole. When the tapered hole presses the elastic collet 20 forward, the clamping of the separation slit is realized, so as to clamp the blade 3 in the separation slit.

[0033] A spring 22 for pushing the tapered bushing 21 to move forward is installed on the connecting rod 23. The spring 22 is located inside the tapered bushing 21. The elastic force of the spring 22 makes the tapered hole at the front end of the tapered bushing 21 press the elastic collet 20 to clamp the blade 3.

[0034] The surface of the tapered bushing 21 is provided with anti-slip lines, which can effectively increase the friction with the hand, prevent slipping, and make the operation more labor-saving and convenient.

[0035] A clamping mechanism 4 is fixedly connected to the front end of the central push rod 15 on one side of the blade 3; the clamping mechanism 4 is strip-shaped. When the blade 3 moves forward from the retracted position to the cutting position, the clamping mechanism 4 abuts against one of the positioning hooks. In this embodiment, the clamping mechanism 4 abuts against the rectangular positioning hook 2. An anti-slip sponge 11 is provided at the front end of the clamping mechanism 4 to achieve low-loss and reliable clamping.

[0036] A method for using an end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization, when used for fruit picking, includes the following steps: S1: Install the blade 3. When installing the blade, control the servo motor 18 to rotate to the tool change angle. Push the tapered bushing 21 towards the connecting rod 23 by hand to open the elastic collet 20. If there is no blade before, insert the blade. If there is a blade before, replace the blade 3, and then release the tapered bushing 21. Under the elastic force of the spring 22, the tapered bushing 21 squeezes the elastic collet 20 to make the collet continue to clamp the blade 3. The servo motor 18 rotates to the retracted position angle to complete the tool change operation before the operation; S2: Identify the target fruit through the depth camera 8 and locate the operation point, plan the operation path, and determine the insertion position, hooking position, and cutting position; S3: The end effector is driven by the robotic arm to reach each path point in turn. At the insertion position, adjust the hook body of the positioning hook to be parallel to the fruit stalk direction. Specifically, at this time, the positioning hook is located on the side of the fruit stalk, and the plane where the positioning hook is located is parallel to the fruit stalk. At the hooking position, the end effector rotates 90° towards the fruit stalk direction to make the fruit stalk enter the positioning hook. At the cutting position, control the blade 3 to translate forward along the gap between the two positioning hooks. While cutting off the fruit stalk, the clamping device 11 synchronously clamps the target fruit.

[0037] A method of using an end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization, which is used for plant side shoot removal, leaf pruning or topping, includes the following steps: A1: Install the blade 3. When installing the blade, control the servo 18 to rotate to the tool change angle. Push the tapered bushing 21 towards the connecting rod 23 by hand to open the elastic jaws 20. If there is no blade before, insert the blade. If there is a blade before, replace the blade 3, and then release the tapered bushing 21. Under the elastic force of the spring 22, the tapered bushing 21 squeezes the elastic jaws 20 to make the jaws continue to clamp the blade 3. The servo 18 rotates to the retracting angle to complete the tool change operation before the operation. A2: Control the rotation of the end joint of the robotic arm to invert the end effector, and at the same time adjust the depth camera image. After frame acquisition, perform two-way flipping of the image. A3: Identify the target part (the target parts in this application include plant side branches, leaves, and apical buds) through the depth camera and locate the operation point, plan the operation path, and determine the insertion position, hooking position, and cutting position. A4: Drive the end effector by the robotic arm to reach each path point in turn: At the insertion position, adjust the hook body of the positioning hook to be parallel to the growth direction of the target part. Specifically, at this time, the positioning hook is located on the side of the target part, and the plane where the positioning hook is located is parallel to the target part. At the hooking position, the end effector rotates 90° towards the target part to make the target part enter the positioning hook. At the cutting position, control the blade 3 to translate forward along the gap between the two positioning hooks. While cutting off the target part, the clamping device synchronously clamps the target part.

[0038] The present invention provides a general end effector with a compact structure and integrated functions, which has the operation capabilities of plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization, significantly improves the operation stability and adaptability of the fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, can realize the efficient coordination of various operation tasks such as fruit picking, side shoot removal, leaf pruning, and topping, reduces the crop damage rate, and meets the actual needs of multi-category fruit and vegetable intelligent management.

[0039] Of course, the above description is not limited to the above examples. The technical features not described in the present invention can be realized by or adopted the existing technologies, and will not be elaborated here. The above embodiments and drawings are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that any changes, modifications, additions, or substitutions made by those of ordinary skill in the technical field within the scope of the essence of the present invention do not depart from the purpose of the present invention and should also belong to the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization, characterized in that: It includes a fixed housing (9), a depth camera (8) fixedly connected to the fixed housing (9), and a central push rod (15) that slides back and forth on the fixed housing (9). Two side-by-side positioning hooks are fixedly connected to the front end of the fixed housing (9). A blade (3) and a clamping mechanism (4) located on one side of the blade (3) are fixedly connected to the front end of the central push rod (15). It further includes a driving mechanism for driving the central push rod (15) to move back and forth. When the blade (3) moves forward from the retracted position to the cutting position, the blade (3) passes through the two positioning hooks and the clamping mechanism (4) abuts against one of the positioning hooks.

2. The end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blade (3) is connected to the central push rod (15) through a quick tool change device (5). The quick tool change device (5) includes a connecting rod (23) fixedly connected to the front end of the central push rod (15), an elastic jaw (20) fixedly connected to the front end of the connecting rod (23), and a tapered compression sleeve (21) sleeved on the connecting rod (23). The inner hole at the front end of the tapered compression sleeve (21) is a tapered hole. A spring (22) for pushing the tapered compression sleeve (21) to move forward is installed on the connecting rod (23). The tapered hole at the front end of the tapered compression sleeve (21) presses the elastic jaw (20) to clamp the blade (3).

3. The end effector for plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization according to claim 2, characterized in that: The surface of the tapered compression sleeve (21) is provided with anti-slip lines.

4. The end effector for plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism includes a rotating sleeve (16) located between the central push rod (15) and the fixed housing (9) and a servo motor (18) for driving the rotating sleeve (16) to rotate. A spiral groove (12) is formed on the rotating sleeve (16), and a linear guide groove (7) extending back and forth is formed on the fixed housing (9). A guide key (17) is fixedly connected to the central push rod (15), and the guide key (17) passes through the spiral groove (12) and the linear guide groove (7).

5. The end effector for plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two positioning hooks are a V-shaped positioning hook (1) and a rectangular positioning hook (2) respectively, and the clamping mechanism (4) abuts against the rectangular positioning hook (2).

6. The end effector for plant anti-shake and synchronous cutting and clamping according to claim 1, characterized in that: An anti-slip sponge (11) is provided at the front end of the clamping mechanism (4).

7. An end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed housing (9) is connected to the end of the robotic arm.

8. An end effector for plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the blade (3) is sharpened, and the width of the blade (3) is greater than the width inside the positioning hook.

9. A method for using an end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When used for fruit picking, it includes the following steps: S1: Install the blade (3); S2: Identify the target fruit through the depth camera (8) and locate the working point, plan the working path, and determine the insertion position, hooking position, and cutting position; S3: The robotic arm drives the end effector to reach each path point in sequence. At the insertion position, adjust the hook body of the positioning hook to be parallel to the fruit stalk direction. At the hooking position, the end effector rotates 90° towards the fruit stalk direction to make the fruit stalk enter the positioning hook. At the cutting position, control the blade (3) to translate forward along the gap between the two positioning hooks. While cutting the fruit stalk, the clamping device (11) synchronously clamps the target fruit.

10. A method for using an end effector with plant anti-shake and cutting-clamping synchronization as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When used for plant pruning, leaf removal, or topping, it includes the following steps: A1: Install the blade (3); A2: Control the rotation of the end joint of the robotic arm to invert the end effector, and at the same time adjust the depth camera image. After frame acquisition, perform two-way flipping of the image. A3: Identify the target part through the depth camera, locate the operation point, plan the operation path, and determine the insertion position, the hooking position, and the cutting position; A4: The robotic arm drives the end effector to reach each path point in sequence: at the insertion position, adjust the hook body of the positioning hook to be parallel to the growth direction of the target part; at the hooking position, the end effector rotates 90° towards the target part to make the target part enter the positioning hook; at the cutting position, control the blade (3) to translate forward along the gap between the two positioning hooks. While cutting off the target part, the clamping device synchronously clamps the target part.

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