Picking robot and double-flexible-belt fruit and vegetable picking device and picking method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a picking robot and a double-flexible-belt fruit and vegetable picking device and method, the picking robot comprises the double-flexible-belt fruit and vegetable picking device, the device comprises a clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism comprises a rack, a sliding rail, a clamping driving component and a clamping transmission component, the sliding rail, the clamping driving component and the clamping transmission component are installed on the rack, and the clamping driving component is connected with the clamping transmission component; the picking mechanism is installed on the sliding rail through a sliding block and connected with the clamping transmission component; the picking mechanism comprises a first picking part and a second picking part which are symmetrically arranged, and the clamping transmission part drives the first picking part and the second picking part to periodically and relatively open and close along the sliding rail; each of the first picking part and the second picking part comprises a support and a flexible belt, a picking driving part and a picking transmission part which are mounted on the support, the picking transmission part is connected with the picking driving part and the flexible belt, and the picking driving part drives the flexible belt to rub through the picking transmission part; and the guide plate is arranged corresponding to the picking mechanism and is used for receiving the picked and fallen fruits and guiding the picked and fallen fruits into the collecting box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to agricultural picking technology, in particular to a picking robot and a double-flexible belt type fruit and vegetable picking device and a picking method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The end effectors of existing fruit and vegetable picking robots mostly adopt a single-fruit picking structure. This type of actuator can only pick one fruit in each operation, and needs to further cooperate with the robotic arm to complete the transportation and delivery of the fruit to the collection device. The overall operation efficiency is low, and it is difficult to meet the efficiency and stability requirements of large-scale fruit and vegetable picking scenarios, which limits its promotion and application in actual production.

[0003] The current range of fruit and vegetable harvesting equipment is relatively limited, primarily focusing on vision-based selective picking robots. This type of equipment generally relies on a three-step process: visual recognition positioning – robotic arm path planning – and end-effector picking. A single robotic arm can typically only harvest one or a bunch of fruit in a single operation, and post-harvest fruit transportation and placement operations are required. This results in low overall efficiency and makes it difficult to meet the practical needs of large-scale, rapid fruit and vegetable harvesting.

[0004] Among them, end effectors, as key actuators in selective harvesting robots, often employ gripping and pulling, stem shearing, or a combination of gripping and shearing. These end effectors rely heavily on vision systems to accurately identify the position and orientation of the fruit. However, in actual agricultural production, even in standardized orchard environments, the spatial distribution and orientation of the fruit remain highly uncertain. Recognition accuracy is easily affected by factors such as natural lighting variations, occlusion by branches and leaves, and overlapping fruit, leading to frequent recognition errors. Positioning errors can easily lead to harvesting failures or fruit damage, severely limiting operational stability and reliability. Furthermore, existing end effectors are mostly designed for single-fruit picking, making efficient reaching operations difficult in densely distributed fruit patterns such as clusters and bunches. Pulling-based picking movements can easily induce branch shaking, causing unwanted fruit to fall and resulting in wasted yield. After harvesting, the end effector must cooperate with the robotic arm to transport and release the fruit, further lengthening the processing cycle for each fruit and reducing overall efficiency far below manual labor. This significantly limits their widespread application in large-scale fruit and vegetable cultivation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide a picking robot and its double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device and picking method to solve the problems that the fruit and vegetable picking robots in the prior art mostly use single-fruit picking end effectors, which can only complete the picking of a single fruit at a time, and the picked fruit still needs to be transported to a collection device through a separate transmission path. The overall operation process is relatively cumbersome, the picking efficiency is relatively low, and it is difficult to meet the actual application needs of large-scale farmland operations.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, which is used to realize synchronous rubbing and picking of multiple fruits, and comprises:

[0007] The clamping mechanism comprises a frame and a slide rail mounted on the frame, a clamping drive component and a clamping transmission component, wherein the clamping drive component is connected to the clamping transmission component;

[0008] The picking mechanism is mounted on the slide rail via a slider and is connected to the clamping transmission component; the picking mechanism comprises a first picking part and a second picking part symmetrically arranged, and the clamping transmission component drives the first picking part and the second picking part to periodically open and close relative to each other along the slide rail; the first picking part and the second picking part respectively comprise a bracket and a flexible belt mounted on the bracket, a picking drive component and a picking transmission component, the picking transmission component being connected to the picking drive component and the flexible belt respectively, and the picking drive component drives the flexible belt to perform a rubbing motion through the picking transmission component; and

[0009] The guide plate is provided corresponding to the picking mechanism and is used for receiving the picked and fallen fruits and guiding them into the collection box.

[0010] The above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, wherein the clamping transmission component is a gear rack component, including a transmission gear, an upper rack and a lower rack, the transmission gear is connected to the clamping drive component, the upper rack and the lower rack are respectively located above and below the transmission gear, and are respectively engaged with the transmission gear; one end of the upper rack is provided with a first connecting part, and the first picking part is connected to the first connecting part; the end of the lower rack opposite to the first connecting part is provided with a second connecting part, and the second picking part is connected to the second connecting part; the transmission gear drives the upper rack and the lower rack to move synchronously, and the first connecting part and the second connecting part respectively drive the first picking part and the second picking part to open or close relative to each other.

[0011] In the above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, the clamping drive component includes a motor and a worm gear reducer. The motor is connected to the worm gear reducer to achieve speed reduction and torque amplification while transmitting power to the transmission gear through the transmission shaft to drive the transmission gear to rotate.

[0012] The above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, wherein the picking transmission component includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a transmission chain, the driving wheel is connected to the picking drive component through the transmission chain, the flexible belt is tensioned between the driving wheel and the driven wheel, the picking drive component drives the driving wheel to rotate through the transmission chain, and drives the driven wheel to rotate synchronously through the flexible belt, thereby realizing continuous operation of the flexible belt.

[0013] In the above-mentioned double-flexible-belt fruit and vegetable picking device, the operation of the flexible belt includes co-rotation, counter-rotation, pulsed or reciprocating motion, so as to apply different forms of kneading force to the fruits to be picked.

[0014] The above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, wherein the flexible belt is made of PVC, rubber or composite fiber material, and the surface of the flexible belt is provided with a herringbone, granular, striped or comb-shaped texture structure.

[0015] The above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, wherein the guide plate includes a mounting frame and a guide plate body, the mounting frame is connected to one side of the picking mechanism, the guide plate body is connected to the mounting frame and is located below the fruit falling path of the picking mechanism, and the guide plate body has an inclination angle relative to the mounting frame to smoothly guide the fruit into the collection box.

[0016] In order to better achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention further provides a fruit and vegetable picking method, wherein the above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device is used to realize synchronous rubbing and picking of multiple fruits, comprising the following steps:

[0017] The double-flexible belt multi-fruit picking device arrives at the picking position and starts picking;

[0018] The clamping mechanism gradually reduces the distance between the first picking part and the second picking part, thereby achieving stable clamping of multiple fruits;

[0019] The picking mechanism performs a kneading step on the multiple fruits clamped by the flexible belt, achieving the synchronous separation of the fruits and stems in the target area;

[0020] During the kneading process, the clamping mechanism drives the first picking part and the second picking part to open and close periodically relative to each other, so that the fallen fruits fall smoothly into the guide plate and enter the collection box under the guidance of the guide plate, completing the synchronous picking of multiple fruits.

[0021] In the above-mentioned fruit and vegetable picking method, the flexible belt adopts the same-direction rotation, counter-directional rotation, pulse rotation or reciprocating motion according to the characteristics of the fruit, so as to effectively knead the fruit and promote the batch shedding of the fruit stems to obtain the best picking effect.

[0022] In order to better achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention further provides a picking robot, which includes the above-mentioned double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device.

[0023] The technical effects of the present invention are:

[0024] The dual-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device and multi-fruit synchronous rubbing picking method of the present invention achieve the synchronous shedding of multiple fruits through the coordinated enveloping and reciprocating rubbing of the dual flexible belts; the guide plate structure directly guides the fruits into the collection system, eliminating the need for additional transportation. It can achieve the synchronous picking of multiple fruits, and after picking, the fruits can directly enter the collection system without the dual-flexible belt multi-fruit picking device participating in the subsequent transportation link. This significantly improves the adaptability and fault tolerance of the dual-flexible belt multi-fruit picking device to complex fruit distribution environments, reduces the dependence on visual recognition accuracy, and effectively improves the picking efficiency and success rate, improves the smoothness of the operation, and provides technical support for the large-scale practical application of fruit and vegetable selective picking equipment.

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this does not limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a picking robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a double-flexible belt multi-fruit picking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3A This is a structural schematic diagram of the first picking part according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3B This is a structural schematic diagram of the second picking part according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4A This is a schematic structural diagram of a clamping mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4B for Figure 4A Another direction view;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a guide plate structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the reciprocating vibration of the picking mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Among them, the reference numerals

[0035] 1 Walking chassis

[0036] 2 robotic arms

[0037] 21 lifts

[0038] 22 Robotic arm body

[0039] 3 Visual recognition device

[0040] 4 collection boxes

[0041] 5 double flexible belt multi-fruit picking device

[0042] 51 picking agency

[0043] 511 First Picking Department

[0044] 512 Second Picking Department

[0045] 513 bracket

[0046] 514 flexible belt

[0047] 515 picking drive components

[0048] 516 picking transmission parts

[0049] 517 driving wheel

[0050] 518 driven wheel

[0051] 519 transmission chain

[0052] 510 Slider

[0053] 52 clamping mechanism

[0054] 521 rack

[0055] 522 slide rail

[0056] 523 clamping drive components

[0057] 524 rack and pinion components

[0058] 5241 transmission gear

[0059] 5242 upper rack

[0060] 5243 lower rack

[0061] 5244 first connection part

[0062] 5245 second connection part

[0063] 53 guide plate

[0064] 531 mounting bracket

[0065] 532 guide plate body

[0066] 6 branch cross section

[0067] 7 Fruits to be picked DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The structural principle and working principle of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0069] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a harvesting robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. The harvesting robot comprises a traveling chassis 1, a robotic arm 2, a lifting platform 21, the robotic arm 2, a visual recognition device 3, a collection box 4, and a dual-flexible belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5. The robotic arm 2 comprises a lifting platform 21 and a robotic arm body 22. The traveling chassis 1 bears the entire weight of the robot. The lifting platform 21 is mounted on the traveling chassis 1. The collection box 4 is arranged on the traveling chassis 1 in correspondence with the dual-flexible belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5. The traveling chassis 1 is preferably a facility track chassis. The robotic arm body 22 can be raised and lowered vertically along the lifting platform 21, achieving Z-axis movement, thereby adjusting the overall height of the robotic arm body 22 and the harvesting terminal according to the location of the harvested object. The dual-flexible belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 is mounted on the end of the robotic arm body 22. The dual-flexible belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 can be moved using a translational joint motion to envelop the dual-flexible belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 in the XY plane at the current height, thereby achieving coverage of a wide range of fruit picking areas. The double flexible belt 514 type multi-fruit picking device 5 is installed at a certain angle to the end of the robot arm body 22, and the angle can be a fixed angle to ensure that the fruits can successfully fall into the guide plate 53 after being rubbed and picked.

[0070] During the natural growth of fruit, it's common for ripe and unripe fruit to coexist within a cluster, as is the case with cherry tomatoes. Traditional cluster-picking devices are unable to accurately select ripe fruit, easily leading to the mispick of unripe fruit. The flexible clamping mechanism of the present invention, however, uses visual strategies to specifically identify and manipulate ripe fruit, enabling selective picking with greater flexibility and adaptability. This visual function is a common technology used by picking robots. Based on image information captured by a camera and using visual recognition technologies such as convolutional neural networks, it can identify ripe fruit in the current image information and obtain the two-dimensional coordinates of the ripe fruit. Because the camera also has depth acquisition capabilities, it can also locate the local coordinate system of the ripe fruit. Once the local coordinate system of the ripe fruit is located, the local coordinate system can be converted to the robot's global coordinate system to determine the global position of the ripe fruit. Based on the global position of the ripe fruit, the robotic arm 2 plans the picking path and inversely analyzes the movements of each joint, thereby completing the approach of the dual-flexible-belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5 and achieving the picking of the ripe fruit.

[0071] In the prior art, the common solution for picking fruits in bunches is to pick the whole bunch or pick individual fruits. For small bunches of fruits such as cherry tomatoes, half of the fruits in the bunch may be green, and the remaining fruits may be red. The dual flexible belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5 of the present invention can only grasp and knead the red part, completing the picking of the fruits without damaging the green, unripe fruits.

[0072] During the picking process, the visual recognition device 3 identifies the fruit to be picked, determines its spatial position, and then, based on a coordinate system transformation, converts the fruit's position from the camera's local coordinate system to the robot's global coordinate system. The joint motions of the robot arm 22 are inversely analyzed to determine the angle of each joint. Under the joint motions of the robot arm 2, the dual-flexible belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5 approaches the object to be picked. The dual-flexible belt 514 grips and rubs the fruit, completing the picking process. The picked fruit falls onto the guide plate 53 and, under its guidance, into the collection bin 4, completing the fruit picking operation.

[0073] The dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 of the present invention is not limited to the current overall machine structure. The chassis can adopt a facility track chassis, or a wheeled, tracked, or wheel-tracked composite chassis. The robotic arm 2 can adopt a four-degree-of-freedom type of lifting platform 21, or a linear slide 522 type, or a seven-degree-of-freedom type. As long as the dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 can be tilted at a certain angle during the picking process, so that the fruits rubbed by the dual-flexible-belt 514 can successfully fall into the guide plate 53 and, under the guidance of the guide plate 53, fall into the collection box 4, it can be sufficient. The general method of controlling the robotic arm 2 can be adopted to achieve real-time adjustment of the insertion angle of the dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 through visual servoing. Based on real-time visual feedback of the current position of the fruit and the obstruction of branches and leaves, the picking end path is dynamically planned. Then, the joint motion angle of the robotic arm 2 is inversely solved to drive the joint movement of the robotic arm 2, so that the dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 approaches the picking object and completes the fruit picking. Since the composition, structure, relative position relationship, connection relationship and function of other parts of the picking robot are relatively mature existing technologies, they will not be described in detail here. The following is only a detailed description of the double flexible belt 514 type multi-fruit picking device 5 of the present invention.

[0074] See also Figure 2-3B , Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a double flexible belt 514 type multi-fruit picking device 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3A This is a structural diagram of the first picking part 511 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an appearance diagram with a bracket. Figure 3BThis is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second picking part 512 of an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram of the internal structure after the bracket is removed. The first picking part 511 has the same structure as the second picking part 512. The double flexible belt 514 type fruit and vegetable picking device of the present invention is used to realize synchronous rubbing and picking of multiple fruits, including: a clamping mechanism 52, including a frame 521 and a slide rail 522 installed on the frame 521, a clamping drive component 523 and a clamping transmission component, and the clamping drive component 523 is connected to the clamping transmission component; a picking mechanism 51, which is installed on the slide rail 522 through a slider 510 and is connected to the clamping transmission component; the picking mechanism 51 includes a first picking part 511 and a second picking part 512 that are symmetrically arranged, and the clamping transmission component drives the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 opens and closes relatively periodically along the slide rail 522; the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 respectively include a bracket 513 and a flexible belt 514 installed on the bracket 513, a picking drive component 515 and a picking transmission component 516, and the picking transmission component 516 is connected to the picking drive component 515 and the flexible belt 514 respectively, and the picking drive component 515 drives the flexible belt 514 to perform a rubbing motion through the picking transmission component 516; and a guide plate 53, which is arranged corresponding to the picking mechanism 51, and is used to receive the picked and fallen fruits and guide them into the collection box 4.

[0075] In this embodiment, the picking transmission component 516 includes a driving wheel 517, a driven wheel 518 and a transmission chain 519. The driving wheel 517 is connected to the picking drive component 515 through the transmission chain 519. The flexible belt 514 is tensioned between the driving wheel 517 and the driven wheel 518. The picking drive component 515 drives the driving wheel 517 to rotate through the transmission chain 519, and drives the driven wheel 518 to rotate synchronously through the flexible belt 514, thereby realizing the continuous operation of the flexible belt 514. The operation of the flexible belt 514 includes co-rotation, counter-rotation, pulsed or reciprocating motion, so as to apply different forms of rubbing force to the fruit 7 to be picked. The flexible belt 514 is preferably made of PVC, rubber or composite fiber material, and the surface of the flexible belt 514 can be provided with a herringbone, granular, striped or comb-tooth texture structure.

[0076] The picking mechanism 51 of this embodiment is mainly used to realize the reciprocating kneading action of the picking object to complete the shedding and picking of the fruit. The bracket 513 of the picking mechanism 51 is connected to the clamping mechanism 52 through the slide rail 522, and can realize lateral movement along the direction of the slide rail 522. The rotation of the transmission gear 5241 can drive the upper rack 5242 and the lower rack 5243 to move linearly in the horizontal direction, thereby driving the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 to move inward or outward synchronously, realizing dynamic adjustment of the spacing of the flexible belt 514 to adapt to the picking needs under different fruit distribution forms (such as single fruit, bunches, and clusters). The picking drive component 515 is installed in the bracket 513 of the picking mechanism 51, including a drive motor, which drives the driving wheel 517 to rotate through the transmission chain 519, and then drives the driven wheel 518 to rotate synchronously through the flexible belt 514, realizing continuous operation of the flexible belt 514. During operation, the flexible belt 514 can perform various modes of motion (such as co-rotation, counter-rotation, pulsed, reciprocating, etc.), thereby applying different forms of kneading force to the fruit. The surface material, texture structure, thickness, and external contour of the flexible belt 514 can be specifically set and adjusted according to the physical characteristics of different crops (fruit size, maturity, fragility, skin sensitivity, etc.). The material of the flexible belt 514 can be selected from, but not limited to, PVC, rubber, composite fibers, etc., and the texture structure protrusions can be in the form of herringbone, figure eight, granular, striped, fan-shaped, comb-shaped, etc., to improve adaptability, enveloping ability, and shedding efficiency for different types of fruit, while also taking into account the goal of reducing fruit damage.

[0077] See also Figure 4A and Figure 4B , Figure 4A FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a clamping mechanism 52 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4B for Figure 4AThe clamping transmission component of this embodiment is a gear rack component 524, which includes a transmission gear 5241, an upper rack 5242 and a lower rack 5243. The transmission gear 5241 is connected to the clamping drive component 523. The upper rack 5242 and the lower rack 5243 are respectively located above and below the transmission gear 5241 and are respectively engaged with the transmission gear 5241. One end of the upper rack 5242 is provided with a first connecting portion 5244, and the first picking portion 51 1 is connected to the first connecting portion 5244; the lower rack 5243 is provided with a second connecting portion 5245 at the end opposite the first connecting portion 5244, and the second picking portion 512 is connected to the second connecting portion 5245; the transmission gear 5241 drives the upper rack 5242 and the lower rack 5243 to move synchronously, and the first connecting portion 5244 and the second connecting portion 5245 respectively drive the first picking portion 511 and the second picking portion 512 to open or close relative to each other. The clamping drive component 523 includes a motor and a worm gear reducer. The motor is connected to the worm gear reducer to achieve speed reduction and torque amplification, while transmitting power to the transmission gear 5241 through the transmission shaft to drive the transmission gear 5241 to rotate.

[0078] The picking mechanism 51 of this embodiment is mounted on a frame 521 having a slide rail 522 provided on the clamping mechanism 52, and can be adjusted laterally along the slide rail 522; a guide plate 53 is provided on one side of the picking mechanism 51 to receive fruits that fall off during the picking process and guide them into the collection box 4 of the picking robot. The above structure is compact and coordinated, and can achieve flexible clamping, kneading separation, and efficient diversion and collection of multiple fruit targets, significantly improving the picking efficiency and device adaptability. The clamping mechanism 52 is mainly used to adjust the spatial distance between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 of the picking mechanism 51 to adapt to the picking requirements of different fruit distribution forms (single fruit, bunches, or clusters). Among them, the frame 521 is the basic structure of the clamping mechanism 52, bearing the entire weight of the double flexible belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5, and is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm 2 of the picking robot through the installation connector. Through the movement of the joints of the robotic arm 2, the spatial position and posture of the clamping mechanism 52 can be flexibly adjusted, achieving precise positioning of the dual flexible belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5. The clamping drive component 523 includes a motor and a worm gear reducer. The motor is connected to the reducer, which transmits power to the gear through the transmission shaft while reducing the speed and amplifying the torque, thereby driving the gear to rotate. The reducer is integrally mounted on the frame 521, and the output end of the reducer is connected to the gear rack component 524. During actual operation, the motor transmits power to the reducer, which reduces the speed and increases the torque, transmitting the driving force to the transmission gear 5241. The structure is compact, stable and reliable. The gear rack component 524 includes a transmission gear 5241, an upper rack 5242 and a lower rack 5243. The transmission gear 5241 is connected to the clamping drive component 523, and the upper rack 5242 and the lower rack 5243 are respectively engaged with the transmission gear 5241. When the transmission gear 5241 rotates, it drives the upper rack 5242 and the lower rack 5243 to move synchronously, driving the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 to move along the slide rail 522, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the distance between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 on both sides, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the double picking mechanism 51, and completing the switching of the clamping and loosening actions. The opening and closing action of the clamping mechanism 52 depends on the forward and reverse rotation of the motor of the clamping drive component 523, which can be freely controlled. The specific cycle time can be determined according to the actual characteristics of the picking object. As long as the fruit is successfully rubbed down after clamping, it can be opened to allow the fruit to fall from between the picking mechanisms 51 into the guide plate 53. The specific cycle time needs to be determined based on experiments.

[0079] The picking mechanism 51 can be mounted on the two slide rails 522 of the clamping mechanism 52 via a slider 510. Driven by the gear rack component 524, it moves along the slide rails 522, providing excellent guidance and position control accuracy. The bracket 513 of the picking mechanism 51 of this embodiment is provided with two sliders 510 with mounting holes, which are connected to the two slide rails 522 of the clamping mechanism 52. Under the constraints of the two slide rails 522, the picking mechanism 51 can slide stably along the slide rails 522. At the same time, the gear rack component 524 of the clamping mechanism 52 is connected to the bracket 513 of the picking mechanism 51. The clamping drive component 523 of the clamping mechanism 52 outputs power to the transmission gear 5241, which then pulls the upper rack 5242 and the lower rack 5243, thereby causing the first picking portion 511 and the second picking portion 512 to open or clamp relative to each other. Since the transmission ratio of the gear rack component 524 and the clamping drive component 523 is fixed, and under the guidance of the double slide rails 522, the other degrees of freedom of the picking mechanism 51 are constrained, it has good guidance and position control accuracy.

[0080] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 The following is a schematic diagram of the structure of a guide plate 53 according to one embodiment of the present invention. To improve operational consistency and efficiency, a flexible guide plate 53 is integrated into the side of the device to directly catch fruit that falls during the kneading process and guide it into the fruit collection unit. The guide plate 53 comprises a mounting frame 531 and a guide plate body 532. The mounting frame 531 is attached to one side of the picking mechanism 51. The guide plate body 532 is connected to the mounting frame 531 and positioned below the fruit drop path of the picking mechanism 51. The guide plate body 532 is tilted relative to the mounting frame 531 to smoothly guide the fruit into the collection bin 4. The guide plate 53 simultaneously transports the fruit during the picking process. Under the influence of gravity, the fruit falls freely onto the guide plate 53 and, guided by the guide plate 53, falls into the collection bin 4. This eliminates the traditional two-stage picking and transporting process, further improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, its use of flexible material provides excellent cushioning and shock absorption, effectively reducing the likelihood of fruit damage.

[0081] The guide plate 53 of this embodiment is mainly used to receive the fruits that are rubbed and dropped by the picking mechanism 51, and smoothly guide them to the collection box 4 of the picking robot. It is made of flexible material and has good buffering and guiding performance. Among them, the mounting frame 531 is used to bear the structural weight of the entire guide plate 53 and firmly mount it on the side of the picking mechanism 51 to ensure that it maintains a good relative position and structural stability during the picking operation. The structure of the mounting frame 531 can be customized according to the installation method of the picking mechanism 51 to achieve modular connection and quick assembly. The guide plate body 532 is fixedly connected to the mounting frame 531 by a connecting piece, and can also be an integral structural member. The guide plate body 532 is located below the fruit falling path of the picking mechanism 51, and is used to receive the fruits that are rubbed and dropped from the picking mechanism 51 during the picking process, and smoothly guide the fruits to the collection box 4 of the picking robot at an appropriate inclination angle.

[0082] During the picking operation, the double flexible belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5 is appropriately tilted so that the guide plate 53 fully covers the fruit falling area between the flexible belts 514, ensuring that the fallen fruits are smoothly guided by the guide plate 53 into the collection box 4 of the picking robot, reducing fruit collision damage and improving work efficiency. The material of the guide plate body 532 is preferably a flexible or buffering material (such as silicone, rubber, TPU, etc.) to reduce mechanical damage to the fruit during the falling process. This tilt angle is used to ensure that the fruits rubbed down by the picking mechanism 51 can successfully fall from between the flexible belts 514 into the guide plate body 532. The size of this tilt angle depends on the actual relative position between the flexible belt 514 and the guide plate 53. The actual specific size of the guide plate 53 needs to be determined according to the actual mechanical structure parameters and can be preferably between 0 and 45 degrees. The guide plate 53 can effectively improve the integrity and automation level of the fruit picking process without increasing the mechanical complexity. At the same time, it has better protection for the fruit and is more suitable for large-scale mechanized picking operation scenarios.

[0083] During operation, when the dual-flexible belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5 reaches the picking position, it begins picking. During this process, the clamping mechanism 52 gradually reduces the distance between the first picking section 511 and the second picking section 512 to achieve stable gripping of the fruit. At the same time, the picking mechanism 51 begins to perform a kneading operation. The kneading mode can be flexibly set according to the characteristics of the fruit, covering a variety of modes such as co-directional rotation, counter-directional rotation, pulsed rotation, and reciprocating motion to achieve the optimal picking effect. During the kneading process, the clamping mechanism 52 can be periodically opened and closed, allowing the fallen fruit to fall smoothly into the guide plate 53 and then, under the guidance of the guide plate 53, enter the collection box 4 equipped with the robot, completing the entire fruit picking process. The picking mechanism 51 uses reciprocating kneading motion to periodically tighten and release the clamping mechanism 52 during the picking process, allowing the fallen fruit to naturally fall into the guide plate 53 and be smoothly transported to the fruit collection unit under the guidance of the guide plate 53, significantly improving picking efficiency and the degree of automation.

[0084] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the reciprocating vibration of the picking mechanism 51 of an embodiment of the present invention. Faced with the operating scenario where the fruits are hidden in the complex environment and severely blocked by branches and leaves, the picking capacity of the existing device is limited. The picking mechanism 51 of the present invention can penetrate into the gaps between the branches, and its surface is provided with comb-shaped protrusions. With the reciprocating vibration action, it can whip the branches in a direction, causing the fruits to vibrate, so that the fruit stalks fall off naturally, thereby realizing the indirect fruit removal function, and further enhancing the adaptability of the device to complex fruit tree structures. Figure 6 As shown, the small circle represents a branch cross-section 6, and the middle circle represents the fruit to be picked 7. Under the action of the clamping mechanism 52, the picking mechanism 51 tightens its spacing and comes into contact with the fruit tree branch. The picking mechanism 51 is provided with comb-like protrusions on its surface. The clamping drive component 523 rotates forward and reverse, thereby driving the flexible belt 514 to reciprocate. The comb teeth whip the branches and leaves, causing the fruit to vibrate and fall naturally from the stem.

[0085] The fruit and vegetable picking method of the present invention uses the above-mentioned dual flexible belt 514 type fruit and vegetable picking device to achieve synchronous kneading and picking of multiple fruits. Based on "reciprocating kneading of the flexible belt 514 + periodic clamping / relaxing of the clamping mechanism 52 + guidance of the guide plate 53", batch picking of fruits is achieved, including the following steps:

[0086] The double flexible belt 514 type multi-fruit picking device 5 arrives at the picking position and starts the picking action;

[0087] The clamping mechanism 52 gradually reduces the distance between the first picking portion 511 and the second picking portion 512 to achieve stable gripping of multiple fruits;

[0088] The picking mechanism 51 performs a kneading step on the multiple fruits clamped by the flexible belt 514, thereby achieving the synchronous separation of the fruits and the stems in the target area;

[0089] During the kneading process, the clamping mechanism 52 drives the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 to open and close periodically relative to each other, so that the fallen fruits fall smoothly into the guide plate 53 and enter the collection box 4 under the guidance of the guide plate 53, completing the synchronous picking of multiple fruits.

[0090] Among them, the clamping mechanism 52 is used to control the clamping distance between the picking mechanisms 51. In the process of approaching the target crop, it can autonomously adjust the spacing between the flexible belts 514 and the insertion angle of the actuator according to the distribution status of the fruit (such as single fruit, bunches, clusters) and the obstruction of branches and leaves, so as to achieve the optimal envelope path for the picking object and improve the success rate and adaptability of picking. In actual picking operations, the clamping mechanism 52 can realize periodic clamping and loosening actions: when clamping, the flexible belt 514's ability to wrap and rub the fruit is enhanced, and when loosening, the fallen fruit is released and naturally slides into the guide plate 53, ensuring a smooth and efficient picking process. In the clamping stage, the picking mechanism 51 can flexibly set the movement mode according to the characteristics of the picking object (such as fruit size, maturity, difficulty of falling, etc.), including a variety of rubbing methods such as same-direction rotation, opposite-direction rotation, pulsed rotation and reciprocating vibration, so as to achieve effective rubbing of the fruit and promote the batch falling of the fruit stems. That is, the flexible belt 514 adopts the same-direction rotation, opposite-direction rotation, pulse rotation or reciprocating motion according to the characteristics of the fruit, so as to effectively knead the fruit and promote the batch shedding of the fruit stems to obtain the best picking effect.

[0091] In addition to directly picking fruits by clamping and rubbing, the picking mechanism 51 can also select a comb-shaped protrusion structure based on the branch and leaf structure of the fruit tree and the distribution characteristics of the fruit, and perform a reciprocating or pulsed vibration mode, so that the flexible belt 514 and the branches have a "whipping"-like contact, inducing tremors of the branches and leaves, and promoting the natural breakage of the fruit stems, thereby realizing the indirect fruit shedding function and enhancing the versatility and flexibility of the actuator in complex working environments.

[0092] The dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 of the present invention is installed at the end joint of the picking robot's mechanical arm 2, and its specific installation position can be flexibly adjusted according to actual operational requirements. During the orchard picking operation, the robot first relies on the visual recognition device 3 to identify and locate the target fruit and determine its spatial orientation. Subsequently, through the coordinated control of the multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm 2, the dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 is accurately brought close to the fruit to be picked 7. During the process of approaching the target, the dual-flexible-belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 will autonomously adjust the distance between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 of the picking mechanism 51 through the clamping mechanism 52 according to the distribution of the fruit (including single fruit, bunches, or clusters) and the obstruction of branches and leaves. The adjustment of this distance must take into account both picking efficiency and accuracy. Too large a distance will result in the clamping of non-target objects, while too small a distance may reduce picking efficiency. Therefore, a balance must be struck between obstacle avoidance and multi-fruit collection. Simultaneously, the joints of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 2 coordinate to adjust the insertion angle of the dual-flexible-belt 514 multi-fruit picking device 5 in real time, achieving optimal coverage of the target fruit by the picking mechanism 51 and ensuring smooth entry of the picked fruit into the guide plate 53. The spacing between the first picking section 511 and the second picking section 512 is adjusted based on the width of the object being picked, with just enough coverage and kneading being the standard, based on visual recognition and the motion errors of the robotic arm 2.

[0093] In order to strike a balance between obstacle avoidance and multi-fruit collection, the spacing between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 is adjusted to fully consider the visual recognition error and the movement error of the robot arm 2, so that the spacing between the double flexible belts 514 can just envelop the picking object, and to the greatest extent avoid clamping the fruit together with the branches. If the fruit, branches, and leaves are clamped and rubbed together, the fruit may be scratched. When the picking object is a single fruit, the spacing between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 is adjusted to the diameter of the single fruit, and the fruit is clamped and rubbed; when the picking object is a bunch or a cluster, the spacing between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 is adjusted to the size of the bunch or cluster, and the fruit is clamped and rubbed; when the picking object is blocked by branches and leaves, the spacing between the first picking part 511 and the second picking part 512 can be adjusted according to the gap between the branches and leaves, so that the picking mechanism 51 is inserted into the gap between the branches and leaves, clamping together with the fruit and branches and leaves, and performing reciprocating vibration and rubbing to separate the fruit.

[0094] The present invention utilizes a batch fruit picking method based on the reciprocating kneading of a flexible belt 514, periodic clamping and release by a clamping mechanism 52, and synchronous guidance by a guide plate 53. The picking mechanism 51 uses a reciprocating kneading motion to envelop, clamp, and knead the fruit within a target area, achieving the synchronous separation of the fruit from the stems. This allows for the simultaneous removal of multiple fruits at once, significantly improving picking efficiency. The flexible belt 514 is driven by a motor and features a variety of adjustable motion modes, including co-rotation, counter-rotation, pulsed rotation, and reciprocating motion. By tailoring the flexible material and raised structure on the belt surface, it can be adapted to the physical characteristics of different fruit types, effectively separating the fruit from the stems while minimizing surface damage. The clamping mechanism 52 supports dynamic control of the clamping distance, periodically tightening and releasing during the picking process, allowing the fallen fruit to naturally fall onto the guide plate 53. Guided by the guide plate 53, the fruit is then smoothly transported to the fruit collection bin 4, significantly improving picking efficiency and automation. It can adapt to a variety of fruit distribution forms such as single fruit, bunches, and clusters, and has strong versatility and adaptability. The clamping and kneading actions are carried out in coordination, kneading is achieved during the clamping process, and the fruit falls off during the loosening stage; a larger envelope area is formed when it is opened, which improves the fruit collection coverage rate. Compared with the single-fruit picking actuator that relies on precise visual recognition and positioning systems, the dual-flexible belt 514-type multi-fruit picking device 5 of the present invention has lower requirements for target recognition and posture positioning accuracy, which can significantly improve the overall picking success rate; it has a simple structure and low control complexity, and has the advantages of high efficiency, multiple fruits, low loss, flexibility, and intelligence. It is more suitable for automated fruit and vegetable picking operations in large-scale and complex orchard environments.

[0095] 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 double flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device, characterized in that: Used to realize simultaneous rubbing and picking of multiple fruits, including: The clamping mechanism comprises a frame and a slide rail mounted on the frame, a clamping drive component and a clamping transmission component, wherein the clamping drive component is connected to the clamping transmission component; The picking mechanism is mounted on the slide rail via a slider and is connected to the clamping transmission component; the picking mechanism comprises a first picking part and a second picking part symmetrically arranged, and the clamping transmission component drives the first picking part and the second picking part to periodically open and close relative to each other along the slide rail; the first picking part and the second picking part respectively comprise a bracket and a flexible belt mounted on the bracket, a picking drive component and a picking transmission component, the picking transmission component being connected to the picking drive component and the flexible belt respectively, and the picking drive component drives the flexible belt to perform a rubbing motion through the picking transmission component; and The guide plate is provided corresponding to the picking mechanism and is used for receiving the picked and fallen fruits and guiding them into the collection box.

2. The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping transmission component is a gear and rack component, including a transmission gear, an upper rack and a lower rack. The transmission gear is connected to the clamping drive component, and the upper rack and the lower rack are respectively located above and below the transmission gear and are respectively engaged with the transmission gear; a first connecting part is provided at one end of the upper rack, and the first picking part is connected to the first connecting part; a second connecting part is provided at the end of the lower rack opposite to the first connecting part, and the second picking part is connected to the second connecting part; the transmission gear drives the upper rack and the lower rack to move synchronously, and the first connecting part and the second connecting part respectively drive the first picking part and the second picking part to open or close relative to each other.

3. The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping drive component includes a motor and a worm gear reducer. The motor is connected to the worm gear reducer to reduce the rotation speed and amplify the torque, and transmit power to the transmission gear through the transmission shaft to drive the transmission gear to rotate.

4. The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The picking transmission component includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a transmission chain. The driving wheel is connected to the picking driving component through the transmission chain. The flexible belt is tensioned between the driving wheel and the driven wheel. The picking driving component drives the driving wheel to rotate through the transmission chain, and drives the driven wheel to rotate synchronously through the flexible belt, thereby realizing continuous operation of the flexible belt.

5. The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The operation of the flexible belt includes co-rotation, counter-rotation, pulse or reciprocating motion, so as to apply different forms of kneading force to the fruits to be picked.

6. The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible belt is made of PVC, rubber or composite fiber material, and the surface of the flexible belt is provided with a herringbone, granular, striped or comb-shaped texture structure.

7. The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide plate includes a mounting frame and a guide plate body. The mounting frame is connected to one side of the picking mechanism. The guide plate body is connected to the mounting frame and is located below the fruit falling path of the picking mechanism. The guide plate body has an inclination angle relative to the mounting frame to smoothly guide the fruit into the collection box.

8. A method for picking fruits and vegetables, characterized in that: The dual-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is used to achieve synchronous rubbing and picking of multiple fruits, comprising the following steps: The double-flexible belt multi-fruit picking device arrives at the picking position and starts picking; The clamping mechanism gradually reduces the distance between the first picking part and the second picking part, thereby achieving stable clamping of multiple fruits; The picking mechanism performs a kneading step on the multiple fruits clamped by the flexible belt, achieving the synchronous separation of the fruits and stems in the target area; During the kneading process, the clamping mechanism drives the first picking part and the second picking part to open and close periodically relative to each other, so that the fallen fruits fall smoothly into the guide plate and enter the collection box under the guidance of the guide plate, completing the synchronous picking of multiple fruits.

9. The fruit and vegetable picking method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The flexible belt adopts the same-direction rotation, counter-directional rotation, pulse rotation or reciprocating motion according to the characteristics of the fruit, so as to effectively knead the fruit and promote the batch shedding of the fruit stems to obtain the best picking effect.

10. A picking robot, characterized in that: The double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device comprises the double-flexible belt fruit and vegetable picking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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