Multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot and use method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot and a using method thereof, and relates to the field of fruit and vegetable picking. A multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot comprises an all-terrain vehicle and further comprises a mechanical picking hand fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle and used for picking tomatoes; the camera is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle and used for observing the surrounding environment and the positions of the tomatoes; the storage box is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle, and the storage box is a hollow box body with an opening in the top; the arc-shaped collecting plate is fixedly connected to the top opening of the storage box; the collecting pipe is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate; through the arrangement of the camera and the mechanical picking hand, tomatoes can be picked, the tomatoes are collected through the arc-shaped collecting plate, the tomatoes are classified according to the size through the pressure change generated when the tomatoes impact the impact air bag during rolling, and then the tomatoes enter the mounting plate on the lower portion to be cleaned.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of fruit and vegetable picking, and in particular relates to a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot and a method of using the same. Background Art

[0002] With the acceleration of agricultural modernization, tomato cultivation has shown a significant trend towards scale and facility-based production. However, the picking process is still highly dependent on manual operation, with problems such as low efficiency, high cost, and high labor intensity. In the existing technology, tomato picking robots have been gradually applied to production.

[0003] Moreover, tomatoes after picking are often covered with dirt and branch debris, requiring manual secondary cleaning. Some robots have exposed many disadvantages when trying to grade tomatoes through vibrating screens or air flow sorting. For example, they are very likely to damage the fruit skin, which makes the tomatoes face a higher risk of loss in subsequent storage and sales. At the same time, the sorting accuracy is low, and it is impossible to accurately distinguish tomatoes of different qualities, making it difficult to meet the market's strict requirements for high-quality tomato grading. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a fruit and vegetable picking method that can overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, including an all-terrain vehicle, and also including: a mechanical picking arm fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle and used for picking tomatoes; a camera, fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle, for observing the surrounding environment and the location of the tomatoes; a storage box, fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle, wherein the storage box is a hollow box with an open top; an arc-shaped collecting plate fixedly connected to the top opening of the storage box; A collecting pipe is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate, and an electronic valve is fixedly connected to the discharge end of the collecting pipe; An impact airbag is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate. The impact airbag is located above the collecting tube and is used to absorb the force generated by the rolling of the tomatoes. a pressure sensor, mounted on the shock airbag, for detecting the air pressure within the shock airbag; A mounting plate is installed in the storage box, the mounting plate has a cylindrical placement groove, and the mounting plate is arranged at an angle; A plurality of sets of rotating plates are all rotatably connected in the placement slots, and the rotating plates rotate along the axis of the placement slots.

[0006] Furthermore, the mounting plates are provided with two groups, and the collecting tube is connected to a branch tube above the electronic valve, and the inner diameter of the branch tube is smaller than the inner diameter of the collecting tube. The discharge end of the collecting tube is located on the high end of the upper mounting plate, and the discharge end of the branch tube is located on the high end of the lower mounting plate. The opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collecting tube is controlled by the signal emitted by the pressure sensor, and tomatoes are placed on the two groups of mounting plates respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, a motor is fixedly connected to the bottom of the mounting plate, and an output end of the motor is fixedly connected to the rotating plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the rotating plate is provided with a plurality of groups of tapered holes.

[0009] Furthermore, the mounting plate is fixedly connected to a plurality of groups of raised air bags on the side walls of the placement groove, and the raised air bags are provided with nozzles. The raised air bags can be squeezed by the rotating plate, so that the raised air bags discharge the water inside through the nozzles, causing the tomatoes located in the two groups of rotating plates to roll.

[0010] Furthermore, guide plates are symmetrically fixedly connected to the arc-shaped collecting plate, and the guide plates are used to guide the tomatoes to roll to the impact airbag.

[0011] Furthermore, the mounting plate is provided with an opening at the high end, a discharge pipe for discharging tomatoes is fixedly connected to the bottom of the opening, a telescopic rod is fixedly connected inside the mounting plate, a baffle is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic rod, and the baffle is used to block the opening.

[0012] Furthermore, a telescopic cylinder is fixedly connected between each two adjacent groups of rotating plates, and an arc-shaped push plate for pushing the tomatoes to move is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder. A cavity is provided in the push plate, a spring part is connected in the cavity, and a sliding block is slidably connected in the cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, two groups of water supply ports are provided on the storage box, and the two groups of water supply ports are used to supply water to the two groups of mounting plates respectively. A sewage pipe with an electronic valve is provided on the lower end of the mounting plate, and a drain port is provided at the bottom of the storage box.

[0014] A method for using a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, for use in a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, comprises the following steps: Step 1: Use the camera to check the location of tomatoes, and control the all-terrain vehicle to move the mechanical picker to the range position, and then use the mechanical picker to pick the tomatoes; Step 2: The picking robot places the picked tomatoes on a curved collection plate. The tomatoes roll on the curved collection plate and eventually come into contact with the impact airbag. The pressure sensor inside the impact airbag detects the impact force, and the tomatoes then fall into the collection tube below. Step 3: The pressure sensor sends a signal to control the opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collection tube, thereby controlling the flow direction of the tomatoes; Step 4: The rotating plate moves the tomatoes, causing them to roll continuously and clean them. At the same time, the raised airbag assists in cleaning the tomatoes. Step 5: Move the baffle to discharge the cleaned tomatoes through the opening.

[0015] After adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: the present invention can pick tomatoes through the setting of a camera and a mechanical picking arm, collect the tomatoes through a curved collection plate, and classify the tomatoes by size through the pressure change generated by the impact of the impact airbag when the tomatoes roll, and then enter the installation plate below to clean the tomatoes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In the attached figure: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the storage box in a multi-terrain tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the storage box in a multi-terrain tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 5 A multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of part A; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mounting plate of a multi-terrain tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mounting plate of a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 8 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hollow portion of a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention; Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the push plate, spring component, and sliding block in a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot proposed by the present invention.

[0017] In the figure: 1. All-terrain vehicle; 101. Mechanical picking arm; 102. Camera; 2. Storage box; 201. Water inlet; 202. Drain outlet; 3. Arc-shaped collecting plate; 301. Guide plate; 302. Impact airbag; 303. Pressure sensor; 401. Collecting pipe; 402. Branch pipe; 5. Mounting plate; 501. Motor; 502. Rotating plate; 503. Conical hole; 504. Telescopic cylinder; 505. Push plate; 5051. Spring member; 5052. Sliding block; 506. Empty port; 507. Discharge pipe; 5081. Telescopic rod; 5082. Baffle; 601. Raised airbag; 602. Nozzle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0019] Example 1: Reference Figure 1-9 A multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot includes an all-terrain vehicle 1 and further includes: A mechanical picking arm 101 is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle 1 and is used for picking tomatoes; A camera 102 is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle 1 and is used to observe the surrounding environment and the location of the tomatoes; A storage box 2 is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle 1 and is a hollow box with an open top; The arc-shaped collecting plate 3 is fixedly connected to the top opening of the storage box 2; The collecting pipe 401 is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate 3, and the discharge end of the collecting pipe 401 is fixedly connected to an electronic valve; The impact airbag 302 is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate 3. The impact airbag 302 is located above the collecting tube 401 and is used to bear the force generated by the rolling of the tomatoes. A pressure sensor 303 is mounted on the impact airbag 302 and is used to detect the air pressure in the impact airbag 302; The mounting plate 5 is installed in the storage box 2, and has a cylindrical placement groove in the mounting plate 5, and the mounting plate 5 is set at an angle; Multiple sets of rotating plates 502 are rotatably connected in the placement slots, and the rotating plates 502 rotate along the axis of the placement slots. Two sets of mounting plates 5 are provided, and the collection pipe 401 is connected to the branch pipe 402 above the electronic valve, and the inner diameter of the branch pipe 402 is smaller than the inner diameter of the collection pipe 401. The discharge end of the collection pipe 401 is located on the high end of the upper mounting plate 5, and the discharge end of the branch pipe 402 is located on the high end of the lower mounting plate 5. The opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collection pipe 401 is controlled by the signal sent by the pressure sensor 303. The tomatoes are placed on two sets of mounting plates 5 respectively. The bottom of the mounting plates 5 is fixedly connected to a motor 501. The output end of the motor 501 is fixedly connected to the rotating plate 502. The rotating plate 502 is provided with multiple sets of tapered holes 503. The mounting plates 5 are fixedly connected to multiple sets of raised air bags 601 on the side walls of the placement slots. The raised air bags 601 are provided with nozzles 602. The rotating plates 502 can squeeze the raised air bags 601, and then the raised air bags 601 discharge the water inside through the nozzles 602, so that the water between the two sets of rotating plates 5 02 rolls, and a guide plate 301 is symmetrically fixedly connected to the arc-shaped collecting plate 3. The guide plate 301 is used to guide the tomatoes to roll to the impact airbag 302. The mounting plate 5 has an opening 506 at the top end. A discharge pipe 507 for discharging the tomatoes is fixedly connected to the bottom of the opening 506. A telescopic rod 5081 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 5. A baffle 5082 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic rod 5081. The baffle 5082 is used to block the opening 506. Every two adjacent rotating plates 502 A telescopic cylinder 504 is fixedly connected between them, and an arc-shaped push plate 505 for pushing the tomatoes to move is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder 504. A cavity is provided in the push plate 505, and a spring member 5051 is connected in the cavity. A sliding block 5052 is slidably connected in the cavity. Two groups of water supply ports 201 are provided on the storage box 2, and the two groups of water supply ports 201 are used to supply water to the two groups of mounting plates 5 respectively. A sewage pipe with an electronic valve is provided on the lower end of the mounting plate 5, and a drain port 202 is provided at the bottom of the storage box 2.

[0020] The arc-shaped collecting plate 3 is installed at the top opening of the storage box 2. Its arc-shaped structure is conducive to guiding the picked tomatoes to roll and collect smoothly. The surface of the arc-shaped collecting plate 3 is smooth, which can reduce damage to the tomatoes during the rolling process.

[0021] The robot is started and the camera 102 begins to work, collecting information such as the position and growth status of tomatoes in the working area. The collected image information is transmitted to the robot's control system in real time. The control system uses an image recognition algorithm to accurately locate the position of the tomatoes. At the same time, the operator controls the all-terrain vehicle 1 through the operation terminal based on the image feedback from the camera 102, and moves the mechanical picking arm 101 to a suitable picking range position to prepare for subsequent picking operations.

[0022] The mechanical picking arm 101 starts working according to the instructions of the control system. Its end effector accurately grabs the tomatoes and picks them from the plant through the movement of the mechanical structure. The picked tomatoes are placed on the arc-shaped collection plate 3. Due to the inclination angle and surface characteristics of the arc-shaped collection plate 3, the tomatoes begin to roll under the action of gravity. During the rolling process, the guide plate 301 plays a guiding role, allowing the tomatoes to roll smoothly to the impact airbag 302. When the tomatoes come into contact with the impact airbag 302, the impact airbag 302 is deformed due to the impact force, and the impact on the tomatoes is alleviated, playing a buffering role. The internal pressure sensor 303 detects the air pressure change and transmits the relevant signal to the control system. Then, the tomatoes fall into the collection tube 401 below.

[0023] After the signal from the pressure sensor 303 is transmitted to the control system, the control system analyzes and processes the signal according to a preset program and algorithm. Based on the magnitude of the impact force generated by the impact, the control system determines the weight of the tomatoes and other conditions based on the signal, and then controls the opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collection pipe 401. If the tomatoes need to be distributed to the upper mounting plate 5, the electronic valve of the collection pipe 401 is opened, and the tomatoes enter the upper mounting plate 5 through the collection pipe 401; if the tomatoes need to be distributed to the lower mounting plate 5, the electronic valve of the collection pipe 401 is closed, and the electronic valve of the branch pipe 402 is opened, allowing the tomatoes to enter the lower mounting plate 5 through the branch pipe 402, thereby completing the size sorting of the tomatoes.

[0024] The motor 501 at the bottom of the mounting plate 5 is started, and the output shaft of the motor 501 drives the rotating plate 502 to rotate along the axis of the placement groove. The tomatoes placed on the rotating plate 502 are continuously rolled by the rotating plate 502. During the rolling process, friction is generated between the surface of the tomatoes and the rotating plate 502 and each other, thereby achieving preliminary cleaning. At the same time, the rotating plate 502 will squeeze the raised airbags 601 during the rotation process, and the water inside the raised airbags 601 will be sprayed out through the nozzles 602. The water flow will rinse the surface of the tomatoes, further assisting in cleaning. In addition, the telescopic cylinders 504 between adjacent rotating plates 502 will perform telescopic movement according to the instructions of the control system. The arc-shaped push plate 505 connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder 504 pushes the tomatoes to move on the rotating plate 502, so that all parts of the tomatoes can be fully cleaned.

[0025] Since the mounting plate 5 is installed at an angle, water will be concentrated at the lower end of the inclination, which is convenient for cleaning the tomatoes, while there will be no water at the higher end, which is convenient for removing the tomatoes later.

[0026] When the tomatoes are cleaned on the mounting plate 5, the control system issues instructions to control the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod 5081 in the mounting plate 5 according to the preset time or cleaning degree judgment standard. The telescopic rod 5081 drives the baffle 5082 to move. When the baffle 5082 moves away, the opening 506 opens, and the cleaned tomatoes enter the discharge pipe 507 through the opening 506 under the action of gravity, and are finally discharged from the storage box 2 from the discharge pipe 507, completing the entire picking and cleaning operation process. During this process, the sewage pipe with an electronic valve at the lower end of the mounting plate 5 will be opened in time as needed to discharge the sewage generated during the cleaning process. The drain port 202 at the bottom of the storage box 2 can also be opened after the operation is completed to discharge the remaining sewage in the box. At the same time, cleaning water can be replenished into the mounting plate 5 through the water replenishment port 201 to prepare for the next operation.

[0027] The all-terrain vehicle 1 is equipped with a multi-line laser radar, which is not marked in the figure. It scans the distribution of plant branches and leaves in real time and plans the obstacle avoidance path of the mechanical picking arm 101. When the camera 102 detects that the branches and leaves are blocking the harvest, the control system adjusts the angle of the gripper at the end of the robotic arm and uses a "Z"-shaped trajectory to bypass the obstacle. It is suitable for most terrains.

[0028] Example 2: Reference Figure 1-9 A method for using a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, for use in a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, comprises the following steps: Step 1: Check the position of tomatoes through the camera 102, and move the mechanical picking arm 101 to the range position by controlling the all-terrain vehicle 1, and pick the tomatoes with the mechanical picking arm 101; Step 2: The picking robot 101 places the picked tomatoes on the curved collection plate 3. The tomatoes roll on the curved collection plate 3 and eventually come into contact with the impact airbag 302. The pressure sensor 303 inside the impact airbag 302 detects the impact force, and the tomatoes then fall into the collection tube 401 below. Step 3: The pressure sensor 303 sends a signal to control the opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collection tube 401, thereby controlling the flow direction of the tomatoes; Step 4: The rotating plate 502 moves the tomatoes, causing them to continuously roll and clean them, while the raised airbags 502 assist in cleaning the tomatoes; Step 5: Move the baffle 5082 to discharge the cleaned tomatoes through the opening 506 .

[0029] The present invention can pick tomatoes through the arrangement of the camera 102 and the mechanical picking arm 101, collect the tomatoes through the arc-shaped collecting plate 3, and classify the tomatoes by size through the pressure change generated by the impact of the impact airbag 302 when the tomatoes roll, and then enter the installation plate 5 below to clean the tomatoes.

[0030] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as above in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the present invention can make slight changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments using the above-mentioned technical contents without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, comprising an all-terrain vehicle (1), characterized in that: Also includes: A mechanical picking arm (101) fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle (1) for picking tomatoes; A camera (102) is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle (1) and is used to observe the surrounding environment and the location of the tomatoes; A storage box (2) is fixedly connected to the all-terrain vehicle (1), and the storage box (2) is a hollow box with an open top; An arc-shaped collecting plate (3) fixedly connected to the top opening of the storage box (2); A collecting pipe (401) is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate (3), and an electronic valve is fixedly connected to the discharge end of the collecting pipe (401); An impact airbag (302) is fixedly connected to the collecting end of the arc-shaped collecting plate (3), and the impact airbag (302) is located above the collecting tube (401) and is used to absorb the force generated by the rolling of the tomatoes; A pressure sensor (303) is mounted on the impact airbag (302), and the pressure sensor (303) is used to detect the air pressure in the impact airbag (302); A mounting plate (5) is mounted in the storage box (2), wherein a cylindrical placement groove is provided in the mounting plate (5), and the mounting plate (5) is arranged at an angle; A plurality of sets of rotating plates (502) are all rotatably connected in the placement groove, and the rotating plates (502) rotate along the axis of the placement groove.

2. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting plate (5) is provided with two groups, and the collecting pipe (401) is connected to a branch pipe (402) above the electronic valve, and the inner diameter of the branch pipe (402) is smaller than the inner diameter of the collecting pipe (401). The discharge end of the collecting pipe (401) is located on the upper end of the mounting plate (5), and the discharge end of the branch pipe (402) is located on the upper end of the mounting plate (5). The opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collecting pipe (401) is controlled by the signal sent by the pressure sensor (303), and tomatoes are placed on the two groups of mounting plates (5).

3. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: A motor (501) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the mounting plate (5), and an output end of the motor (501) is fixedly connected to the rotating plate (502).

4. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating plate (502) is provided with multiple groups of tapered holes (503).

5. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The mounting plate (5) is fixedly connected to a side wall of the placement groove with a plurality of groups of raised air bags (601), each of which is provided with a nozzle (602). The rotating plate (502) can squeeze the raised air bags (601), thereby causing the raised air bags (601) to discharge water inside through the nozzle (602), thereby causing the tomatoes located in the two groups of rotating plates (502) to roll.

6. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide plate (301) is symmetrically fixedly connected to the arc-shaped collecting plate (3), and the guide plate (301) is used to guide the tomatoes to roll to the impact airbag (302).

7. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mounting plate (5) is provided with an opening (506) at the upper end thereof, a discharge pipe (507) for discharging tomatoes being fixedly connected to the bottom of the opening (506), a telescopic rod (5081) being fixedly connected inside the mounting plate (5), a baffle (5082) being fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic rod (5081), and the baffle (5082) being used to shield the opening (506).

8. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: A telescopic cylinder (504) is fixedly connected between each two adjacent groups of rotating plates (502); an arc-shaped push plate (505) for pushing the tomato to move is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder (504); a cavity is provided in the push plate (505); a spring member (5051) is connected in the cavity; and a sliding block (5052) is slidably connected in the cavity.

9. The multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage box (2) is provided with two groups of water supply ports (201), and the two groups of water supply ports (201) are respectively used to supply water to the two groups of mounting plates (5). A sewage pipe with an electronic valve is provided on the lower end of the mounting plate (5), and the bottom of the storage box (2) is provided with a drainage port (202).

10. A method for using a multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot, used for the multi-terrain facility tomato picking robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Check the position of the tomatoes through the camera (102), and move the mechanical picking hand (101) to the range position by controlling the all-terrain vehicle (1), and pick the tomatoes through the mechanical picking hand (101); Step 2: The picking robot (101) places the picked tomatoes on the arc-shaped collecting plate (3). The tomatoes roll on the arc-shaped collecting plate (3) and eventually come into contact with the impact airbag (302). The pressure sensor (303) in the impact airbag (302) detects the impact force, and then the tomatoes fall into the collection tube (401) below. Step 3: Sending a signal through the pressure sensor (303) to control the opening and closing of the electronic valve in the collection tube (401) to control the flow direction of the tomatoes; Step 4: The rotating rotating plate (502) moves the tomatoes, causing them to continuously roll and clean the tomatoes, while the raised airbag (502) assists in cleaning the tomatoes; Step 5: By moving the baffle (5082), the cleaned tomatoes are discharged through the opening (506).

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