Kiwi fruit spiral auger picking device and picking method

Abstract

A kiwifruit spiral auger picking device and picking method, the device comprising: a walking mechanism provided with an autonomous navigation system and a walking control system, which realizes autonomous walking according to satellite signals, field environment information and self position and attitude information; a state sensor provided at the front end of the walking mechanism, which is used for sensing the spatial position and distribution density of fruits; a separation picking mechanism comprising a picking component, a profiling component and a driving motor, the driving motor being arranged on a rack and connected with the picking component; the picking component being connected with the profiling component, and the profiling component being connected with the rack; a controller connected with the state sensor, the separation picking mechanism and the walking mechanism respectively, which controls the rotating speed of the driving motor, the lifting height of the profiling component and the walking speed of the walking mechanism according to the spatial distribution result of the fruits analyzed by the state sensor; and a collecting mechanism installed on the walking mechanism corresponding to the picking component. The application also provides a kiwifruit picking method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to fruit harvesting technology, and in particular to a spiral auger harvesting device for kiwifruit with a comb-like tooth design and a combined bending and twisting harvesting method. Background Technology

[0002] Kiwifruit harvesting is primarily manual, requiring farmers to repeatedly crane their necks, reach out, pick fruit, and bend over beneath the trellises. This method is labor-intensive, inefficient, and costly. Therefore, mechanized harvesting is a crucial way to reduce costs and increase efficiency in kiwifruit production. Current kiwifruit harvesting equipment is relatively limited, mainly consisting of selective harvesting robots. These robots typically use visual recognition and positioning, robotic arm planning and control, and end effector gripping to pick individual kiwifruit. Each robotic arm can only pick one fruit at a time, resulting in relatively low efficiency. This makes them unsuitable for large-scale harvesting operations and fails to meet the requirements of efficient mechanized harvesting, thus limiting the production efficiency and economic value of kiwifruit. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a spiral auger harvesting device and harvesting method for kiwifruit, which addresses the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a spiral auger harvesting device for kiwifruit, comprising:

[0005] The walking mechanism is equipped with an autonomous navigation system and a walking control system, which enables autonomous walking based on satellite signals, field environment information and its own position and attitude information;

[0006] A state sensor is installed at the front end of the walking mechanism to sense the spatial position and distribution density of the fruit;

[0007] A separate harvesting mechanism is mounted on top of the traveling mechanism via a frame. It includes a harvesting component, a contouring component, and a drive motor. The drive motor is mounted on the frame and connected to the harvesting component. The harvesting component is connected to the contouring component, and the contouring component is connected to the frame. The frame is vertically and vertically mounted on top of the traveling mechanism.

[0008] The controller, connected to the state sensor, the separating harvesting mechanism, and the walking mechanism respectively, controls the rotational speed of the drive motor, the lifting height of the contouring component, and the walking speed of the walking mechanism based on the spatial distribution of the fruit analyzed by the state sensor; and

[0009] A collection mechanism is installed on the walking mechanism corresponding to the picking component to collect the separated kiwifruit fruits.

[0010] The aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral auger harvesting device includes a state sensor bracket and a lidar, a first depth camera, and an inertial measurement unit mounted on the bracket. The lidar bracket is mounted at the front end of the walking mechanism, the first depth camera is mounted at the top of the lidar bracket to acquire RGBD image information of the fruit in the harvesting area, and the lidar is mounted on the front side of the upper end of the lidar bracket to acquire three-dimensional spatial point cloud of the fruit in the harvesting area. The inertial measurement unit acquires the current position and attitude information.

[0011] The aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device, wherein the harvesting component includes:

[0012] The semi-enclosed cylindrical body is connected to the contouring component;

[0013] The harvester is mounted inside the semi-circular body via a bearing housing and is connected to the drive motor; the axis of the harvester is coaxial with the axis of the semi-circular body; and

[0014] The fruit stem cutting platform, with a comb-shaped structure, is located on the top of the semi-enclosed cylinder and is flush with the distribution plane of the kiwifruit to be harvested. A pair of blades are installed between each comb tooth for cutting the fruit stem.

[0015] The aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral auger harvesting device, wherein the harvester is a spiral auger structure, including an auger shaft and end spiral harvesting blades disposed on the auger shaft. When the auger shaft rotates, the end spiral harvesting blades generate lateral relative displacement and move in opposite directions with the fruit stem cutting table to achieve fruit harvesting.

[0016] The aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral auger harvesting device further includes a guide housing, which is located on the side and below the semi-circular body. The lower opening of the guide housing corresponds to the upper opening of the collecting mechanism to receive the harvested fruit and guide it into the collecting mechanism.

[0017] In the aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral auger harvesting device, the semi-enclosed cylinder, auger shaft, end spiral harvesting blades, and / or guide shell are covered with a flexible material layer to reduce fruit impact damage.

[0018] The aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device, wherein the harvesting component further includes:

[0019] Multiple flexible guide teeth are provided, corresponding to the comb tooth notches of the fruit stem cutting table. Each flexible guide tooth includes a flexible guide plate and flexible guide wheels. The front part of the flexible guide plate is curled downward to prevent the branches and leaves of the kiwifruit trellis from getting tangled. The flexible guide wheels are symmetrically installed on both sides of the flexible guide plate, and each pair of flexible guide wheels corresponds one-to-one with each comb tooth notch of the fruit stem cutting table.

[0020] The aforementioned kiwifruit spiral auger harvesting device includes a harvesting component that further comprises multiple sets of distance sensors, which are respectively mounted on the cylinder support on both sides to detect the distance between the harvesting component and the kiwifruit to be harvested in real time.

[0021] The aforementioned kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device, wherein the contour-following component includes:

[0022] A parallel four-bar linkage, one end of which is connected to the semi-enclosed cylinder via a cylinder support, and the other end of which is connected to the frame; and

[0023] An electric cylinder is connected at one end to the upper link of the parallel four-bar linkage, and at the other end to the frame. The extension and retraction of the electric cylinder drives the parallel four-bar linkage to raise and lower the picking component.

[0024] To better achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a method for harvesting kiwifruit, wherein the kiwifruit is harvested using the aforementioned kiwifruit spiral auger harvesting device, comprising the following steps:

[0025] S100: The walking mechanism generates the optimal driving path for the kiwifruit harvesting area based on satellite signals, field environment information, and its own position and attitude information, and travels along the optimal driving path.

[0026] The S200 and state sensor are based on the SLAM algorithm of multi-sensor fusion to reconstruct the three-dimensional point cloud of the area to be sampled, and use the point cloud semantic segmentation method to perceive the state of the kiwi fruit.

[0027] S300. Guided by flexible guide combs, the kiwifruit to be harvested enters the spiral auger harvester. The terminal spiral harvesting blades push the kiwifruit along the axial direction of the harvester, causing relative displacement between the fruit and its stem. The terminal spiral harvesting blades knead the fruit, causing relative twisting between the fruit and its stem. Under the combined action of bending and twisting, the fruit is harvested and guided by the guide housing into the collection mechanism.

[0028] S400: Based on the fruit distribution height obtained by the state sensor, the contouring component adjusts the height of the picking component; based on the fruit density distribution obtained by the state sensor, the drive motor is controlled to adjust the picking speed of the picking component; and the walking mechanism is controlled to adjust the traveling speed.

[0029] The technical effects of this invention are as follows:

[0030] This invention enables the simultaneous harvesting of multiple fruits, solving the problem of low harvesting efficiency in existing harvesting equipment. It employs a spiral auger with flexible comb-like end effectors for harvesting kiwifruit. The array of flexible guide combs guides fruits of appropriate height to the spiral auger harvester in an orderly manner. With the help of flexible guide plates and guide wheels, the guidance process prevents fruit damage, hanging, and entanglement with branches and leaves. After entering the spiral auger harvester, the fruit stalk undergoes a bending and twisting motion in opposite directions under the interaction of the spiral auger and the fruit stem cutting platform, thus detaching the fruit and achieving harvesting. The device has a relatively simple structure and fully considers the separation characteristics of the fruit stalk. After entering the harvester, the fruit and stalk undergo a combined bending and twisting motion simultaneously, further improving the harvesting success rate. Even if the fruit cannot fully enter the spiral auger harvester, the fruit stalk will still undergo relative displacement under the agitation of the auger blades, and the stalk may break at the cutting platform, effectively improving the harvesting success rate. Finally, the successfully harvested fruit enters the collection mechanism under the guidance of the guide shell, completing the harvesting process.

[0031] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the separation and harvesting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a state sensor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the harvesting component structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the harvester structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the contouring component structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Among them, the markings in the figure

[0039] 1. Walking mechanism

[0040] 11 car bodies

[0041] 12 tracks

[0042] 13 Second Depth Camera

[0043] 14 satellite antennas

[0044] 15 Fixed brackets

[0045] 2-State Perceptron

[0046] 21 Sensor Bracket

[0047] 22 LiDAR

[0048] 23 First Depth Camera

[0049] 3. Separation and harvesting mechanism

[0050] 31 Harvesting Components

[0051] 311 distance sensor

[0052] 312 semi-enclosed tube body

[0053] 313 Fruit Stem Cutting Table

[0054] 314 Flexible Guide Wheel

[0055] 315 Flexible Guide Plate

[0056] 316 Guide Housing

[0057] 317 Harvester

[0058] 3171 Screwdriver Shaft

[0059] 3172 terminal spiral leaf picking

[0060] 318 tube support

[0061] 32 contouring components

[0062] 321 Parallel Four-Bar Linkage

[0063] 322 drive wheels

[0064] 323 drive chain

[0065] 324 driven wheel

[0066] 325 electric cylinder

[0067] 33 drive motor

[0068] 4 Collection agencies

[0069] 5 racks Detailed Implementation

[0070] The structural and working principles of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0071] In trellis cultivation, kiwifruit fruits hang vertically directly beneath the trellis, resulting in a relatively uniform distribution and concentrated height. The vines climb primarily on the wire mesh of the trellis, and the fruit stalks are quite long, leaving the fruit almost entirely unobstructed by leaves. The abscission layer of the kiwifruit is relatively fragile, and bending, twisting, and pulling can easily separate the fruit from the stalk. Kiwifruit is a post-ripening fruit, mostly harvested before softening, resulting in relatively firm fruit. The trellis provides ample space at the base, facilitating the passage of machinery. All these agronomical characteristics are conducive to the application of mechanized kiwifruit harvesting equipment.

[0072] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the separation and harvesting mechanism 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The kiwifruit spiral auger harvesting device of the present invention includes: a walking mechanism 1, equipped with an autonomous navigation system and a walking control system. The autonomous navigation system can make navigation decisions based on satellite positioning signals, field environment information around the vehicle body 11, and its own position and attitude information. The walking control system can control the walking mechanism 1 to travel along a designated route based on the navigation decision results, realizing autonomous walking for kiwifruit harvesting; a state sensor 2, located at the front end of the walking mechanism 1, used to sense the spatial position and distribution density of kiwifruit fruits in the harvesting area; and a separation and harvesting mechanism 3, mounted above the walking mechanism 1 via a frame 5, including a harvesting component 31, a contouring component 32, and a drive motor 33. The drive motor 33 is mounted on the frame 5 and connected to the harvesting component 31 via a chain, providing harvesting power to the harvesting component 31; the harvesting component 31 is connected to the contouring component 32, and the contouring component 32 is connected to the frame 5, used for... The lifting mechanism 31 can be adjusted; the frame 5 can be lifted and installed on the top of the walking mechanism 1; the drive motor 33 provides picking power to the picking component 31 through the contouring component 32, and the contouring component 32 can adjust the height of the picking component 31 while transmitting power; the controller is installed on the walking mechanism 1 and connected to the state sensor 2, the separating picking mechanism 3 and the walking mechanism 1 respectively. According to the fruit spatial distribution results analyzed by the state sensor 2, the controller controls the speed of the drive motor 33, the lifting height of the contouring component 32 and the walking speed of the walking mechanism 1, so as to achieve the optimal ratio of kiwifruit picking parameters; and the collection mechanism 4 is installed on the walking mechanism 1 corresponding to the picking component 31, located directly below the separating picking mechanism 3, and can be freely disassembled for easy handling. During the operation, the successfully picked fruits enter the collection mechanism 4 under the guidance of the guide shell 316 to complete the collection.

[0073] The frame 5 can be adjusted at its installation height on the traveling mechanism 1 via a lifting mechanism. The traveling mechanism 1 can be connected to the lifting mechanism of the frame 5 via a fixed bracket 15. The traveling mechanism 1 includes: a vehicle body 11; tracks 12 installed on both sides of the vehicle body 11; a second depth camera 13 installed at the front of the vehicle body 11; a satellite antenna 14 installed on the upper part of the fixed bracket 15; and the fixed bracket 15 installed at the rear of the vehicle body 11. The vehicle body 11 is equipped with an industrial control host, an electrical controller, a data acquisition card, an intelligent control circuit, and an inertial measurement unit, which integrates an autonomous navigation system and a traveling control system. It can perform fusion processing based on the satellite positioning information returned by the satellite antenna 14, the RGBD field environment image information around the vehicle body 11 returned by the second depth camera 13, and the position and attitude information returned by the inertial measurement unit inside the vehicle body 11 to make autonomous navigation decisions for kiwifruit harvesting, generate the optimal travel path for the machinery in the kiwifruit harvesting area, and then control the traveling mechanism 1 to travel along the route. The fixed bracket 15 is connected to the frame 5 and bears the entire weight of the separating harvesting mechanism 3. When installing the frame 5, it can slide longitudinally on the fixed bracket 15 and be fastened by a U-shaped clip.

[0074] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the state sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The state sensor 2 in this embodiment includes a sensor bracket 21 and a lidar 22, a first depth camera 23, and an inertial measurement unit mounted on the sensor bracket 21. The sensor bracket 21 is mounted at the front end of the walking mechanism 1. The first depth camera 23 is mounted at the top of the sensor bracket 21, facing directly upwards, to acquire RGBD image information of the fruit in the area to be harvested. The lidar 22 is mounted on the upper front side of the sensor bracket 21, facing directly upwards, to acquire the three-dimensional spatial point cloud of the fruit in the area to be harvested. The computing unit is inside the vehicle body 11 of the walking mechanism 1. The inertial measurement unit acquires the current position and attitude information. During the operation of the kiwifruit harvesting device, the lidar 22 acquires the three-dimensional point cloud information of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested directly above in real time, the first depth camera 23 acquires the RGBD image information of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested directly above in real time, and the inertial measurement unit built into the first depth camera 23 acquires the current acceleration information of the state sensor 2. Based on the SLAM algorithm with multi-sensor fusion, the computing unit reconstructs the three-dimensional point cloud of the area to be harvested. Through the point cloud semantic segmentation method, the state of the kiwifruit is perceived, and the spatial location and distribution density of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested are obtained, which serves as the basis for the control of various working parameters of the kiwifruit separation and harvesting mechanism 3.

[0075] See Figure 4 , Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the harvesting component 31 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the harvesting component 31 is a cylindrical structure, including: a semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312 connected to the contouring component 32, the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312 serving as a support frame for the harvesting component 31, hinged to the contouring component 32 on both sides, a spiral auger harvester 317 mounted on the central axis, and a fruit stem cutting table 313 fixed at the top; the harvester 317 is mounted inside the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312 via a bearing seat and connected to the drive motor 33; the axis of the harvester 317 is coaxial with the axis of the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312; and the fruit stem cutting table 313, having a comb-shaped structure, is located at the top of the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312, flush with the distribution plane of the kiwifruit to be harvested, with a pair of blades installed between each comb tooth for cutting the fruit stem.

[0076] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the harvester 317 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The harvester 317 in this embodiment is a spiral auger structure based on the opposing movement of the fruit stalk, including an auger shaft 3171 and end spiral harvesting blades 3172 disposed on the auger shaft 3171. When the auger shaft 3171 rotates, the end spiral harvesting blades 3172 generate lateral relative displacement, moving in opposite directions with the fruit stalk cutting table 313 to achieve fruit harvesting. The auger shaft 3171 is covered with a flexible material layer to reduce fruit impact damage. A drive motor 33 provides harvesting power to the harvesting component 31. The drive motor 33 is connected to the auger shaft 3171 via chain drive, thereby driving the harvester 317 to rotate.

[0077] The picking component 31 in this embodiment also includes: a plurality of flexible guide comb teeth, which are arranged in front of the fruit stem cutting table 313 corresponding to the comb tooth notches. The flexible guide comb teeth include a flexible guide plate 315 and a flexible guide wheel 314. The front part of the flexible guide plate 315 is curled downward, which can effectively prevent the branches and leaves of the kiwifruit trellis from getting tangled. The flexible guide wheel 314 is symmetrically installed on both sides of the flexible guide plate 315, and each pair of flexible guide wheels 314 corresponds one-to-one with each comb tooth notch of the fruit stem cutting table 313.

[0078] The picking component 31 further includes a guide housing 316, which is disposed on the side and below the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312. The lower opening of the guide housing 316 corresponds to the upper opening of the collecting mechanism 4 to receive the picked fruit and guide it into the collecting mechanism 4. In other words, successfully picked fruit will enter the collecting mechanism 4 through the guide housing 316. The picking component 31 also includes multiple sets of distance sensors 311, which are respectively disposed on the cylindrical body support 318 on both sides of the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312 to detect the distance between the picking component 31 and the kiwifruit to be picked in real time.

[0079] When the picking component 31 picks kiwifruit, the spiral auger picker 317 rotates, and its end spiral picking blade 3172 moves in opposite directions against the stem cutting table 313. During the movement of the traveling mechanism 1, if the fruit stem height in front of the picking component 31 is higher than the stem cutting table 313, the flexible guide comb will prevent the fruit from entering the stem cutting table 313. If the fruit height is just enough to fit into the gap of the guide comb, under the oblique rolling action of the flexible guide wheel 314, the fruit will slide out from the gap of the guide comb as the traveling mechanism 1 moves forward. If the fruit stem height in front of the picking component 31 is lower than the stem cutting table 313, the fruit will enter the spiral auger picker 317 under the guidance of the flexible guide comb, and the stem will enter the stem cutting table 313. The front part of the guide comb curls downwards, effectively preventing the kiwifruit trellis branches and leaves from entangled. Because the spiral picking blades 3172 at the end of the spiral auger harvester 317 move in opposite directions to the fruit stem cutting table 313, the fruit bends against the fruit stem under the push of the spiral picking blades 3172. Simultaneously, the spiral picking blades 3172 themselves rotate, causing the fruit to twist against the fruit stem under the rubbing action of the spiral picking blades 3172. The fruit stem breaks under the force, thus separating the fruit. The separated fruit falls through the gap between the spiral picking blades 3172 at the end of the spiral auger harvester 317 and enters the collection mechanism 4 under the guidance of the guide housing 316, completing the fruit collection. A receiving plate is installed at the front of the semi-enclosed cylinder 312. If the harvested fruit cannot directly enter the gap between the spiral picking blades 3172 at the end of the spiral auger harvester 317 from the top, it will enter the spiral auger harvester 317 from the front under the guidance of the receiving plate of the semi-enclosed cylinder 312. The spiral harvesting blades 3172 at the end of the spiral auger harvester 317, the auger shaft 3171, the semi-enclosed cylinder 312, and the guide shell 316 are all covered with shock-absorbing material to minimize the impact on the kiwi fruit.

[0080] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the contouring component 32 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the contouring component 32 includes: a parallel four-bar linkage 321, one end of which is connected to the semi-enclosed cylindrical body 312 via a cylindrical body support 318, and the other end of which is connected to the frame 5; and an electric cylinder 325, one end of which is connected to the upper connecting rod of the parallel four-bar linkage 321, and the other end of which is connected to the frame 5. The electric cylinder 325 extends and retracts to drive the parallel four-bar linkage 321 to raise and lower the picking component 31. The contouring component 32 connects the picking component 31 and the frame 5 based on the parallel four-bar principle, and adjusts the height of the picking component 31 by extending and retracting the electric cylinder 325, thereby adapting to the picking of fruits at different height distribution layers.

[0081] The frame 5 bears the entire weight of the contouring component 32 and the picking component 31. The frame 5 is connected to the fixed bracket 15 on the traveling mechanism 1 via a U-shaped clip. The frame 5 can slide and be secured vertically along the fixed bracket 15, thus adapting to kiwi fruit picking operations at different trellis heights. The drive motor 33 is mounted on the panel of the frame 5, transmitting power to the drive wheel 322 via a bearing seat on the side of the frame 5. The drive wheel 322 is connected to the driven wheel 324 via a transmission chain 323. The driven wheel 324 is mounted on a bearing seat on the side of the cylinder support 318, thus transmitting the driving force to the auger picker 317. When the electric cylinder 325 extends, the height of the picking component 31 increases; when the electric cylinder 325 retracts, the height of the picking component 31 decreases. The length adjustment of the electric cylinder 325 depends on the feedback from the state sensor 2 and the traveling speed of the traveling mechanism 1.

[0082] The kiwifruit harvesting method of the present invention uses the above-mentioned kiwifruit spiral auger harvesting device for bending and twisting compound kiwifruit harvesting, and includes the following steps:

[0083] Step S100: Turn on the power. The autonomous navigation system of the walking mechanism 1 makes an autonomous navigation decision on the optimal driving path in the area to be harvested based on the satellite positioning signal returned by the satellite antenna 14, the RGBD field environment image information around the vehicle body 11 obtained by the second depth camera 13, and the position and attitude information obtained by the inertial measurement unit inside the vehicle body 11. The optimal driving path in the area to be harvested is generated. The walking control system controls the walking mechanism 1 to drive autonomously along the optimal driving path according to the navigation decision result.

[0084] In step S200, during the movement of the walking mechanism 1, the state sensor 2 obtains sensor information from the LiDAR 22, the first depth camera 23, and the inertial measurement unit. Specifically, the LiDAR 22 obtains the three-dimensional point cloud information of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested directly above in real time, the first depth camera 23 obtains the RGBD image information of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested directly above in real time, and the inertial measurement unit built into the first depth camera 23 obtains the current acceleration information of the state sensor 2. Based on the SLAM algorithm of multi-sensor fusion, the computing unit reconstructs the three-dimensional point cloud of the area to be harvested. Through the point cloud semantic segmentation method, the state perception of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested is performed to obtain the spatial position and distribution density of the kiwifruit in the area to be harvested, which serves as the basis for adjusting the operating parameters of the separation and harvesting mechanism 3.

[0085] Step S300: Under the guidance of the flexible guide comb, the kiwifruit to be harvested enters the spiral auger harvester 317. The end spiral harvesting blades 3172 push the kiwifruit to be harvested along the axial direction of the harvester 317, causing relative displacement between the fruit and the fruit stalk. The end spiral harvesting blades 3172 rub the fruit, causing relative twisting between the fruit and the fruit stalk. Under the combined action of bending and twisting, the fruit is harvested and enters the collection mechanism 4 under the guidance of the guide housing 316. During this period, if the height of the fruit stalk is higher than the fruit stalk cutting table 313, the fruit slides out of the separation harvesting mechanism 3 under the action of the flexible guide wheel 314. Whether the fruit height is normal or slightly low, as the walking mechanism 1 advances, the fruit enters the spiral auger harvester 317 normally. The fruit stalk is caught in the fruit stalk cutting table 313. Under the rotation of the spiral auger harvester 317, the end spiral harvesting blades 3172 push the fruit to move along the axis of the harvester 317, thus causing relative displacement between the fruit and the fruit stalk. At the same time, the end spiral harvesting blades 3172 rub the fruit and rotate it inside the harvester 317, thus causing relative twisting between the fruit and the fruit stalk. Under the combined movement of bending and twisting of the fruit and fruit stalk, the fruit delamination breaks, completing the harvesting of the kiwi fruit. Then, guided by the guide housing 316, it enters the collection mechanism 4; and

[0086] Step S400: The controller controls the electric cylinder 325 of the contouring component 32 to extend and retract to adjust the height of the picking component 31 according to the fruit distribution height obtained by the state sensor 2; and controls the output speed of the drive motor 33 to adjust the picking speed of the picking component 31 according to the fruit density distribution obtained by the state sensor 2; and adjusts the travel speed of the walking mechanism 1 according to the kiwi fruit distribution density and the picking speed.

[0087] Among them, the distance sensors 311 set on both sides of the separating picking mechanism 3 detect the distance between the picking component 31 and the kiwi fruit in real time during the operation, which serves as the basis for adjusting the extension and retraction of the electric cylinder 325 of the contouring component 32. During the operation of the separating and picking mechanism 3, the kiwi fruit, guided by the flexible guide comb, approaches the spiral auger picker 317. If the branches and leaves of the kiwi trellis in front are long, the front part of the guide comb curls downward to avoid entanglement. If the fruit is tall and the stem is higher than the stem cutting table 313, the fruit will slide out of the picker 317 under the action of the guide wheel. If the fruit is of normal or low height, the fruit will enter the spiral auger picker 317 normally. Under the rotation of the spiral auger, the fruit will move along the auger shaft 3171 under the push of the end spiral picking blade 3172, thus causing relative displacement with the stem stuck on the stem cutting table 313. At the same time, under the rotation and kneading action of the end spiral picking blade 3172, the fruit twists itself, thus causing relative rotation with the stem stuck on the stem cutting table 313. Under the combined bending and twisting movement, the fruit and stem separate, and finally the kiwi fruit is picked and enters the collection mechanism 4 under the guidance of the guide shell 316.

[0088] During the operation of the separating and picking mechanism 3, the distribution status of kiwifruit can be detected. If there are no kiwifruit in the top space, the walking mechanism 1 continues to move forward, and the separating and picking mechanism 3 stops working. If there are kiwifruit in the top space, a height determination is made: if the average distribution height of the kiwifruit is higher than the stem cutting table 313, the electric cylinder 325 of the contouring component 32 extends, raising the height of the picking component 31 through the parallel four-bar linkage 321 until the distance fed back by the distance sensor 311 meets the picking requirements; if the average distribution height of the kiwifruit is lower than the stem cutting table 313 or the separating and picking mechanism 3 interferes with the kiwifruit trellis, the electric cylinder 325 of the contouring component 32 shortens, lowering the height of the picking component 31 through the parallel four-bar linkage 321 until the distance fed back by the distance sensor 311 meets the picking requirements. Simultaneously, the distribution density of kiwifruit is determined: if the kiwifruit distribution is sparse, the speed of the drive motor 33 of the separation and picking mechanism 3 is reduced, and the relative movement speed between the spiral picking blade 3172 at the end of the spiral auger picker 317 and the fruit stem cutting table 313 is reduced to avoid ineffective picking. At the same time, the travel speed of the walking mechanism 1 is increased to maximize the picking efficiency. If the kiwifruit distribution is dense, the speed of the drive motor 33 of the separation and picking mechanism 3 is increased, and the relative movement between the spiral picking blade 3172 at the end of the spiral auger picker 317 and the fruit stem cutting table 313 is increased to improve the picking efficiency of the separation and picking mechanism 3. At the same time, the travel speed of the walking mechanism 1 is reduced to minimize fruit picking omissions.

[0089] This invention enables simultaneous harvesting of multiple fruits, effectively improving harvesting efficiency. The fruit contact parts are made of flexible materials to minimize fruit damage. The machine has a simple structure, low cost, and is easy to maintain. Compared to robotic arms that harvest kiwifruit one fruit at a time, it has better market application prospects. The interaction between the spiral harvesting blades 3172 at the end of the harvester 317 and the stem cutting table 313 enables combined bending and twisting harvesting of the kiwifruit stem. While the fruit and stem can move laterally along the spiral auger, they can also twist relative to each other, effectively improving the harvesting success rate. Compared to robotic arm harvesting, this significantly reduces equipment costs and overcomes the shortcomings of harvesting robots that only harvest one fruit at a time. The flexible guide plate 315, in conjunction with the flexible guide wheel 314, can guide kiwifruit of appropriate height into the spiral auger harvester 317 in an orderly manner. The structure is simple and reliable; fruits of unsuitable height will slide out from the guide wheel position and will not get stuck in the gaps between the array guide plates. Due to the slight curvature at the front of the guide plate, branches and leaves will not entangle during fruit guidance. A blade is installed at the stem cutting table 313. As long as the stem can enter the stem cutting table 313, the blade can cut the stem and harvest the fruit under the rubbing action of the spiral harvesting blades 3172 at the end of the harvester 317. Even if the fruit fails to enter the gap between the spiral harvesting blades 3172 in time due to their phase, the fruit will not accumulate at the stem cutting table 313. While the harvester 317 is harvesting, the successfully harvested fruit enters the collection mechanism 4 through the gap of the end spiral harvesting blades 3172 under the action of the guide housing 316. Since the gap of the end spiral harvesting blades 3172 is just wide enough to accommodate one fruit, the collision of the fruit inside the harvester 317 can be minimized, thus realizing the mechanization and automation of kiwi fruit harvesting.

[0090] Of course, the present invention may have other various embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications according to the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A spiral auger harvesting device for kiwifruit, characterized in that, include: The walking mechanism is equipped with an autonomous navigation system and a walking control system, which enables autonomous walking based on satellite signals, field environment information and its own position and attitude information; A state sensor is installed at the front end of the walking mechanism to sense the spatial position and distribution density of the fruit; A separate harvesting mechanism is mounted on top of the traveling mechanism via a frame. It includes a harvesting component, a contouring component, and a drive motor. The drive motor is mounted on the frame and connected to the harvesting component. The harvesting component is connected to the contouring component, and the contouring component is connected to the frame. The frame is vertically and vertically mounted on top of the traveling mechanism. The controller is connected to the state sensor, the separating picking mechanism and the walking mechanism respectively. Based on the spatial distribution results of the fruit analyzed by the state sensor, the controller controls the rotation speed of the drive motor, the lifting height of the contouring component and the walking speed of the walking mechanism. as well as A collection mechanism is installed on the walking mechanism corresponding to the picking component to collect the separated kiwi fruits; The harvesting component includes: The semi-enclosed cylindrical body is connected to the contouring component; The harvester is mounted inside the semi-circular body via a bearing seat and is connected to the drive motor; the axis of the harvester is coaxial with the axis of the semi-circular body. A fruit stem cutting platform, with a comb-like structure, is located at the top of the semi-enclosed cylindrical body, flush with the plane of the kiwifruit to be harvested. A pair of blades are installed between each comb tooth for cutting the fruit stem; and Multiple flexible guide teeth are provided, corresponding to the comb tooth notches of the fruit stem cutting table. Each flexible guide tooth includes a flexible guide plate and a flexible guide wheel. The front part of the flexible guide plate is curled downward to prevent the branches and leaves of the kiwifruit trellis from getting tangled. The flexible guide wheels are symmetrically installed on both sides of the flexible guide plate, and each pair of flexible guide wheels corresponds one-to-one with each comb tooth notch of the fruit stem cutting table. The harvester is a spiral auger structure, including an auger shaft and end spiral harvesting blades disposed on the auger shaft. When the auger shaft rotates, the end spiral harvesting blades generate lateral relative displacement and move in opposite directions to the fruit stalk cutting table. Multiple flexible guide combs guide fruits of appropriate height into the harvester in an orderly manner. The end spiral harvesting blades cooperate with the fruit stalk cutting table to achieve a combined bending and twisting harvesting of the kiwi fruit stalk. For fruits that fail to enter the harvester completely, the fruit stalks are displaced under the action of the end spiral harvesting blades, and the stalks break at the fruit stalk cutting table, thus completing the harvesting process.

2. The kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The state sensor includes a sensor bracket and a lidar, a first depth camera, and an inertial measurement unit mounted on the sensor bracket. The sensor bracket is mounted at the front end of the walking mechanism. The first depth camera is mounted at the top of the sensor bracket to acquire RGBD image information of the fruit in the area to be harvested. The lidar is mounted on the front side of the upper end of the sensor bracket to acquire the three-dimensional spatial point cloud of the fruit in the area to be harvested. The inertial measurement unit acquires the current position and attitude information.

3. The kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The picking component also includes a guide housing, which is disposed on the side and below the semi-circular body. The lower opening of the guide housing corresponds to the upper opening of the collecting mechanism to receive the picked fruit and guide it into the collecting mechanism.

4. The kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The semi-encased cylinder, auger shaft, end spiral picking blades, and / or guide shell are covered with a flexible material layer to reduce fruit impact damage.

5. The kiwi fruit spiral harvesting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The picking component also includes multiple sets of distance sensors, which are respectively installed on the cylinder support on both sides to detect the distance between the picking component and the kiwi fruit to be picked in real time.

6. The kiwi fruit spiral auger harvesting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The contouring component includes: A parallel four-bar linkage, one end of which is connected to the semi-enclosed cylinder via a cylinder support, and the other end of which is connected to the frame; and An electric cylinder is connected at one end to the upper link of the parallel four-bar linkage, and at the other end to the frame. The extension and retraction of the electric cylinder drives the parallel four-bar linkage to raise and lower the picking component.

7. A method for harvesting kiwifruit, characterized in that, The kiwifruit harvesting method using the kiwifruit spiral auger harvesting device according to any one of claims 1-6 includes the following steps: S100: The walking mechanism generates the optimal driving path for the kiwifruit harvesting area based on satellite signals, field environment information, and its own position and attitude information, and travels along the optimal driving path. The S200 and state sensor are based on the SLAM algorithm of multi-sensor fusion to reconstruct the three-dimensional point cloud of the area to be sampled, and use the point cloud semantic segmentation method to perceive the state of the kiwi fruit. S300. Guided by flexible guide combs, the kiwifruit to be harvested enters the spiral auger harvester. The terminal spiral harvesting blades push the kiwifruit along the axial direction of the harvester, causing relative displacement between the fruit and its stem. The terminal spiral harvesting blades knead the fruit, causing relative twisting between the fruit and its stem. Under the combined action of bending and twisting, the fruit is harvested and guided by the guide housing into the collection mechanism. S400: Based on the fruit distribution height obtained by the state sensor, the contouring component adjusts the height of the picking component; based on the fruit density distribution obtained by the state sensor, the drive motor is controlled to adjust the picking speed of the picking component; and the walking mechanism is controlled to adjust the traveling speed.

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