Self-propelled automatic apple harvesting vehicle

Abstract

A self-propelled automatic apple harvesting vehicle belongs to the field of agricultural machinery and comprises a vehicle body, a rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic picking device, a visual system and a control device, the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, the pneumatic picking device, the visual system and the control device are mounted on the vehicle body, the pneumatic picking device is positioned at an action end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, and the visual system is positioned at a front-end working part of the pneumatic picking device. The visual system is used for collecting fruit tree images in a visual range and positioning apple positions, the visual system is connected with the control equipment, and the control equipment is used for determining a picking path according to the positioned apple positions and the current position and sending a control instruction to the picking control module of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism according to the picking path; the output end of the picking control module is connected with the controlled end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, and the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism is used for driving the pneumatic picking device to achieve picking path movement through three-axis displacement according to a control instruction of the picking control module. Efficient, accurate and automatic apple picking is achieved, and the picking requirement of a large-scale orchard is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of agricultural machinery and relates to a self-propelled automatic apple harvesting vehicle. Background Art

[0002] At present, apple picking usually relies on manual methods, but this traditional picking method has the problems of low work efficiency and high labor intensity. For this reason, some people have proposed mechanized picking solutions. For example, the invention patent of China Patent No. 202311435833.6 discloses a lightweight two-arm apple picking robot, which achieves the lightweight of an industrial six-axis robotic arm by simplifying the robotic arm structure. However, this solution still has obvious defects: the picking module has low rigidity, inflexible walking, and insufficient pneumatic transmission stability, which makes it difficult for the apple picking robot to meet the picking needs of large orchards. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the problems of low rigidity of the picking module, inflexible walking and unstable pneumatic transmission of existing apple picking robots, the present invention proposes a self-propelled apple automatic harvesting vehicle. Through optimized structural design and intelligent control, the apple picking process is realized with high efficiency, precision and automation, meeting the picking needs of large-scale orchards.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: A self-propelled automatic apple harvesting vehicle includes a vehicle body and a rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic picking device, a visual system and a control device installed on the vehicle body. The pneumatic picking device is located at the action end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, and the visual system is located at the front working part of the pneumatic picking device. The visual system is used to collect images of fruit trees in a visual range and locate the position of apples. The visual system is connected to the control device. The control device is used to determine a picking path according to the located apple position and the current position and to send a picking control module control instruction to the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism according to the picking path. The output of the picking control module is connected to the controlled end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism. The rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism is used to drive the pneumatic picking device to realize the picking path movement through three-axis shift according to the control instruction of the picking control module.

[0005] Furthermore, the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism includes a first drag chain, a second drag chain, a first linear module, a second linear module, and a third linear module; wherein the first drag chain connects the first linear module and the second linear module; and the second drag chain connects the second linear module and the third linear module. The first linear module and the second linear module are fixed parallel and tilted on the left and right sides, the driving mechanism at the upper end of the second linear module is connected to one end of the connecting rod through a coupling, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the first linear module through another coupling, connecting the first linear module and the second linear module; the third linear module is fixed vertically in front of the first linear module and the second linear module in the left and right directions, and the slide rails of the third linear module are fixed on the sliders of the first linear module and the second linear module. The three linear modules are all composed of slide rails and sliders, wherein the first linear module and the third linear module are equipped with motor modules for driving the sliders to move linearly along the slide rails.

[0006] Furthermore, the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism also includes a first drag chain fixing plate, which is fixed to the side of the second linear module, and its surface guide groove cooperates with the chain link flange of the first drag chain to limit the vertical movement trajectory of the drag chain and prevent lateral deviation; the first drag chain connecting plate is L-shaped, one end is hinged to the end link of the first drag chain, and the other end is fixed to the side of the third linear module, so that the end of the drag chain and the third linear module form a rigid linkage, so that the first drag chain can move up and down with the second linear module; the third linear module is fixed on the sliders of the first linear module and the second linear module at both ends through two third linear module fixing plates. When the motor module on the first linear module is working, the slider can drive the third linear module to move up and down, thereby driving the pneumatic picking device to move up and down.

[0007] Furthermore, the slider of the third linear module is fixedly connected to the first connecting plate, and a motor module is installed on the first connecting plate. Another motor module is also provided at the end of the third linear module, which is adjacent to the first linear module. The inner end of the second connecting plate is hinged to the first connecting plate, the outer end of the second connecting plate is hinged to the inner end of the third connecting plate, and the outer end of the third connecting plate is hinged to the pneumatic picking device. The other motor module at the end drives the slider to make left and right linear motion along the module slide rail; when a motor module on the first connecting plate is working, it can drive the second connecting plate to rotate around the hinge point (counterclockwise or clockwise), and the third connecting plate rotates synchronously with it, driving the picking device to move back and forth; when one motor module and another motor module work together, while the slider moves left and right, the second connecting plate and the third connecting plate are linked to make the picking device move back and forth synchronously, thereby driving the picking mechanism to move back and forth, left and right.

[0008] The second drag chain is connected to the second drag chain fixing plate, and one end of the second drag chain and the second drag chain fixing plate are connected to the third linear module by the second drag chain connecting plate. When the third linear module as a whole moves up and down with the sliders of the first and second linear modules, the connecting plate drives the end of the drag chain to rise and fall synchronously, and the drag chain performs vertical pitching movement with the fixed plate as the fulcrum to achieve up and down follow-up; at the same time, the slider of the third linear module can move left and right along its own slide rail, and the connecting plate drives the end of the drag chain to move horizontally along with the slider, and the drag chain adapts to the left and right displacement through the lateral bending of the flexible chain links, so that the second drag chain can move up and down with the third linear module, and move left and right with its slider; the bearing support is hinged at the junction of the third linear module and the connecting rod, and the drag chain rotary joint cooperates with the drag chain to adapt to the up and down and left and right movements of the robotic arm, thereby driving the hose to achieve up and down and left and right movements.

[0009] Preferably, the first linear module, the second linear module and the third linear module are all belt modules.

[0010] The pneumatic picking device includes a picking tube and a hose. The picking tube is located at the action end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism. The end of the picking tube is connected to the buffer cavity. The buffer cavity can control the falling of apples through a pressure relief ball valve. The end of the cavity is inserted into the hose. The other end of the hose is connected to a pneumatic device for providing power for the picking tube to pick and suck in apples; the centrifugal fan is connected to the buffer cavity fixed to the vehicle body frame through an air pipe. The end of the hose is connected to the buffer cavity to extract the air in the cavity, forming an air pressure difference between the inside of the cavity and the external environment.

[0011] The visual system includes a visual camera and an apple positioning module for locating the position of apples based on the fruit tree image taken by the visual camera. The visual camera is installed on the upper front end of the picking tube, and the output of the visual camera is connected to the apple positioning module.

[0012] The visual camera is fixed on a camera fixing piece, and threaded holes are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the camera fixing piece to fix the visual camera on the picking tube.

[0013] The technical concept of this invention is as follows: by arranging the robotic arm gantry frame at an angle, the invention increases the rigidity of the end-user's motion. By fixing the buffer chamber, the invention reduces the need for flexible pneumatic piping, thereby improving the stability of the end-user's three-dimensional motion. Furthermore, the four-wheel, four-turn motion chassis enables the apple harvester to maneuver flexibly in the field. Furthermore, an integrated pressure relief ball valve ensures the successful opening and closing of the buffer chamber door during fruit transfer.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: effectively improving operating efficiency, achieving high efficiency, precision and automation in the apple picking process, and meeting the picking needs of large-scale orchards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the self-propelled apple harvester, showing the connection between the conveyor, fruit drop track, buffer device, fruit collection device and the carrying body.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of a rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the fruit falling track. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Reference Figures 1 to 4 A self-propelled automatic apple harvesting vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, a pneumatic picking device, a visual system and a control device installed on the vehicle body, wherein the pneumatic picking device is located at the action end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, and the visual system is located at the front working part of the pneumatic picking device. The visual system is used to collect images of fruit trees in a visual range and locate the position of apples. The visual system is connected to the control device, and the control device is used to determine a picking path according to the located apple position and the current position and send a control instruction to the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism according to the picking path. The output of the picking control module is connected to the controlled end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, and the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism is used to drive the pneumatic picking device to realize the picking path movement through three-axis shift according to the control instruction of the picking control module.

[0021] The rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism of this embodiment includes a first drag chain 2, a second drag chain 13, a first linear module 17, a second linear module 3, and a third linear module 15. The first drag chain 2 connects the first linear module 17 and the second linear module 3; the second drag chain 13 connects the second linear module 3 and the third linear module 15. The first linear module 17 and the second linear module 3 are fixed parallel and tilted on the left and right sides. The drive mechanism at the upper end of the second linear module 3 is connected to one end of the connecting rod 8 via a coupling 22. The other end of the connecting rod 8 is connected to the first linear module 17 via another coupling 7, connecting the first linear module 17 and the second linear module 3. The third linear module 15 is fixed vertically in front of the first linear module 17 and the second linear module 3 in the left-right direction. The slide rails of the third linear module are fixed to the sliders of the first linear module 17 and the second linear module 3. All three linear modules are composed of slide rails and sliders. The first linear module 17 and the third linear module 15 are equipped with motor modules for driving the sliders to move linearly along the slide rails.

[0022] The rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism of this embodiment also includes a first drag chain fixing plate 1, which is rigidly fixed to the side of the second linear module 3 by screws. The guide groove on its surface cooperates with the chain link flange of the first drag chain 2 to limit the vertical movement trajectory of the drag chain and prevent lateral deviation. The first drag chain connecting plate 6 is L-shaped, one end of which is hinged to the end link of the first drag chain 2 by bolts, and the other end is fixed to the side of the third linear module 15, so that the end of the drag chain forms a rigid linkage with the third linear module 15, so that the first drag chain 2 can move up and down with the second linear module 3. The third linear module 15 is fixed to the sliders of the first linear module 17 and the second linear module 3 at its left and right ends through two third linear module fixing plates 5. When the motor module 16 on the first linear module 17 is working, it can drive the slider to move the third linear module 15 up and down, thereby driving the pneumatic picking device to move up and down.

[0023] The third linear module 15 has a motor module 4 and another motor module 24. The other motor module 24 is installed at the end of the third linear module 15, which is adjacent to the first linear module 17. One motor module 4 is installed on the first connecting plate 12. The first connecting plate 12 is fixed on the slider 9 of the third linear module 15. The inner end of the second connecting plate 30 is hinged to the first connecting plate 12. The outer end of the second connecting plate 30 is hinged to the inner end of the third connecting plate 31. The outer end of the third connecting plate 31 is hinged to the pneumatic picking device. When one motor module of the third linear module 15 is When the machine module 4 is working, it can drive the second connecting plate 30 to rotate around the hinge point (counterclockwise or clockwise), and at the same time, the third connecting plate 31 synchronizes the movement of the second connecting plate 30 to drive the picking device to move forward and backward; when the other motor module 24 of the third linear module 15 is working, the driving slider 9 moves left and right along the slide rail on the third linear module 15; when one motor module 4 and another motor module 24 work at the same time, the driving slider 9 moves left and right and drives the second connecting plate 30 and the third connecting plate 31 to move forward and backward, thereby driving the picking mechanism to move forward and backward, left and right.

[0024] The second drag chain 13 is connected to the second drag chain fixing plate 14, and one end of the second drag chain 13 and the second drag chain fixing plate 14 are connected to the third linear module 15 by the second drag chain connecting plate 10. When the third linear module 15 moves up and down as a whole with the sliders of the first and second linear modules, the connecting plate 10 drives the end of the drag chain to rise and fall synchronously, and the drag chain performs vertical pitching movement with the fixed plate 14 as the fulcrum to achieve up and down follow-up; at the same time, the slider of the third linear module 15 can move left and right along its own slide rail, and the connecting plate 10 drives the end of the drag chain to move horizontally with the slider, and the drag chain adapts to the left and right displacement through the lateral bending of the flexible chain links, so that the second drag chain 13 can move up and down with the third linear module 15, and move left and right with its slider; the bearing support 18 is hinged at the junction of the third linear module and the connecting rod, and the drag chain rotary joint 11 cooperates with the drag chain to adapt to the up and down and left and right movements of the robotic arm, thereby driving the up and down, left and right movements of the picking mechanism.

[0025] Preferably, the first linear module 17, the second linear module 3, and the third linear module 15 are all belt modules, and the structure of the belt module is realized by using an existing common mechanical structure.

[0026] Furthermore, the pneumatic picking device includes a picking tube 21 and a hose 25. The picking tube 21 is located at the active end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism. The end of the picking tube 21 is connected to a buffer chamber 23, which controls the apple's descent via a pressure relief ball valve 26. The end of the chamber is inserted into the hose 25, and the other end of the hose 25 is connected to a pneumatic device that powers the picking tube to pick and suck in the apples. A centrifugal fan 38 generates negative pressure. The fan 38 is connected to the buffer chamber 23, which is fixed to the vehicle body frame, via an air pipe. The end of the hose 25 is connected to the buffer chamber 23, extracting air from the chamber and creating an air pressure differential between the chamber and the outside environment. During picking, the picking tube 21 is aligned with the apple. Once the centrifugal fan 38 is activated, the negative pressure within the buffer chamber 23 draws the apple into the suction head, completing the picking process. The picked apple enters the hose 25 and is transported to the buffer chamber 23. At this time, the negative pressure in the cavity is released by the pressure relief ball valve 26 , and the bottom door is smoothly opened by the cylinder, and the apples are placed on the fruit drop track 32 .

[0027] The visual system includes a visual camera 19 and an apple positioning module for locating apples based on images of fruit trees captured by the visual camera. The visual camera 19 is mounted on the front upper portion of a picking tube 21, and the output of the visual camera 19 is connected to the apple positioning module. In this solution, the apple positioning method is implemented using common methods in the prior art.

[0028] Preferably, the visual camera 19 is fixed on a camera fixing member 20 , and threaded holes are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the camera fixing member 20 to fix the visual camera 19 on the picking tube 21 .

[0029] In this embodiment, a visual camera 19 is provided at the upper front end of the picking tube 21, and threaded holes are provided at the upper and lower ends of the camera fixing part 20, so that the visual camera 19 can be fixed on the picking tube 21. The visual camera 19 is used to identify the position of the fruit. The pneumatic picking device is designed and installed based on the rectangular coordinate mechanical structure. The rectangular coordinate structure in each direction is controlled by the motor to move in each direction, so that the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism moves to control the picking tube 21 to the correct position. After the apple is picked and sucked in, The apples stay in the buffer chamber 23, where the negative pressure inside is released by the pressure relief ball valve 26. The bottom door is then pushed open by the cylinder, allowing the apples to be lowered onto the fruit drop track 32. The fruit drop track consists of two sections: the upper end of the first section is connected to the fruit drop outlet of the buffer chamber 23, and the lower end overlaps the upper end of the second section, moving synchronously with the chamber 23. The lower end of the second section is fixedly connected to the conveyor belt 33 directly above the fruit drop. After the fruit slides from the first section to the second section, it is transported to the fruit drop buffer device 34 via the conveyor belt 33. The fruit drop buffer device 34 is fixed to the top of the collection frame 35 via an adjustable component. It uses cushioning material to provide a buffering effect and evenly distribute the fruit in the collection frame 35, which is used to achieve efficient and accurate picking.

[0030] The machine's central control module 36 provides unified control of the machine, ensuring coordinated operation of all modules. A display shows the functional status and fault information of each module, facilitating operation and maintenance. The machine is integrated onto a vehicle body 37, which includes a rechargeable battery, wheels 29 with integrated motors for steering, a cab 27, and control devices 28, which are not limited to turntables or joysticks.

[0031] The embodiments of this specification are merely examples of implementations of the invention and are provided for illustrative purposes only. The scope of protection of the present invention should not be considered limited to the specific embodiments described in these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention also extends to equivalent technical means that can be conceived by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the invention.

[0032] The embodiments of this specification are merely examples of implementations of the invention and are provided for illustrative purposes only. The scope of protection of the present invention should not be considered limited to the specific embodiments described in these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention also extends to equivalent technical means that can be conceived by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the invention.

Claims

1. A self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle, characterized in that: It includes a vehicle body and a rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism installed on the vehicle body, a pneumatic picking device, a visual system and a control device. The pneumatic picking device is located at the action end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism, and the visual system is located at the front working part of the pneumatic picking device. The visual system is used to collect images of fruit trees in the visual range and locate the position of apples. The visual system is connected to the control device. The control device is used to determine the picking path according to the located apple position and the current position and send a picking control module control instruction to the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism according to the picking path. The output of the picking control module is connected to the controlled end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism. The rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism is used to drive the pneumatic picking device to realize the picking path movement through three-axis shift according to the control instruction of the picking control module.

2. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism includes a first drag chain, a second drag chain, a first linear module, a second linear module, and a third linear module; wherein the first drag chain connects the first linear module and the second linear module; and the second drag chain connects the second linear module and the third linear module. The first linear module and the second linear module are fixed parallel and tilted on the left and right sides. The driving mechanism at the upper end of the second linear module is connected to one end of the connecting rod through a coupling, and the other end of the connecting rod is connected to the first linear module through another coupling, connecting the first linear module and the second linear module; the third linear module is fixed vertically in front of the first linear module and the second linear module in the left and right directions, and the slide rails of the third linear module are fixed on the sliders of the first linear module and the second linear module. The three linear modules are all composed of slide rails and sliders, wherein the first linear module and the third linear module are equipped with motor modules for driving the sliders to move linearly along the slide rails.

3. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism also includes a first drag chain fixing plate, which is fixed to the side of the second linear module, and its surface guide groove cooperates with the chain link flange of the first drag chain to limit the vertical movement trajectory of the drag chain and prevent lateral deviation; the first drag chain connecting plate is L-shaped, one end is hinged to the end link of the first drag chain, and the other end is fixed to the side of the third linear module, so that the end of the drag chain and the third linear module form a rigid linkage, so that the first drag chain can move up and down with the second linear module; the third linear module is fixed on the sliders of the first linear module and the second linear module at both ends through two third linear module fixing plates. When the motor module on the first linear module is working, the slider can drive the third linear module to move up and down, thereby driving the pneumatic picking device to move up and down.

4. A self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The slider of the third linear module is fixedly connected to the first connecting plate, and a motor module is installed on the first connecting plate. Another motor module is also provided at the end of the third linear module, which is adjacent to the first linear module; the inner end of the second connecting plate is hinged to the first connecting plate, the outer end of the second connecting plate is hinged to the inner end of the third connecting plate, and the outer end of the third connecting plate is hinged to the pneumatic picking device; the other motor module at the end drives the slider to make left and right linear motion along the module slide rail; when a motor module on the first connecting plate is working, it can drive the second connecting plate to rotate around the hinge point, and the third connecting plate rotates synchronously with it, driving the picking device to move back and forth; when one motor module and another motor module work together, while the slider moves left and right, the second connecting plate and the third connecting plate are linked to make the picking device move back and forth synchronously, thereby driving the picking mechanism to move back and forth, left and right.

5. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The second drag chain is connected to the second drag chain fixing plate, and one end of the second drag chain and the second drag chain fixing plate are connected to the third linear module by the second drag chain connecting plate. When the third linear module as a whole moves up and down with the sliders of the first and second linear modules, the connecting plate drives the end of the drag chain to rise and fall synchronously, and the drag chain performs vertical pitching movement with the fixed plate as the fulcrum to achieve up and down follow-up; at the same time, the slider of the third linear module can move left and right along its own slide rail, and the connecting plate drives the end of the drag chain to move horizontally along with the slider, and the drag chain adapts to the left and right displacement through the lateral bending of the flexible chain links, so that the second drag chain can move up and down with the third linear module, and move left and right with its slider; the bearing support is hinged at the junction of the third linear module and the connecting rod, and the drag chain rotary joint cooperates with the drag chain to adapt to the up and down and left and right movements of the robotic arm, thereby driving the hose to achieve up and down and left and right movements.

6. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The first linear module, the second linear module and the third linear module all adopt belt modules.

7. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The pneumatic picking device includes a picking tube and a hose. The picking tube is located at the action end of the rectangular coordinate mechanical mechanism. The end of the picking tube is connected to the buffer cavity. The buffer cavity can control the falling of apples through a pressure relief ball valve. The end of the cavity is inserted into the hose. The other end of the hose is connected to a pneumatic device for providing power for the picking tube to pick and suck in apples; the centrifugal fan is connected to the buffer cavity fixed to the vehicle body frame through an air pipe. The end of the hose is connected to the buffer cavity to extract the air in the cavity, forming an air pressure difference between the inside of the cavity and the external environment.

8. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The visual system includes a visual camera and an apple positioning module for locating the position of apples based on the fruit tree image taken by the visual camera. The visual camera is installed on the upper front end of the picking tube, and the output of the visual camera is connected to the apple positioning module.

9. The self-propelled apple harvesting vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The visual camera is fixed on a camera fixing piece, and threaded holes are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the camera fixing piece to fix the visual camera on the picking tube.

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