Automatic fruit picking method

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic fruit picking method. The method comprises the following steps that S1, picking equipment is lifted to the preset height of a tree crown area through an unmanned aerial vehicle; s2, adjusting the distance between two sets of picking mechanisms in the picking equipment to enable the distance to adapt to the width of the target fruit branch; s3, adjusting the working inclination angle of the picking equipment to enable the working inclination angle to be aligned with the distribution direction of the fruit clusters; s4, starting an upper shifting fork assembly and a lower shifting fork assembly in the picking mechanism, and enabling the upper shifting fork assembly and the lower shifting fork assembly to synchronously rotate in opposite directions; s5, fruit branches are introduced into the working space between the upper shifting fork assembly and the lower shifting fork assembly, and fruits are stripped from fruit stems through the rubbing action of the shifting forks; s6, collecting the fallen fruits and transferring the fallen fruits to a next operation position. The device has the advantages that through unmanned aerial vehicle carrying and remote control, high-altitude operation of picking personnel is avoided, the safety accident risk is remarkably reduced, and meanwhile the picking efficiency is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a fruit automatic picking method, belonging to the field of fruit picking. BACKGROUND

[0002] Fruit picking, especially the picking of tall tree fruits such as Korean pine, has long been an important and arduous task in forestry production. Korean pine fruits (pine nuts) have high economic value, but the fruit balls are mainly distributed in the upper part of the crown, making the picking operation difficult and dangerous. The traditional picking method mainly relies on manual climbing or using a long pole to hit, which not only has a great labor intensity and low efficiency, but also has a serious safety hazard of falling from a high altitude, and the personal safety cannot be guaranteed.

[0003] In recent years, some technical improvement schemes have appeared to improve the safety and efficiency of the operation. One of them is the "manual riding on a drone" method, that is, a manned basket is hung on a drone to lift the operator to the crown for picking. Although this method avoids personnel climbing, the operator still needs to hover in the air, and the personal safety risk is still significant due to the influence of multiple factors such as wind force, drone stability and equipment reliability, and the hidden danger of high-altitude human operation has not been fundamentally solved. The second is the "vibration knockdown" method, which clamps the trunk with ground mechanical equipment and applies high-frequency vibration to make the fruits fall. However, this violent impact method can easily damage the cambium and root system of the tree, affecting the subsequent growth of the tree, leading to reduced yield the next year, and causing secondary damage to the understory vegetation ecology, which is an unsustainable picking method.

[0004] In addition, the existing picking equipment or method generally has the problem of insufficient adaptability. The crown shape, branch thickness and fruit distribution angle of trees are different, and the existing technical solutions lack effective real-time adjustment mechanism, making it difficult to flexibly adapt to different operation objects, resulting in low picking coverage, many blind areas of operation, and the need for frequent adjustment of the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which seriously restricts the efficiency and automation level of continuous operation. SUMMARY

[0005] To overcome the defects of the prior art, the present application provides an unmanned aerial vehicle-mounted automatic fruit picking device for trees, and the technical solution of the present application is as follows: A fruit automatic picking method, comprising the following steps: S1. lifting the picking device to a predetermined height in the crown area of the tree by an unmanned aerial vehicle; S2. adjusting the distance between the two sets of picking mechanisms in the picking device to adapt to the width of the target fruit branch; S3. adjusting the working inclination angle of the picking device to align with the distribution direction of the fruit cluster; S4. starting the upper and lower fork assemblies in the picking mechanism to rotate in reverse synchronization; S5. Introducing the fruit branch into the working space between the upper and lower fork assemblies, and stripping the fruit from the fruit stem through the rubbing action of the forks; S6. Collecting the fallen fruit and transferring to the next operation position.

[0006] In the step S1, the picking device comprises a frame, a fixed frame (1), a moving frame (5), a folding frame (15), a spacing adjustment mechanism, a twist cage type picking mechanism and an angle adjustment mechanism, the spacing adjustment mechanism is installed on the frame, the bottom of the frame is provided with the fixed frame (1) and the moving frame (5), the moving frame (5) is arranged in parallel with the fixed frame (1) and the distance between the moving frame (5) and the fixed frame (1) is adjusted through the spacing adjustment mechanism, the twist cage type picking mechanism is installed on the fixed frame (1) and the moving frame (5), the folding frame (15) is hinged to the upper part of the frame and the angle of the folding frame (15) is adjusted through the angle adjustment mechanism, and the spacing adjustment mechanism, the twist cage type picking mechanism and the angle adjustment mechanism are controlled through a control panel.

[0007] In the step S2, the spacing is adjusted through the spacing adjustment mechanism, the spacing adjustment mechanism comprises a lead screw (3), a lead screw seat (4), a lead screw drive gear and a lead screw drive motor, the lead screw (3) is rotatably installed on the frame through a bearing seat (2), one end of the lead screw (2) is provided with the lead screw drive gear (6) after penetrating through the fixed frame (1), the lead screw drive motor is installed on the frame, the gear of the lead screw drive motor is in transmission connection with the lead screw drive gear (6) through a lead screw drive transmission chain, and the lead screw seat (4) is installed on the upper end of the moving frame (5) and threadedly matches with the lead screw (3).

[0008] In the step S3, the working inclination angle is adjusted through the angle adjustment mechanism, the angle adjustment mechanism comprises an angle adjustment cylinder arranged in an inclined manner, the folding frame (15) is rotatably installed on the frame through a hinge, the cylinder body of the angle adjustment cylinder is hinged to the folding frame (15), and the telescopic rod of the angle adjustment cylinder is hinged to the frame.

[0009] In the step S1, the cage-type picking mechanism includes an upper fork assembly (11), a lower fork assembly (12) and a fork drive motor, wherein the upper fork assembly (11) is rotatably mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame via an upper bearing seat (10); the lower fork assembly (12) is located at the lower part of the upper fork assembly (11) and is rotatably mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame via a lower bearing seat; a working space for picking fruits is formed between the lower fork assembly and the upper fork assembly (11); the fork drive motor is mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame via a motor fixing frame, and the upper fork assembly (11) is driven by the fork drive motor; a transmission mechanism is provided between the upper fork assembly (11) and the lower fork assembly (12).

[0010] The upper fork assembly (11) includes an upper fork shaft and an upper fork, and along the length direction of the upper fork shaft, several pairs of the upper forks are installed on the upper fork shaft, and a gap is formed between two adjacent pairs of the upper forks; the lower fork assembly (12) includes a lower fork shaft and a lower fork, and along the length direction of the lower fork shaft, several pairs of the lower forks are installed on the lower fork shaft, and a gap is formed between two adjacent pairs of the lower forks; the upper forks and adjacent lower forks are arranged in a plug-in shape.

[0011] The transmission mechanism includes an upper gear (13), a lower gear and a tensioning wheel. The upper gear (13) is installed at one end of the upper fork shaft, and the lower gear (16) is installed at one end of the lower fork shaft. The lower gear (16) is located directly below the upper gear (13) and is connected to the upper gear (13) through a gear transmission chain. A tensioning wheel for tightening the gear transmission chain is installed on the fixed frame or the movable frame.

[0012] In step S5, the kneading action of the forks is achieved by rotating and inserting several pairs of upper and lower forks that are staggered up and down to simulate manual picking actions.

[0013] It also includes a detachable powered flying platform. The folding frame is connected to the detachable powered flying platform through a set of ropes or a traction mechanism, and the folding frame is lifted to an operating height by the detachable powered flying platform. The advantages of the present invention are: 1. By using drones to carry equipment and remotely control the entire process, human-machine separation is achieved. Harvesters no longer need to climb trees or hover in the air, eliminating the risk of personal safety accidents such as falls from heights and greatly improving operational safety.

[0014] 2. The picking method of twisted cage forks inserted and rotated accurately simulates the gentle action of manually rubbing the fruit clusters, avoiding the damage of traditional vibration picking to the tree cambium, root system and flower buds, protecting the health of the trees and subsequent yield, and achieving sustainable harvesting.

[0015] 3. Integrated spacing and angle adjustment functions enable real-time and flexible adjustments to the width and working angle of the picking mechanism based on the thickness and distribution of the target fruit branches. This precisely adapts to different tree crown shapes, reduces blind spots, and improves single-hover picking coverage and overall operating efficiency.

[0016] 4. Effectively reduces volume and flight resistance. This not only meets the UAV's mounting restrictions and endurance requirements, but also facilitates transportation and transfer in complex terrains such as mountainous areas, making it highly maneuverable and flexible.

[0017] 5. Centralized remote control of all mechanisms, including spacing and angle adjustment, and picking start and stop, is available through a ground-based control panel. This reduces operator skill requirements and labor intensity, ensuring the continuity, stability, and reliability of the operational process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 side view.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Top view of .

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the folding stand of the present invention when it is working. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments, and the advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer as the description proceeds. However, these embodiments are merely exemplary and do not constitute any limitation to the scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the details and forms of the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and replacements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] See also Figures 1 to 4The present invention relates to an automated fruit picking method, comprising the following steps: S1. lifting a picking device to a predetermined height in a tree crown area by a drone; S2. adjusting the spacing between two sets of picking mechanisms in the picking device to adapt to the width of a target fruit branch; S3. adjusting the working inclination angle of the picking device to align with the distribution direction of the fruit cluster; S4. starting the upper and lower fork assemblies in the picking mechanism to make them rotate synchronously in opposite directions; S5. introducing the fruit branch into the working space between the upper and lower fork assemblies, and peeling the fruit from the fruit stalk by the rubbing action of the fork; S6. collecting the fallen fruit and transferring it to the next working position.

[0024] Steps S1 to S6 are completely carried out by the drone and remotely controlled via a control panel. The operator is always on safe ground, completely eliminating the risks of personal safety accidents such as falls from heights and scrapes from branches that are unavoidable in traditional picking methods.

[0025] Through steps S1 (positioning), S2-S3 (adaptive adjustment), S4-S5 (precise execution), and S6 (collection and transfer), a highly coordinated intelligent system is formed. Positioning, adjustment, picking, and movement are completed autonomously, achieving automated and continuous operation.

[0026] In the step S1, the picking equipment includes a frame, a fixed frame 1, a movable frame 5, a folding frame 15, a spacing adjustment mechanism, a cage-type picking mechanism and an angle adjustment mechanism. The spacing adjustment mechanism is installed on the frame, and the fixed frame 1 and the movable frame 5 are installed at the bottom of the frame. The movable frame 5 is arranged parallel to the fixed frame 1, and the distance from the fixed frame 1 is adjusted by the spacing adjustment mechanism; the cage-type picking mechanism is installed on both the fixed frame 1 and the movable frame 5, and the folding frame 15 is hinged to the upper part of the frame, and the angle is adjusted by the angle adjustment mechanism; the spacing adjustment mechanism, the cage-type picking mechanism and the angle adjustment mechanism are all controlled by a control panel.

[0027] By integrating the spacing adjustment mechanism, cage-type picking mechanism, and angle adjustment mechanism into a single frame, the equipment achieves a modular and integrated design. This layout not only creates a compact structure, reducing overall size and weight, making it ideal for drone installation, but also ensures the stability and reliability of the coordinated operation of each functional module.

[0028] The spacing adjustment mechanism drives the mobile frame relative to the fixed frame, flexibly adjusting the width between the two sets of twisted cage picking mechanisms. This allows the equipment to precisely adapt to tree branches of varying thicknesses, improving its adaptability to various forest operating environments.

[0029] The cage-type picking mechanism adopts the working principle of the upper and lower fork components plugging into each other, simulating the manual kneading and picking action, avoiding the potential damage of severe impact or vibration to tree branches, flower buds and next year's yield.

[0030] The angle adjustment mechanism rotates the folding frame within a certain range, adjusting the overall working angle of the picking mechanism. This allows for flexible handling of fruit clusters growing in different directions and angles, improving both the picking coverage and efficiency of a single hover.

[0031] Centralized control is achieved through a unified control panel, allowing operators to adjust operating parameters remotely and in real time. This human-machine interaction model not only reduces operational difficulty and risk, but also enables continuous and efficient automated harvesting operations.

[0032] In the step S2, the adjustment of the spacing is achieved through a spacing adjustment mechanism, which includes a screw 3, a screw seat 4, a screw drive gear and a screw drive motor. The screw 3 is rotatably installed on the frame through the bearing seat 2. One end of the screw 2 passes through the fixed frame 1 and is installed with the screw drive gear 6. The screw drive motor is installed on the frame, and the gear of the screw drive motor is connected to the screw drive gear 6 through a screw drive transmission chain; the screw seat 4 is installed at the upper end of the movable frame 5, and the screw seat 4 is threadedly engaged with the screw 3.

[0033] A screw-nut transmission mechanism is used to achieve the displacement of the mobile frame; the screw transmission converts rotational motion into linear motion, which can withstand the large lateral forces and torques that branches may apply to the mobile frame during picking operations. It has strong load resistance and ensures the durability and reliability of the mechanism under complex working conditions.

[0034] In step S3, the adjustment of the working inclination angle is achieved through an angle adjustment mechanism, which includes an angle adjustment cylinder that is tilted. The folding frame 15 is installed on the frame through a hinge, and the cylinder body of the angle adjustment cylinder is hinged on the folding frame 15. The telescopic rod of the angle adjustment cylinder is hinged on the frame.

[0035] In the step S1, the cage-type picking mechanism includes an upper fork assembly 11, a lower fork assembly 12 and a fork drive motor, the upper fork assembly 11 is rotatably mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame through the upper bearing seat 10; the lower fork assembly 12 is located at the lower part of the upper fork assembly 11, and is rotatably mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame through the lower bearing seat; a working space for picking fruits is formed between the lower fork assembly and the upper fork assembly 11; the fork drive motor is mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame through the motor fixing bracket, and the upper fork assembly 11 is driven by the fork drive motor; a transmission mechanism is provided between the upper fork assembly 11 and the lower fork assembly 12.

[0036] The branches are rubbed and brushed by two sets of counter-rotating fork assemblies, separating the fruits from the stems. This avoids the potential damage to the tree branches, flower buds, and next year's yield caused by traditional vibration or beating methods, achieving a tree-friendly and efficient harvest.

[0037] A single fork drive motor simultaneously drives both the upper and lower fork assemblies, with a transmission mechanism (such as a gear chain) ensuring their synchronous, counter-rotating rotation. This design ensures highly consistent power output, enabling coordinated and precise picking movements and avoiding potential stalling or inefficiencies caused by asynchronous dual motors.

[0038] A clear picking area is formed between the upper and lower fork assemblies. Once branches are introduced into this space, they are effectively captured and picked by the rotating forks. The picked fruits are also easily removed and collected, optimizing the entire picking process.

[0039] The cage-type picking mechanism not only achieves gentle picking movements that imitate manual labor, but also demonstrates significant advantages in power transmission, structural layout and adaptability.

[0040] The upper fork assembly 11 includes an upper fork shaft and an upper fork. Along the length direction of the upper fork shaft, several pairs of upper forks are installed on the upper fork shaft, and a gap is formed between two adjacent pairs of upper forks; the lower fork assembly 12 includes a lower fork shaft and a lower fork. Along the length direction of the lower fork shaft, several pairs of lower forks are installed on the lower fork shaft, and a gap is formed between two adjacent pairs of lower forks; the upper forks and adjacent lower forks are arranged in a plug-in shape.

[0041] The upper and lower fork assemblies are structured such that several pairs of forks are arranged in a plug-in manner, which has the following outstanding advantages: The pairs of prongs are distributed along the axial direction and form a continuous picking area when rotating. This arrangement ensures that after the branch enters the working space, multiple points in the length direction of the branch can be simultaneously acted on by the prongs, avoiding the problems of missed picking or low efficiency caused by a single prong, and improving picking efficiency and coverage.

[0042] The upper and lower prongs are arranged in a plug-in manner and will interleave with each other when rotating. The fruit stalks are subjected to reverse rubbing force and shearing force in the upward and downward directions at the same time, so that the fruit stalks are separated from the branches. Compared with one-way pronging, the success rate and efficiency of picking are significantly improved.

[0043] The uniform distribution of the prongs causes the picking force to be dispersed on multiple points of the branch, avoiding excessive local stress concentration that may scratch or tear the bark.

[0044] In the step S5, the rubbing action of the prongs is realized by the plug-in rotation of the pairs of upper and lower prongs arranged in an interleaved manner, to simulate the manual picking action.

[0045] The transmission mechanism includes an upper gear 13, a lower gear, and a tensioning wheel. The upper gear 13 is installed at one end of the upper prong shaft, and the lower gear 16 is installed at one end of the lower prong shaft and located directly below the upper gear 13, and is in transmission connection with the upper gear 13 through a gear transmission chain. A tensioning wheel is installed on the fixed frame or the moving frame to tension the gear transmission chain.

[0046] The lower gear is arranged directly below the upper gear, and a vertical chain transmission is adopted. The layout is compact, reducing the horizontal space occupation of the mechanism, so that the width of the entire picking is minimized, which is beneficial to the equipment to adapt to narrower branch space.

[0047] The tensioning wheel applies appropriate tension to the gear transmission chain, eliminating the risk of unstable transmission, increased noise, accelerated wear, and even tooth skipping failure caused by chain slack, improving the stability of the transmission and the service life and reliability of the entire mechanism.

[0048] The walking wheels 14 are installed at the bottom of the fixed frame 1 and the moving frame 5.

[0049] The tensioning shaft 7 is installed on the fixed frame 1 and the moving frame 5, and the tensioning wheel is installed on the tensioning shaft 7 through the bearing 9.

[0050] It also includes a detachable powered flight platform, and the folding frame 15 is connected with the detachable powered flight platform through a cable or traction mechanism, and the folding frame is lifted to the working height by the detachable powered flight platform.

[0051] The working principle of the present application is: I. Preparation and mounting stage 1. Equipment mounting: First, the picking equipment in a folded state is reliably connected under the detachable powered flight platform (i.e., the unmanned aerial vehicle) through a lasso or traction mechanism. The entire equipment is designed to be lightweight and in a folded state to minimize flight resistance and ensure the stability and endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle in flight.

[0052] 2. Fly to the operation area: The unmanned aerial vehicle carrying the equipment flies to the target tree crown area and hovers in the appropriate operation position through the flight control system of the unmanned aerial vehicle itself or the control of ground personnel.

[0053] II. Positioning and adjustment stage 3. Expansion and angle pre-adjustment: The ground operator issues instructions through the control panel to start the angle adjustment mechanism. The angle adjustment cylinder operates to push the folding frame to rotate around the hinge point, adjusting the entire picking equipment from the folded state to the predetermined operation angle, allowing the cage-type picking mechanism to approach the fruit branches.

[0054] 4. Precise distance adjustment: Subsequently, the operator adjusts the distance adjustment mechanism through the control panel according to the thickness of the target tree branches or the distribution width of the fruit clusters.

[0055] The lead screw drive motor drives the lead screw drive gear through the chain, rotating the lead screw.

[0056] The lead screw seat cooperating with the lead screw thread moves, bringing the entire moving frame closer or farther away from the fixed frame.

[0057] This process changes the width between the two sets of cage-type picking mechanisms installed on the fixed frame and the moving frame, thereby adaptively clamping or surrounding the target tree branches, preparing for picking. The distance adjustment mechanism uses a lead screw nut transmission and has self-locking properties, which can maintain the width stable after adjustment and resist external forces during operation.

[0058] III. Picking operation stage 5. Start the picking mechanism: After positioning and adjustment are complete, the operator starts the fork drive motor through the control panel.

[0059] The fork drive motor drives the upper fork assembly to rotate.

[0060] Through the transmission of the transmission mechanism (upper gear, lower gear, and chain), the lower fork assembly is driven to rotate in the opposite direction synchronously.

[0061] The tensioning wheel in the transmission mechanism ensures that the gear transmission chain is always in a reasonable tension state, preventing the chain from loosening, skipping teeth, or falling off, ensuring the reliability and smoothness of power transmission.

[0062] 6. Flexible fruit picking: The upper and lower forks that rotate in opposite directions at high speed are arranged in a pair, simulating the action of manually rubbing the fruit clusters.

[0063] When the fruit branch enters the working space of the fork assembly, the rotating fork will apply gentle and continuous force to the fruit stalk, thereby peeling the fruit from the stalk, while effectively avoiding damage to the tree branches and flower buds (affecting the yield next year).

[0064] The design of several pairs of forks distributed along the axial direction increases the contact points with the fruit branches, improving picking efficiency and coverage. The spacing between the forks provides a falling channel for the peeled fruit, preventing blockage.

[0065] 7. Fruit collection: The peeled fruits fall naturally due to gravity. A collection device (such as a fruit collection net or collection basket) can be installed under the equipment to collect the fruits for subsequent unified processing.

[0066] 4. Transfer and Return Phase 8. Separation and transfer: After completing the picking at the current position, the spacing adjustment mechanism works to retract the mobile frame, the picking mechanism stops rotating, and the equipment separates from the branches.

[0067] 9. Repeat the operation or return: The drone hovers to the new fruit branch location according to the instructions and repeats steps 3-7 to pick the fruit. When the fruit is fully collected or the task is completed, the drone returns and lands with the equipment.

[0068] The above description is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field, within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, who makes equivalent replacements or changes based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatic fruit picking, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Use drones to lift harvesting equipment to a predetermined height within the tree canopy area; S2 adjusts the spacing between the two sets of picking devices to adapt to the width of the target branches; S3 adjust the working angle of the picking device to align it with the distribution direction of the fruit clusters; S4 starts the upper and lower fork assemblies in the picking mechanism to rotate synchronously in the opposite direction; S5. The fruit branches are introduced into the working space between the upper and lower fork assemblies, and the fruit is peeled off from the stem by the rubbing action of the fork; S6. Collect fallen fruits and transfer them to the next operation location.

2. The method for automatic fruit picking according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step S1, the picking device includes a frame, a fixed frame (1), a movable frame (5), a folding frame (15), a spacing adjustment mechanism, a cage-type picking mechanism and an angle adjustment mechanism. The spacing adjustment mechanism is installed on the frame, and the fixed frame (1) and the movable frame (5) are installed at the bottom of the frame. The movable frame (5) is arranged parallel to the fixed frame (1) and the distance between the movable frame (5) and the fixed frame (1) is adjusted by the spacing adjustment mechanism. The cage-type picking mechanism is installed on both the fixed frame (1) and the movable frame (5). The folding frame (15) is hinged to the upper part of the frame and the angle is adjusted by the angle adjustment mechanism. The spacing adjustment mechanism, the cage-type picking mechanism and the angle adjustment mechanism are all controlled by a control panel.

3. The method for automatic fruit picking according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the step S2, the adjustment of the spacing is achieved by a spacing adjustment mechanism, which includes a screw (3), a screw seat (4), a screw drive gear and a screw drive motor. The screw (3) is rotatably mounted on the frame through a bearing seat (2), one end of the screw (2) passes through the fixed frame (1) and is then mounted with the screw drive gear (6). The screw drive motor is mounted on the frame, and the gear of the screw drive motor is connected to the screw drive gear (6) through a screw drive transmission chain; the screw seat (4) is mounted on the upper end of the movable frame (5), and the screw seat (4) is threadedly engaged with the screw (3).

4. The method for automatic fruit picking according to claim 1, wherein: In the step S3, the adjustment of the working inclination angle is achieved by an angle adjustment mechanism, the angle adjustment mechanism includes an angle adjustment cylinder arranged obliquely, the folding frame (15) is rotatably mounted on the frame through a hinge, the cylinder body of the angle adjustment cylinder is hinged on the folding frame (15), and the telescopic rod of the angle adjustment cylinder is hinged on the frame.

5. The method for automatic fruit picking according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step S1, the cage-type picking mechanism includes an upper fork assembly (11), a lower fork assembly (12) and a fork drive motor, wherein the upper fork assembly (11) is rotatably mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame via an upper bearing seat (10); the lower fork assembly (12) is located at the lower part of the upper fork assembly (11) and is rotatably mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame via a lower bearing seat; a working space for picking fruits is formed between the lower fork assembly and the upper fork assembly (11); the fork drive motor is mounted on the fixed frame or the movable frame via a motor fixing frame, and the upper fork assembly (11) is driven by the fork drive motor; a transmission mechanism is provided between the upper fork assembly (11) and the lower fork assembly (12).

6. The automatic fruit picking method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper fork assembly (11) includes an upper fork shaft and an upper fork, and along the length direction of the upper fork shaft, several pairs of the upper forks are installed on the upper fork shaft, and a gap is formed between two adjacent pairs of the upper forks; the lower fork assembly (12) includes a lower fork shaft and a lower fork, and along the length direction of the lower fork shaft, several pairs of the lower forks are installed on the lower fork shaft, and a gap is formed between two adjacent pairs of the lower forks; the upper forks and adjacent lower forks are arranged in a plug-in shape.

7. The method for automatic fruit picking according to claim 6, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism includes an upper gear (13), a lower gear and a tensioning wheel. The upper gear (13) is installed at one end of the upper fork shaft, and the lower gear (16) is installed at one end of the lower fork shaft. The lower gear (16) is located directly below the upper gear (13) and is connected to the upper gear (13) through a gear transmission chain. A tensioning wheel for tightening the gear transmission chain is installed on the fixed frame or the movable frame.

8. The automatic fruit picking method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S5, the kneading action of the forks is achieved by rotating and inserting several pairs of upper and lower forks that are staggered up and down to simulate manual picking actions.

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