Minimally invasive laser sample cutting equipment and method for various types of crop seeds

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of breeding slicing, in particular to minimally invasive laser sample cutting equipment and method for various crop seeds, and the minimally invasive laser sample cutting equipment comprises a feeding system, a turntable group, a sample cutting system and a collecting system which are arranged on a processing table, a spider hand feeding system, a multi-station rotating disc set with replaceable clamping jaws, a laser sample cutting system and a discharging and collecting system are arranged; different seeds are compatible through the design of a replaceable clamping jaw, non-contact laser is used for precise minimally invasive cutting so as to keep the activity of the seeds, efficient and safe unmanned operation is achieved through visual recognition and automatic control, the problems that existing sampling equipment is poor in compatibility, seeds are prone to being damaged, and efficiency is low are solved, and the sampling efficiency is improved. And the method is particularly suitable for high-throughput slice sampling of multiple species in molecular breeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of breeding slicing technology, specifically to a minimally invasive laser slicing device and method for various types of crop seeds. Background Technology

[0002] In molecular breeding, a small tissue sample needs to be cut from a large number of seed samples for gene analysis, while ensuring that the seed embryo is not damaged to maintain its viability. Traditional methods mainly rely on manual operation with blades, which suffers from low efficiency, poor consistency, easy damage to seed viability, and high operational safety risks. Although automated blade sampling equipment has improved efficiency in recent years, its mechanical cutting method is usually designed for specific seed shapes and sizes, making it difficult to be compatible with different types and sizes of seeds. This results in poor equipment versatility, low utilization rate, and increased breeding costs.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for an automated sample cutting device that can accurately and safely process multiple types of seeds and maintain seed viability to the maximum extent. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a minimally invasive laser cutting device and method for various types of crop seeds, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, on the one hand, the present invention provides a minimally invasive laser cutting device for various types of crop seeds, including a feeding system comprising a feeding bin, a flexible vibrating plate, and a spider robot; the feeding bin and the spider robot are positioned above the flexible vibrating plate for adjusting the posture of the seeds and automatically grasping them; The turntable assembly includes a turntable and a servo motor mounted on its bottom. Several workstations are provided on the outer side of the turntable. The servo motor controls the turntable to rotate intermittently, thereby creating several workstation pauses. One of the workstation pauses is located on the outer side of the flexible vibrating plate and is used to carry and transfer the seeds grabbed by the feeding system. Each of the workstations is equipped with replaceable pneumatic grippers. The slicing system includes a laser, a laser reflection path composed of an optical path module, and a collimator; the collimator is suspended directly above another station's pause point and is used to perform non-contact laser slicing sampling of seeds at the station; The collection system includes a sample collection group and a body collection group, used to collect the sliced ​​samples and the sampled seed bodies, respectively.

[0006] The above setup utilizes a dedicated pneumatic gripper that can be quickly replaced, allowing a single device to stably hold and process various crop seeds of different shapes and sizes, greatly improving the equipment's utilization rate and applicability. The non-contact laser cutting method minimizes the heat-affected zone and ensures precise cutting, effectively avoiding mechanical and thermal damage to the seed embryo and maximizing seed viability after sampling. The fully automated operation eliminates the safety risks of manual operation, while the combination of machine vision and precision motion control significantly improves sampling efficiency and consistency. The equipment features a flat, modular design, with each functional module (loading, turntable, laser, unloading) relatively independent, reducing manufacturing and debugging complexity and facilitating future maintenance and functional expansion.

[0007] As a further improvement to this technical solution, the bottom of the feeding hopper is equipped with a controllable valve for controlling the feeding of materials to the flexible vibrating plate; the spider robot is integrated with a vision system for recognizing the posture and position of the seeds in the flexible vibrating plate and grasping them.

[0008] As a further improvement to this technical solution, the flexible vibratory feeder includes a feed pan, an elastic component, and an electromagnet; the bottom corner of the feed pan is connected to the base frame through the elastic component, and the electromagnet intermittently vibrates to attract the feed pan, thereby adjusting the seed posture.

[0009] As a further improvement to this technical solution, the outer side of the turntable is provided with a loading station, a posture re-inspection station, a cutting station and a unloading station in a ring at equal intervals; among them, an industrial camera is suspended above the posture re-inspection station, and the posture of the pneumatic gripper holding the seed is imaged and determined by the vision system.

[0010] As a further improvement to this technical solution, the optical path module is composed of several reflectors, and a three-axis motion module is provided below the laser to adjust the several reflectors to change the focal trajectory of the laser beam and guide it to the collimator to emit laser light.

[0011] As a further improvement to this technical solution, the sample collection group is located below the collimator and is used to collect samples. It includes a first motion module and several sample boxes disposed thereon. The body collection group is used to collect seed bodies. It includes a second motion module and several collection boxes disposed thereon.

[0012] As a further improvement to this technical solution, the three-axis motion module consists of a Z-axis module, an X-axis module, and a Y-axis module. The optical path module is mounted on the three-axis motion module, with one reflector located in front of the laser head of the laser and another reflector located above the central axis of the collimator.

[0013] On the other hand, the present invention provides a minimally invasive laser sampling method for various types of crop seeds, using the aforementioned minimally invasive laser sampling equipment for various types of crop seeds, comprising the following steps: S1. Pour the seeds into the feeding hopper, and use a flexible vibrating plate to vibrate and arrange the seeds and perform visual recognition. Then, use a spider robot to grab the seeds with qualified postures and place them at the feeding station of the turntable group. S2. The pneumatic grippers at the loading station are controlled by an air pump to hold the seeds, and the servo motor is started to drive the turntable to stop every 90 degrees, so as to continuously grab new seeds. S3. When the clamped seed is transferred to the cutting station, the laser is activated and the laser beam is controlled to complete the sampling and slicing according to the preset seed cutting parameters. S4. The cut sample falls into the sample box. When the sliced ​​seed is transferred to the unloading station, the sliced ​​seed is released by the pneumatic gripper and falls into the collection box.

[0014] As a further improvement to this technical solution, in step S2, when the seed is transferred to the posture re-inspection station, the seed posture will be imaged and judged by an industrial camera and vision system. If the posture is not qualified, the station will be controlled to skip laser slicing.

[0015] As a further improvement to this technical solution, when changing the type of seed to be processed, the pneumatic grippers on the turntable assembly need to be replaced and the corresponding laser cutting parameter program needs to be selected.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This minimally invasive laser sampling device and method for various crop seeds incorporates a spider-hand feeding system, a multi-station turntable assembly with replaceable grippers, a laser sampling system, and a feeding and collection system. The replaceable gripper design ensures compatibility with different seeds, and the device utilizes non-contact laser technology for precise, minimally invasive cutting to preserve seed viability. Furthermore, visual recognition and automated control enable efficient, safe, and unmanned operation. This solution addresses the problems of poor compatibility, seed damage, and low efficiency associated with existing sampling equipment, making it particularly suitable for high-throughput slicing and sampling of multiple seed varieties in molecular breeding. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Furthermore, the shapes and proportions of the components in the drawings are merely illustrative to aid in understanding the invention and do not specifically limit the shapes and proportions of the components. Those skilled in the art, guided by the teachings of this invention, will select various possible shapes and proportions to implement the invention according to specific circumstances.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding system structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the turntable assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cutting system structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the industrial camera structure of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the collection system structure of the present invention; The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows: 100. Feeding system; 110. Feeding bin; 120. Flexible vibratory feeder; 130. Spider-arm robot; 200. Turntable assembly; 210. Turntable; 211. Loading station; 212. Posture re-inspection station; 213. Cutting station; 214. Unloading station; 220. Pneumatic gripper; 230. Servo motor; 240. Hopper; 300. Slicing system; 310. Laser; 320. Optical path module; 330. Three-axis motion module; 331. Z-axis module; 332. X-axis module; 333. Y-axis module; 340. Collimator; 350. Industrial camera; 400. Collection system; 410. Sample collection group; 411. Sample box; 412. First motion module; 420. Body collection group; 421. Collection box; 422. Second motion module. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The details of the present invention can be more clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and the description of specific embodiments. However, the specific embodiments of the present invention described herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way. Under the teachings of this invention, those skilled in the art will conceive of any possible variations of the invention, all of which should be considered within the scope of the invention. The terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, referring to direct connection as well as indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0020] The terms "central axis," "vertical," "horizontal," "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" used herein to indicate orientation or positional relationships are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, in the description of the invention, "a number" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] Please see Figures 1-2 As shown, the present invention provides a minimally invasive laser sample cutting device for various types of crop seeds, including a feeding system 100, a turntable assembly 200, a sample cutting system 300, and a collection system 400 set on a processing table. The feeding system 100 includes a feeding bin 110, a flexible vibrating plate 120, and a spider robot 130. The feeding bin 110 and the spider robot 130 are set above the flexible vibrating plate 120 for adjusting the posture of the seeds and automatically grasping them. The bottom of the feeding hopper 110 is equipped with controllable valves, such as butterfly valves and ball valves, to control the feeding of materials to the flexible vibratory feeder 120. The spider robot 130 integrates a vision system, which consists of a camera, a light source and an image processing algorithm. The vision system compares the captured image with a pre-stored standard qualified posture template, and then controls the spider robot 130 to grab qualified seeds from the flexible vibratory feeder 120.

[0022] Furthermore, the flexible vibratory feeder 120 includes a feed tray, an elastic component, and an electromagnet; the bottom corner of the feed tray is connected to the base frame through the elastic component, which is a folding spring or a spring; the electromagnet intermittently vibrates to attract the feed tray and adjusts the seed posture so that the vision system can re-identify seeds with qualified posture.

[0023] like Figures 3-4 As shown, the turntable assembly 200 includes a turntable 210 and a servo motor 230 mounted on its bottom. Several workstations are provided on the outer side of the turntable 210. The servo motor 230 controls the turntable 210 to rotate intermittently, thereby creating several workstation pauses. One of the workstation pauses is located on the outer side of the flexible vibrating plate 120, which is used to carry and transfer seeds gripped by the feeding system 100. Each of the several workstations is equipped with a replaceable pneumatic gripper 220.

[0024] The outer side of the turntable 210 is provided with a circular, equally spaced loading station 211, posture re-inspection station 212, cutting station 213, and unloading station 214. The bottom of the cutting station 213 and the unloading station 214 are fixedly connected to a hopper 240 to guide the seeds to fall and be collected. An industrial camera 350 is suspended above the posture re-inspection station 212. The industrial camera 350 integrates a vision system to image and determine the posture of the pneumatic gripper 220 holding the seeds.

[0025] like Figures 5-6 As shown, the slicing system 300 includes a laser 310, a laser reflection path composed of an optical path module 320, and a collimating head 340. The collimating head 340 is suspended directly above the pause point of another workstation and is used to perform non-contact laser slicing sampling of the seeds at the workstation. The optical path module 320 is composed of several mirrors. A three-axis motion module 330 is set below the laser 310 to adjust the several mirrors to change the focal trajectory of the laser beam and guide it to the collimating head 340 to emit laser light.

[0026] Furthermore, the three-axis motion module 330 consists of a Z-axis module 331, an X-axis module 332, and a Y-axis module 333. The optical path module 320 is mounted on the three-axis motion module 330, with one reflector located in front of the laser head of the laser 310 and another reflector located above the central axis of the collimating head 340.

[0027] like Figure 7 As shown, the collection system 400 includes a sample collection group 410 and a body collection group 420, used to collect the sliced ​​sample and the sampled seed body, respectively. The sample collection group 410 is located below the collimator 340 and is used to collect samples. It includes a first motion module 412 and a plurality of sample boxes 411 disposed thereon. The body collection group 420 is used to collect seed bodies. It includes a second motion module 422 and a plurality of collection boxes 421 disposed thereon. The first motion module 412 and the second motion module 422 are both X and Y axis feeding systems used to drive the sample boxes 411 and the collection boxes 421 to move, thereby sequentially receiving the sample and the body.

[0028] This invention also provides a minimally invasive laser sampling method for various types of crop seeds, using the aforementioned minimally invasive laser sampling equipment for various types of crop seeds, comprising the following steps: S1. Pour the seeds into the feeding hopper 110, and use the flexible vibrating plate 120 to vibrate and arrange the seeds and perform visual recognition. Then, use the spider robot 130 to grab the seeds with qualified postures and place them at the feeding station 211 of the turntable group 200. S2. The pneumatic gripper 220 on the loading station 211 is controlled by an air pump to hold the seeds, and the servo motor 230 is started to drive the turntable 210 to stop every 90 degrees, so as to continuously grab new seeds. When the seeds are rotated to the posture re-inspection station 212, the seed posture will be imaged and judged by the industrial camera 350 and vision system. If the posture is not qualified, the station will be controlled to skip the laser slicing.

[0029] S3. Until the clamped seed is transferred to the cutting station 213, the laser 310 is started to control the laser beam to complete the sampling and slicing according to the preset seed cutting parameters. S4. The cut sample falls into the sample box 411. When the sliced ​​seed is transferred to the unloading station 214, the sliced ​​seed is released by the pneumatic gripper 220 and falls into the collection box 421.

[0030] When changing the type of seed to be processed, the pneumatic gripper 220 on the turntable assembly 200 needs to be replaced and the corresponding laser cutting parameter program needs to be selected.

[0031] It should be noted that the fixed connections and fixing methods of the present invention are achieved using conventional fixing means such as bolt connections or welding. The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A minimally invasive laser sample cutting device for various types of crop seeds, characterized in that, The system includes a feeding system (100), which includes a feeding bin (110), a flexible vibrating plate (120), and a spider robot (130); the feeding bin (110) and the spider robot (130) are positioned above the flexible vibrating plate (120) for adjusting the posture of the seeds and automatically grasping them. The turntable assembly (200) includes a turntable (210) and a servo motor (230) mounted on its bottom. Several workstations are provided on the outer side of the turntable (210). The servo motor (230) controls the turntable (210) to rotate intermittently, thereby creating several workstation pauses. One of the workstation pauses is located on the outer side of the flexible vibrating plate (120) and is used to carry and transfer seeds gripped by the feeding system (100). Each of the workstations is equipped with a replaceable pneumatic gripper (220). The slicing system (300) includes a laser (310), a laser reflection path composed of an optical path module (320), and a collimator (340); the collimator (340) is suspended directly above another workstation pause point and is used to perform non-contact laser slicing sampling of seeds at the workstation. The collection system (400) includes a sample collection group (410) and a body collection group (420) for collecting sliced ​​samples and sampled seed bodies, respectively.

2. The minimally invasive laser sample cutting device for various types of crop seeds according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the feeding hopper (110) is equipped with a controllable valve for controlling the feeding of materials to the flexible vibrating plate (120); the spider robot (130) is integrated with a vision system for recognizing the posture and position of the seeds in the flexible vibrating plate (120) and grasping them.

3. The minimally invasive laser sampling device for various types of crop seeds according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible vibratory feeder (120) includes a feed tray, an elastic component, and an electromagnet; the bottom corner of the feed tray is connected to the base frame through the elastic component, and the electromagnet intermittently vibrates to attract the feed tray and adjust the seed posture.

4. The minimally invasive laser sampling device for various types of crop seeds according to claim 3, characterized in that: The turntable (210) is provided with a loading station (211), a posture re-inspection station (212), a cutting station (213), and a unloading station (214) in a ring with equal intervals on the outer side; an industrial camera (350) is suspended above the posture re-inspection station (212) to image and determine the posture of the seeds held by the pneumatic gripper (220) through a vision system.

5. The minimally invasive laser sampling device for various types of crop seeds according to claim 4, characterized in that: The optical path module (320) is composed of several mirrors. A three-axis motion module (330) is provided below the laser (310) to adjust the several mirrors to change the focal trajectory of the laser beam and direct it to the collimator (340) to emit laser light.

6. The minimally invasive laser sample cutting device for various types of crop seeds according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sample collection group (410) is located below the collimator (340) and is used to collect samples. It includes a first motion module (412) and a number of sample boxes (411) disposed thereon. The body collection group (420) is used to collect seed bodies. It includes a second motion module (422) and a number of collection boxes (421) disposed thereon.

7. The minimally invasive laser sample cutting device for various types of crop seeds according to claim 6, characterized in that: The three-axis motion module (330) consists of a Z-axis module (331), an X-axis module (332) and a Y-axis module (333). The optical path module (320) is mounted on the three-axis motion module (330). One of the reflectors is located in front of the laser head of the laser (310), and the other reflector is located above the central axis of the collimator (340).

8. A minimally invasive laser sampling method for multiple types of crop seeds, using the minimally invasive laser sampling device for multiple types of crop seeds as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The seeds are poured into the feeding hopper (110), and the seeds are vibrated and aligned and visually recognized by the flexible vibrating plate (120). Then, the spider robot (130) grabs the seeds with qualified posture and places them in the feeding station (211) of the turntable group (200). S2. The pneumatic gripper (220) on the loading station (211) is controlled by the air pump to hold the seeds, and the servo motor (230) is started to drive the turntable (210) to stop once every 90 degrees, so as to continuously grab new seeds. S3. When the clamped seed is transferred to the cutting station (213), the laser (310) is started and the laser beam is controlled to complete the sampling and slicing according to the preset seed cutting parameters. S4. The cut sample falls into the sample box (411). When the sliced ​​seed is transferred to the unloading station (214), the sliced ​​seed is released by the pneumatic gripper (220) and falls into the collection box (421).

9. The minimally invasive laser sampling method for various types of crop seeds according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S2, when the seed is transferred to the posture re-inspection station (212), the seed posture will be imaged and judged by an industrial camera (350) and vision system. If the posture is not qualified, the station will be controlled to skip laser slicing.

10. The minimally invasive laser sampling method for various types of crop seeds according to claim 9, characterized in that, When changing the type of seed to be processed, the pneumatic gripper (220) on the turntable assembly (200) needs to be replaced and the corresponding laser cutting parameter program needs to be selected.

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