Small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effector and small fruit and vegetable picking robot with same

Abstract

The invention discloses an end effector of a small fruit and vegetable picking robot. The end effector comprises a base, a lower knuckle, an upper knuckle and a moving part, and the base is provided with a plurality of first mounting parts arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction; the multiple lower knuckles and the multiple first mounting parts are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, all the lower knuckles are detachably mounted on the first mounting parts through first connecting assemblies, and the middles of the lower knuckles are rotationally matched with the first connecting assemblies; the upper knuckles and the lower knuckles are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, one end of each upper knuckle is connected with one end of the corresponding lower knuckle through a first connecting piece, and the other end of each upper knuckle is a free end. The moving part is movably arranged in the first direction, the lower knuckles connected with the moving part through the transmission connecting rods are driven to rotate through the moving movement of the moving part in the first direction, and the upper knuckles are driven to move close to or away from each other through the rotating movement of the lower knuckles so as to clamp / release a target object. Through ingenious combination of bionic fingers and multiple flexible protection, effective hardware support is provided for picking of small fruits and vegetables.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effector and a small fruit and vegetable picking robot with the same, and belongs to the technical field of agricultural picking robots. BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, the influence of the aggravation of population aging and the outflow of rural labor force makes the fruit and vegetable picking link face a "labor shortage". For fruit and vegetable picking, manual work needs to complete hundreds of times of bending, pinching and lifting actions every day, which is intensive and repetitive, and old workers are difficult to undertake, while the cost of seasonal workers increases by more than 10% every year. At the same time, the upgrading of consumption requires an increase in the commodity rate of fruits, and the damage rate needs to be controlled within 3%, and manual fatigue can easily lead to hidden damage of fruits and vegetables, shortening the shelf life, thus causing industrial losses. The shortage of labor and the pressure of quality jointly give rise to the urgent need for soft, low-damage and high-efficiency picking equipment, which has become one of the core directions of intelligent agricultural machinery technology research.

[0003] With the rapid development of facility agriculture, the yield of small fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, cherries, tomatoes and blueberries has increased rapidly, and manual picking is low in efficiency, high in cost and easy to damage fruits, which has become a bottleneck restricting the industrial scale. The skin of small fruits and vegetables is fragile, and the mechanical properties of the fruit stem are complex, which puts forward the requirements of high sensitivity and low damage for the end effector. Domestic and foreign research generally adopts the scheme of "visual positioning + mechanical finger clamping", but there are defects such as insufficient clamping force control accuracy, low success rate of fruit stem separation, and large mechanism quality. In addition, lightweight module design is generally valued, and the picking end effector is required to be small in quality to adapt to small collaborative arms and mobile platforms, so as to realize high-speed picking and rapid operation.

[0004] Therefore, the present application is proposed. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effector, which combines bionic fingers with multiple flexible protection to provide effective hardware support for the picking of small fruits and vegetables.

[0006] The technical scheme of the present application is: According to a first aspect of the present application, a small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effector is provided, comprising: a base 1-23, which is provided with a plurality of first mounting portions arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction; a plurality of lower finger joints 1-6, which are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of first mounting portions, each lower finger joint 1-6 being detachably mounted on a first mounting portion by a first connecting assembly, and the middle of the lower finger joint 1-6 being rotationally connected with the first connecting assembly; a plurality of upper finger joints 1-1, which are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of lower finger joints 1-6, one end of each upper finger joint 1-1 being connected with one end of the lower finger joint 1-6 by a first connecting piece, and the other end of each upper finger joint 1-1 being a free end; a moving portion 1-16, which is movably arranged in a first direction, and through the movement of the moving portion 1-16 in the first direction, a plurality of lower finger joints 1-6 connected with the moving portion 1-16 through a transmission connecting rod are driven to rotate, and through the rotation of the plurality of lower finger joints 1-6, a plurality of upper finger joints 1-1 are driven to move closer or further apart to clamp / release a target object.

[0007] Further, the end effector further comprises a transmission component 2 and a drive motor 3-1; the moving portion 1-16 is mounted on the transmission component 2, and the power provided by the drive motor 3-1 drives the moving portion 1-16 to be movably arranged in the first direction through the transmission component 2.

[0008] Further, the transmission component 2 comprises an input assembly and an output assembly; the input assembly comprises an input shaft 2-11 and an input gear 2-13 coaxially mounted on the input shaft 2-11; the input shaft 2-11 is connected with the output shaft of the drive motor 3-1 through a shaft coupling 2-8; the output assembly comprises a transmission screw 1-10 and an output gear 2-4 coaxially mounted on the transmission screw 1-10; the input gear 2-13 is engaged with the output gear 2-4; the moving portion 1-16 is mounted on the transmission screw 1-10.

[0009] Further, the end effector further comprises: a plurality of flexible protective members 1-26, each flexible protective member 1-26 being connected at one end with the inner side of a corresponding upper finger joint 1-1 and at the other end with the inner side of a corresponding lower finger joint 1-6; a plurality of rotation limiting portions 1-27, each lower finger joint 1-6 being provided at one end near the center of the base 1-23 with a set of rotation limiting portions 1-27; the rotation of the connection between the upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6 is limited by the cooperation of the flexible protective member 1-26 and the rotation limiting portion 1-27.

[0010] Further, the clamping surface of the upper finger joint 1-1 is provided with a force detection component 1-25; the clamping surface of the upper finger joint 1-1 obtains force information through the force detection component 1-25 under the action of external objects.

[0011] Further, the plurality of lower finger joints 1-6 are designed in a concave structure, and the concave structure is provided with a first mounting hole; the first connecting assembly comprises a washer 1-5, a washer 1-19, a cylindrical rod 1-20 and a fastener; the cylindrical rod 1-20 is sequentially arranged through the first through hole of the first mounting part, the washer 1-5, the first mounting hole, the washer 1-19 and the second through hole of the first mounting part from one end to the other end; and the two ends of the cylindrical rod 1-20 are fastened by the fastener respectively.

[0012] Further, the other end of each lower finger joint 1-6 is rotatably connected to one end of a transmission connecting rod 1-11 and a transmission connecting rod 2 1-14 through a second connecting piece, and the other end of the transmission connecting rod 1-11 and the transmission connecting rod 2 1-14 is rotatably connected to the moving part 1-16 through a third connecting piece.

[0013] According to the second aspect of the present application, a small fruit and vegetable picking robot is provided, comprising a small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effector, wherein the small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effector is any one of the small fruit and vegetable picking robot end effectors described above.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present application are: 1) In the present application, the opening and closing movement of the fingers is realized only by the motor, the transmission component and the moving part, without the need for complex cooperation movement, and the volume and weight of the end effector are also reduced.

[0015] 2) In the present application, ABS material, smooth curved claw fingers and other structures for reducing friction are used at the movable joints, and the flexible material is used for the flexible coefficient of the flexible material of the movable joint gripping part of the mechanical claw finger, which is not easy to damage the fruit.

[0016] 3) The present application adopts a double flexible limiting design, first, a pressure sensor is adopted, when the pressure value reaches the threshold value, the motor will be stopped by the controller, and second, a mechanical pressure limiting design is adopted, when the pressure value exceeds the corresponding tension of the spring, the spring will be pulled open, preventing further damage to the fruit and vegetable.

[0017] 4) In the present application, the driving motor is an independent motor, which is used as the driving power source of the end effector, and is sensitive in response and convenient in control, and can effectively cooperate with the mechanical arm to complete the picking work.

[0018] 5) The linkage of the stepping motor, the transmission component, the moving part and the transmission connecting rod used in the present application can well complete the power transmission under the condition of using only a single motor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is an isometric view of the main body of the claw-like hand of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a drawing of a single lower finger joint part of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the connection between the upper and lower finger joints of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is an isometric view of the main body of the claw of the present invention with the omitted part of the structure.

[0024] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the connection between the lower finger joint and the base in this invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the transmission component of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 This is an assembly diagram of the hidden housing of the transmission component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is an isometric view of the base frame component of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the control board of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the overall structural motion of the present invention.

[0030] The following are the labels in the diagram: 1-Main body of the claw, 2-Transmission component, 3-Base frame component, 4-Control component, 0-1Stabilizer I, 0-2Stabilizer II, 0-3Stabilizer III, 1-1Upper finger joint, 1-2Nut I, 1-3Nut II, 1-4Bolt I, 1-5Washer I, 1-6Lower finger joint, 1-7Nut VII, 1-8Double-ended stud III, 1-9Double-ended stud II, 1-10Transmission screw, 1-11Transmission connecting rod I, 1-12Nut V, 1-13Nut VI, 1-14Transmission connecting rod II, 1-15Nut VIII, 1-16Moving part, 1-17Nut IV, 1-18Nut III, 1-19Washer II, 1-2 0 Cylindrical rod, 1-21 Double-ended stud, 1-22 Bolt, 1-23 Base, 1-24 Flexible silicone gasket, 1-25 Force detection component, 1-26 Flexible protective component, 1-27 Rotation limit part, 2-1 Ball bearing, 2-2 Key, 2-3 Housing, 2-4 Output gear, 2-5 Washer, 2-6 Ball bearing, 2-7 Lower end cover, 2-8 Coupling, 2-9 Ball bearing, 2-10 Washer, 2-11 Input shaft, 2-12 Key, 2-13 Input gear, 2-14 Housing, 2-15 Ball bearing, 2-16 Upper end cover, 3-1 Drive motor, 3-2 Base frame. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0032] Example 1: As Figures 1-11As shown, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot end effector is provided, comprising: a claw main body 1 and a moving part 1-16. The claw main body 1 includes a base 1-23, a plurality of lower finger joints 1-6, and a plurality of upper finger joints 1-1. The base 1-23 is provided with a plurality of first mounting parts arranged at intervals along the circumference. The plurality of lower finger joints 1-6 are respectively arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of first mounting parts. Each lower finger joint 1-6 is detachably mounted on the first mounting part through a first connecting component, and the middle part of the lower finger joint 1-6 is rotatably engaged with the first connecting component. The upper finger joint 1-1 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of lower finger joints 1-6. One end of each upper finger joint 1-1 is connected to one end of each lower finger joint 1-6 through a first connector, and the other end of each upper finger joint 1-1 is a free end. The moving part 1-16 is movably provided along a first direction. The movement of the moving part 1-16 along the first direction drives the plurality of lower finger joints 1-6 connected to the moving part 1-16 through a transmission link to rotate. The rotation of the plurality of lower finger joints 1-6 drives the plurality of upper finger joints 1-1 to move closer or further apart, so as to clamp / release the target object.

[0033] Furthermore, such as Figures 2-4 As shown, the end effector further includes: a plurality of flexible protective elements 1-26, one end of each flexible protective element 1-26 being connected to the inner side of the corresponding upper finger joint 1-1, and the other end of each flexible protective element 1-26 being connected to the inner side of the corresponding lower finger joint 1-6; a plurality of rotation limiting parts 1-27, one set of rotation limiting parts 1-27 being installed on one side of each lower finger joint 1-6 near the center of the base 1-23; the rotation at the connection between the upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6 is limited by the cooperation of the flexible protective elements 1-26 and the rotation limiting parts 1-27.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the clamping surface of the upper finger joint 1-1 is encapsulated with a force detection component 1-25; the clamping surface of the upper finger joint 1-1 obtains force information through the force detection component 1-25 under the action of an external object.

[0035] Exemplarily, the flexible protective element 1-26 is a spring, with the two ends of the spring on the inner sides of the upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6 respectively hooked at the hooks of the two finger joints. The upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6 form a bionic finger, and the three fingers are symmetrically hinged around the base 1-23 via a first connecting component, with the three fingers spaced 120 degrees apart from each other. The moving part 1-16 is movably arranged along a first direction within a preset stroke. When the moving part 1-16 is at the starting point of the preset stroke, the multiple lower finger joints 1-6 are in a preset maximum open state, and the spring is initially in a tensile state. When part 1-16 moves along the first direction from the preset travel starting point and the upper finger joint 1-1 does not contact the target object, the multiple upper finger joints 1-1 connected to the multiple lower finger joints 1-6 move closer together. Through the cooperation of the flexible protective member 1-26 and the rotation limiting part 1-27, the connection between the upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6 does not rotate. When the upper finger joint 1-1 is driven to contact the target object by the movement of the lower finger joint 1-6, the flexible protective member 1-26 provides flexible protection, and the upper finger joint 1-1 will rotate outward around the lower finger joint 1-6 to prevent excessive gripping force from damaging the fruits and vegetables.

[0036] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 9 As shown, the end effector further includes a transmission component 2 and a base component 3. The base component 3 includes a drive motor 3-1. The moving part 1-16 is mounted on the transmission component 2. The power provided by the drive motor 3-1 drives the moving part 1-16 to be movably arranged along a first direction via the transmission component 2.

[0037] Furthermore, such as Figures 7-8As shown, the transmission component 2 includes an input assembly and an output assembly. The input assembly consists of an input shaft 2-11 and ball bearings 2-15, 2-13, 2-10, and 2-9 coaxially mounted on the input shaft 2-11. The input shaft 2-11 is a stepped shaft. The shorter side of the upper step is coaxially connected to ball bearing 2-15, and the longer side of the lower step is coaxially connected to input gear 2-13, 2-10, and 2-9. The connection sequence is from the stepped shaft along the axial direction: input gear 2-13, 2-10, and 2-9. 2-11 transmits power to the input gear 2-13 via the key 2-12; the outer rings of the ball bearing 2-15 and 2-9 are in contact with the inner walls of the outer casing 2-3 and 2-14; the input shaft 2-11 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 3-1 via the coupling 2-8; the output assembly consists of the lead screw 1-10 and the ball bearing 2-1, output gear 2-4, washer 2-5, and ball bearing 2-6 coaxially mounted on the lead screw 1-10, and the installation method of each component on the lead screw 1-10 is the same as that of the input shaft 2-11; the input gear 2-13 meshes with the output gear 2-4.

[0038] Furthermore, the transmission component 2 also includes a housing, which consists of an upper end cover 2-16, a lower end cover 2-7, a first housing 2-3, and a second housing 2-14. The upper end cover 2-16 and the lower end cover 2-7 axially position the first housing 2-3 and the second housing 2-14, protecting the internal transmission from interference and ensuring transmission accuracy. The reduction ratio between the input gear 2-13 and the output gear 2-4 can be 1:2 to increase torque. The power provided by the drive motor 3-1 is transmitted to the input shaft 2-11 via a coupling. The input shaft 2-11 transmits power to the input gear 2-13 via a second key 2-12. The input gear 2-13 meshes with the output gear 2-4, giving the output gear 2-4 power. The output gear 2-4 transmits power to the transmission screw 1-10 via a first key 2-2. The rotation of the transmission screw 1-10 drives the moving part 1-16 to move along the first direction. The transmission component of this invention can reduce the speed of the motor while increasing the torque, and also provides some protection for the motor.

[0039] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 9As shown, the drive motor 3-1 is mounted on the base frame 3-2. The base frame 3-2 has multiple connecting slots for fixing and connecting the first stabilizer 0-1, the second stabilizer 0-2, and the third stabilizer 0-3, and for mounting the drive motor 3-1. The three stabilizers are spaced 120 degrees apart. The other end of each stabilizer is fixed to the base 1-23 with self-tapping screws. Four self-tapping screws are used at the upper part of each stabilizer where it mates with the base 1-23, and one self-tapping screw is used at the lower part of each stabilizer where it mates with the base 3-2. The hole of the lower self-tapping screw is located in the center of the holes of the four upper self-tapping screws. The base frame allows the end effector proposed in this invention to be mounted and positioned at the end of the robotic arm, while simultaneously fixing the three stabilizers and the drive motor. Furthermore, the three stabilizers fix the base 1-23, ensuring that the base 1-23 does not rotate with the drive motor 3-1 when it rotates, thus ensuring the opening and closing movements of the three fingers.

[0040] Furthermore, the drive motor 3-3 is connected to the control component 4 through a motor driver. The control component 4 uses an STM32 control board, and the computer is connected to the STM32 control board through a serial port.

[0041] Furthermore, such as Figures 3-6 As shown, the multiple lower finger joints 1-6 are concave in design, and the concave part of the concave structure is provided with a first mounting hole; the first connecting component includes washer 1-5, washer 2-19, cylindrical rod 1-20, and fastener; the cylindrical rod 1-20 passes through the first through hole of the first mounting part, washer 1-5, the first mounting hole, washer 2-19, and the second through hole of the first mounting part in sequence from one end to the other; and the two ends of the cylindrical rod 1-20 are fastened by fasteners respectively.

[0042] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the base 1-23 is provided with three first mounting parts arranged at intervals along the circumference; each lower finger joint 1-6 is detachably mounted on a first mounting part through a set of first connecting components; for each set of first connecting components, the cylindrical rod 1-20 is fastened at the end by two sets of fasteners, the first set of fasteners being bolt 1-4 and nut 3-18, and the second set of fasteners being bolt 2-22 and nut 4-17; that is, the cylindrical rod 1-20 is fixed inside the base 1-23 by bolt 1-4 and nut 3-18, and bolt 2-22 and nut 4-17.

[0043] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 As shown, each of the lower finger joints 1-6 is rotatably connected to one end of the first transmission link 1-11 and the second transmission link 1-14 via a second connecting member, and the other end of the first transmission link 1-11 and the second transmission link 1-14 is rotatably connected to the moving part 1-16 via a third connecting member.

[0044] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first, second, and third connecting parts can have the same structure. For example, the first connecting part includes nut 1-2, nut 1-3, and stud 1-21. One end of each upper finger joint 1-1 and one end of each lower finger joint 1-6 are rotatably connected by stud 1-21, nut 1-2, and nut 1-3, meaning that the upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6 can rotate around stud 1-21, and both ends of stud 1-21 are fastened by nut 1-2 and nut 1-3. The second connecting part includes stud 1-9, nut 1-12, and nut 1-13. The transmission connecting rod 1-11, transmission connecting rod 1-14, and the lower finger joint can rotate around stud 1-9. The third connecting component includes a double-ended stud 3 1-8, a nut 7 1-7, and a nut 8 1-15. The other ends of the transmission connecting rod 1-11 and the transmission connecting rod 2 1-14 are rotatably engaged with the moving part 1-16. The moving part 1-16 is rotatably connected to the transmission screw 1-10 in the transmission component 2.

[0045] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the diameter of base 1-23 should be 40mm, and the diameter of the inscribed circle of the equilateral triangle formed by the extensions of the three cylindrical rods should be 30mm. Based on this, as follows... Figure 4 As shown, the angle value of the concave angle of the lower finger joints 1-6 is determined according to the following formula: Where y is the included angle value, and x is the average diameter of the preset quantity of fruits and vegetables in mm; an error of ±5° is allowed. Taking blueberries as an example, the average diameter of the preset quantity of blueberries is approximately 12mm, and its included angle value y=150, so 150 degrees is taken; taking strawberries as an example, the average diameter of the preset quantity of strawberries is approximately 32mm, and the included angle value y=100 degrees, so 100 degrees is taken. The degree range of the concave included angle of the lower knuckle is controlled between 90 and 155 degrees, which can achieve the goal of clamping the fruits and vegetables to be picked.

[0046] The working principle of the optional embodiments of the present invention is explained below: The three fingers have the same structure and move in the same way, so we will take one of the fingers as an example. The three fingers are symmetrically hinged around the base 1-23, and the three fingers are 120 degrees apart from each other. This design can ensure that the claw hand can distribute the force evenly when grasping fruits and vegetables, so as not to damage the fruits and vegetables, and at the same time make the grasping more stable. The claw-like finger structure features a dual-layer flexible protection mechanism. Each finger has an identical structure, consisting of an upper finger joint 1-1 and a lower finger joint 1-6. These two joints are rotatably connected by a double-ended stud 1-21, a nut 1-2, and a nut 2-3. A spring secures the upper and lower finger joints 1-1 and 1-6 to each other via hooks, with the spring's ends hooked at the hooks of the two finger joints. This design constitutes the first layer of flexible protection. During the gripping process, when the upper finger joint 1-1 touches the surface of the fruit or vegetable, it applies pressure. The fruit or vegetable surface, in turn, provides a supporting force to the upper finger joint. When the torque generated by this supporting force relative to the double-ended stud 1-21 (acting as a pivot) exceeds the torque generated by the tension force of the spring 1-26 relative to the double-ended stud 1-21, the upper finger joint 1-1 rotates outward around the lower finger joint 1-6, preventing excessive gripping force from damaging the fruit or vegetable. The clamping surface at the end of the upper finger joint 1-1 is provided with a flexible silicone pad 1-24. A pressure sensor, serving as a force detection component, is located at the flexible silicone pad 1-24. This design provides a second layer of flexible protection. When the gripping force measured by the pressure sensor exceeds a set force threshold, the controller will stop the motor from rotating to prevent damage to fruits and vegetables due to excessive gripping force. Furthermore, a rotation limiter 1-27 is present at the connection between the lower finger joint 1-6 and the upper finger joint 1-1. Figure 3As shown, the presence of the rotation limit part ensures the connection between the upper finger joint 1-1 and the lower finger joint 1-6, preventing the upper finger joint from rotating downwards due to insufficient spring support, which would reduce the angle between the two fingers and hinder gripping. Simultaneously, the limit ensures the angle between the upper and lower finger joints is 150 degrees. The base 1-23 has three symmetrically distributed hinges with identical structures, all formed by a cylindrical rod 1-20 inserted into the base 1-23. The cylindrical rod 1-20 also inserts into the lower finger joint 1-6. Near the base 1-23, the lower finger joint 1-6 has washers 1-5 and 1-19. The cylindrical rod 1-20 is secured inside the base 1-23 by bolts 1-4 and 1-22, and nuts 1-18 and 1-17. This design allows the finger joints to open and close like a human hand. The lower finger joint 1-6 is rotatably connected to transmission connecting rod 1-11 and transmission connecting rod 2-14 via double-ended stud 2-9, nut 5-12, and nut 6-13; the other end of transmission connecting rod 1-11 and transmission connecting rod 2-14 is rotatably connected to lead screw nut 1-16 via double-ended stud 3-8, nut 7-17, and nut 8-15; lead screw nut 1-16 is threadedly connected to transmission lead screw 1-10, thus enabling the fingers to perform corresponding opening and closing movements. This structural design ensures that small fruits and vegetables can be clamped during harvesting while preventing damage to their skin due to excessive clamping force. The three-finger gripping mechanism ensures harvesting stability. Furthermore, the end effector has a certain adaptability, capable of gripping fruits and vegetables with diameters between 10mm and 36mm, and can be widely used in agricultural production.

[0047] The workflow of this invention is as follows: Figure 11 As shown, the specific explanation is as follows: During operation, the end effector is installed at the end of the robotic arm of the fruit and vegetable harvesting robot. Initially, the end effector is moved to the pre-harvesting position, at which point it is not in contact with the fruit or vegetable surface. The end effector moves towards the fruit or vegetable. Once it reaches the appropriate position and posture, the end effector stops approaching the fruit or vegetable. The STM32 control board sends a signal to control the motor to rotate. The rotation of motor 3-1 drives the fingers to close via transmission component 2. When the pressure sensor reaches the gripping force threshold, motor 3-1 stops rotating, and the fingers stop closing. Simultaneously, to prevent damage to the fruit or vegetable due to excessive pressure sensor reaction time, a spring is also installed. When the gripping force threshold is exceeded, the upper finger joint 1-1 rotates around the lower finger joint 1-6 to prevent damage. Driven by the robotic arm, the end effector rotates along the central axis and then pulls the fruit or vegetable downwards to separate it from the stem. After one grasping of the fruit or vegetable, the drive motor reopens under the control of the STM32 control board in preparation for the next harvest.

[0048] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot is provided, including a small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot end effector, wherein the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot end effector is the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot end effector described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0049] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An end effector for a small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, characterized in that, include: The base (1-23) has a plurality of first mounting parts arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction; Multiple lower finger joints (1-6) are provided, and each of the multiple lower finger joints (1-6) is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with a multiple of the first mounting parts. Each lower finger joint (1-6) is detachably mounted on the first mounting part through a first connecting component, and the middle part of the lower finger joint (1-6) is rotatably engaged with the first connecting component. Multiple upper finger joints (1-1) are provided, and multiple upper finger joints (1-1) are correspondingly arranged with multiple lower finger joints (1-6). One end of each upper finger joint (1-1) is connected to one end of each lower finger joint (1-6) through a first connector, and the other end of each upper finger joint (1-1) is a free end. The movable part (1-16) is movably disposed along a first direction. The movement of the movable part (1-16) along the first direction drives a plurality of lower finger joints (1-6) connected to the movable part (1-16) via a transmission link to rotate. The rotation of the plurality of lower finger joints (1-6) drives a plurality of upper finger joints (1-1) to move closer or further apart, so as to clamp / release the target object.

2. The end effector of the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end effector also includes a transmission component (2) and a drive motor (3-1); the moving part (1-16) is mounted on the transmission component (2), and the power provided by the drive motor (3-1) drives the moving part (1-16) to be movably arranged in a first direction via the transmission component (2).

3. The end effector of the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission component (2) includes an input component and an output component; The input assembly includes an input shaft (2-11) and an input gear (2-13) coaxially mounted on the input shaft (2-11); the input shaft (2-11) is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor (3-1) via a coupling (2-8); The output assembly includes a lead screw (1-10) and an output gear (2-4) coaxially mounted on the lead screw (1-10); the input gear (2-13) meshes with the output gear (2-4); and a moving part (1-16) is mounted on the lead screw (1-10).

4. The end effector of the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end effector also includes: The plurality of flexible protective elements (1-26) are provided, with one end of each flexible protective element (1-26) connected to the inner side of the corresponding upper finger joint (1-1) and the other end of each flexible protective element (1-26) connected to the inner side of the corresponding lower finger joint (1-6). Multiple sets of rotation limiting parts (1-27), one set of rotation limiting parts (1-27) is installed on one end of each lower finger joint (1-6) near the center of the base (1-23); The rotation of the upper finger joint (1-1) and the lower finger joint (1-6) is limited by the cooperation of the flexible protective part (1-26) and the rotation limiting part (1-27).

5. The end effector of the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping surface of the upper finger joint (1-1) is encapsulated with a force detection component (1-25); the clamping surface of the upper finger joint (1-1) obtains force information through the force detection component (1-25) under the action of an external object.

6. The end effector of the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple lower finger joints (1-6) are designed to be concave, and the concave part of the concave structure is provided with a first mounting hole; The first connecting assembly includes washer one (1-5), washer two (1-19), cylindrical rod (1-20), and fastener; The cylindrical rod (1-20) is sequentially passed through the first through hole of the first mounting part, the first washer (1-5), the first mounting hole, the second washer (1-19), and the second through hole of the first mounting part from one end to the other; and the two ends of the cylindrical rod (1-20) are fastened by fasteners respectively.

7. The end effector of the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The other end of each of the lower finger joints (1-6) is rotatably connected to one end of the first transmission link (1-11) and the second transmission link (1-14) via a second connector. The other end of the first transmission link (1-11) and the second transmission link (1-14) is rotatably connected to the moving part (1-16) via a third connector.

8. A small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, characterized in that, The invention includes an end effector for a small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, wherein the end effector for the small fruit and vegetable harvesting robot is the end effector for any one of claims 1-7.

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