A mechanical vision-based recognition seedling transplanting device for red sage seedlings

Abstract

The application discloses a mechanical vision seedling recognition-based red sage seedling transplanting device. The device comprises a mobile chassis, a belt conveyor, a vision recognition device and a seedling selection device. The mobile chassis is provided with a furrowing plough at the front end, a soil covering plate at the rear end, depth limiting wheels at the two sides and a seat at the upper side. The belt conveyor is arranged on the upper side of the mobile chassis and forms a horizontal conveying surface and an inclined downward inclined conveying surface. The vision recognition device comprises an image acquisition device arranged on the mobile chassis and acting on the upper side of the horizontal conveying surface and a controller arranged on the image acquisition device. The seedling selection device comprises a poor seedling storage device, a seedling cutting and picking device and a seedling supplementing device arranged in sequence on the mobile chassis behind the vision recognition device. The belt conveyor, the image acquisition device, the poor seedling storage device, the seedling cutting and picking device and the seedling supplementing device are electrically connected with the controller. The device can automatically remove poor seedlings during the red sage transplanting process, and can effectively improve the yield and quality of red sage after transplanting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of agricultural equipment technology, specifically relating to a red astragalus seedling transplanting device based on machine vision seedling identification. Background Technology

[0002] Astragalus membranaceus (also known as Astragalus polyphylla) is a deep-rooted medicinal plant, and the quality of its transplanting is a crucial factor in determining its yield and quality. When transplanting Astragalus membranaceus, select healthy seedlings with roots 25-30cm long, a diameter of 3-5mm in the middle and upper parts, and at least two plump buds at the top. Selecting high-quality seedlings is one of the important steps in ensuring the quality of transplanting.

[0003] Currently, Astragalus membranaceus transplanting is mainly done manually. Planting methods include placing the seedlings obliquely in the furrows after digging (forming a 30-45° angle with the furrow direction, also known as oblique planting), and placing them perpendicular to the furrow direction (forming a 90° angle with the furrow direction). Existing transplanting machines are mainly for row sowing and cannot meet the requirements of Astragalus membranaceus transplanting. Whether using transplanting machines or manually placing the seedlings, there is a problem of not being able to ensure the quality of the transplanted seedlings, resulting in the transplanting of diseased or weak seedlings, leading to inconsistent seedling quality at harvest and a decrease in both quality and yield. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention discloses a red astragalus seedling transplanting device based on machine vision, which solves the problem of the lack of automated red astragalus transplanting equipment in the prior art, as well as the technical problem of not being able to select high-quality seedlings for transplanting.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A machine vision-based seedling identification and transplanting device for Astragalus membranaceus seedlings includes:

[0007] The mobile chassis has a trenching plow at the front, a soil covering plate at the rear, depth-limiting wheels on both sides, and a seat on the top.

[0008] The belt conveyor is located on the upper side of the mobile chassis and has a transverse conveying surface and a downward inclined conveying surface. The conveying end of the inclined conveying surface is located below the mobile chassis.

[0009] A visual recognition device, comprising an image acquisition device mounted on a mobile chassis and acting above a transverse conveying surface, and a controller mounted on the image acquisition device;

[0010] The seedling selection device includes a substandard seedling collection device, a seedling cutting and picking device, and a seedling replenishment device arranged sequentially on a mobile chassis, located behind the visual recognition device. The seedling cutting and picking device is equipped with a rotating seedling cutting rake above the transverse conveying surface. The substandard seedling collection device works in conjunction with the rotating seedling cutting rake to extract and collect substandard seedlings. The seedling replenishment device works in conjunction with the rotating seedling cutting rake to obtain superior seedlings and temporarily store or place them.

[0011] The belt conveyor, image acquisition device, inferior seedling collection device, seedling cutting and picking device, and seedling replanting device are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0012] Furthermore, the image acquisition device includes:

[0013] The protective cover is upright, with uprights on both sides and fixed to a mobile chassis. The lower end of the protective cover is open and the lower edge is spaced apart from the conveying plane.

[0014] A binocular industrial camera, which is fixed to the top wall inside the protective housing;

[0015] The dust removal and heat dissipation system includes a vent pipe connected to the top of the protective cover, a DC fan mounted on the vent pipe, and a dust filter mounted at the air inlet of the vent pipe.

[0016] Furthermore, the controller includes:

[0017] The industrial control computer is fixed inside the top wall of the protective cover;

[0018] An industrial touch screen, which is fixed to the outside of a protective cover and connected to an industrial control electromechanical system;

[0019] The industrial control computer is located at the exhaust port of the ventilation pipe and is electrically connected to the binocular industrial camera.

[0020] Furthermore, the belt conveyor includes:

[0021] The roller frame has three rollers, two of which are fixed on the upper side of the mobile chassis and arranged laterally at intervals, and the third is fixed on the lower side of the mobile chassis. The roller frame includes a U-shaped frame and a support roller rotatably connected to the U-shaped frame.

[0022] The conveyor belt is fitted on three support rollers and forms a transverse conveying surface and a downward inclined conveying surface. Multiple baffles are provided on the conveying plane along the conveying direction. Every two baffles form an independent unit and form a receiving groove. Adjacent receiving grooves are arranged at equal intervals. Support blocks with a height smaller than the baffles are provided on the conveyor belt inside the receiving groove. Both the baffles and the support blocks are arranged along the width direction of the conveyor belt. The baffles and the support blocks have multiple equally spaced notches along the width direction of the conveyor belt.

[0023] The servo reducer is fixed on a U-shaped frame and driven by the corresponding support roller; it is electrically connected to the controller.

[0024] Furthermore, the seedling picking device includes:

[0025] The first gantry frame is fixed on the mobile chassis and forms a span across the belt conveyor;

[0026] Two electric cylinders are fixed at intervals on the inner top wall of the U-shaped frame and are electrically connected to the controller.

[0027] Furthermore, the overturning seedling cutter rake includes:

[0028] The connecting plate has two plates, which are fixedly connected to the pistons of the two electric cylinders respectively;

[0029] A rotating shaft, which is arranged laterally and whose two ends are rotatably connected to the connecting plate;

[0030] L-shaped interception rods, the middle of which is connected and fixed to the rotating shaft, and multiple rods are arranged at equal intervals along the length of the rotating shaft;

[0031] The first servo motor is fixed on a connecting plate and driven by a rotating shaft, and is electrically connected to the controller.

[0032] Furthermore, the inferior seedling collection device includes:

[0033] The second portal frame is fixed on the mobile chassis and forms a span across the belt conveyor;

[0034] The seedling rake includes a rotating rod rotatably connected to two side arms inside the second portal frame, and multiple seedling rakes evenly spaced along the length of the rotating rod, wherein the seedling rakes and L-shaped intercepting rods are arranged alternately.

[0035] The second servo motor is fixed on the second gantry frame and driven by the rotating rod, and is electrically connected to the controller.

[0036] The collection box is fixed to one side of the second portal frame and works in conjunction with the seedling rake.

[0037] Furthermore, the replanting device includes:

[0038] The third portal frame is fixed on the mobile chassis and forms a span across the belt conveyor;

[0039] A conveying and storage device includes a flat box fixed inside the third portal frame and open at one end, rotating rollers rotatably connected to both ends of the flat box, a transmission belt sleeved between the two rotating rollers, and a drive motor fixed on the flat box and driven by one of the rotating rollers; the drive motor is electrically connected to a controller; and multiple partition plates are provided at equal intervals on the conveying plane of the transmission belt.

[0040] The connecting cover, which corresponds to the side of the flipping seedling cutter, is semi-circular in shape and connected to the opening end of the flat box. The middle part is provided with a sliding plate that guides the transmission belt. The sliding plate is provided with a first counting sensor. The connecting cover and the lower part of the sliding plate are provided with a second counting sensor. Both the first and second counting sensors are electrically connected to the controller.

[0041] Furthermore, the lower edge of the furrowing plow, when viewed from the front, is hook-shaped.

[0042] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0043] The transplanting device is towed by an agricultural tractor. Workers place seedlings onto the conveyor plane, and a visual recognition device identifies superior and inferior seedlings. A seedling-picking and collecting device, along with a superior seedling collection device, gathers the inferior seedlings. A replacement device automatically replaces the inferior seedlings. Finally, a belt conveyor places the superior seedlings into the transplanting trenches, perpendicular to the trenching direction. The transplanting is then completed by covering the seedlings with soil. Workers only need to perform simple seedling separation; subsequent tasks are handled by machinery, significantly improving automation. The inclusion of visual recognition ensures the removal of inferior seedlings and the large-scale transplanting of superior seedlings, thereby guaranteeing the yield and quality of Astragalus membranaceus. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the transplanting device;

[0045] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point I;

[0046] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the AA-oriented visual recognition device;

[0047] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the inferior seedling collection device for ZhongBB;

[0048] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the CC-direction seedling picking device;

[0049] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the roller frame located in the middle;

[0050] Figure 7 This is a top view of the transplanting device.

[0051] Figure 8 for Figure 7Enlarged structural diagram at point II;

[0052] Figure 9 This is a top view of the mobile chassis structure.

[0053] Figure 10 A front view schematic diagram of the structure of a furrowing plow;

[0054] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the image acquisition device;

[0055] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the inferior seedling collection device, the seedling cutting and picking device, and the seedling replanting device;

[0056] Figure 13 A schematic diagram showing the changes in the running trajectory of the L-shaped intercepting rod and the seedling pulling rod;

[0057] Figure 14 This is a system control block diagram of the transplanting device;

[0058] Figure 15 A system control flowchart for storing seedlings inside the flat box of the transplanting device;

[0059] Figure 16 This is a system control flowchart for the transplanting process using a transplanting device.

[0060] Among them, 1-mobile chassis; 2-belt conveyor; 3-three-point suspension traction frame; 4-threaded cylinder; 5-column; 6-wheel; 7-control lever; 8-set screw; 9-ditching plow; 10-soil covering board; 11-seat; 12-servo reducer; 13-conveyor belt; 14-U-shaped frame; 15-support roller; 16-limit roller; 17-grid bar; 18-accommodating groove; 19-support block; 20-notch; 21-image acquisition device; 22-controller; 23-protective cover; 24-binocular industrial camera; 25-vent pipe; 26-DC fan; 27-Dustproof net; 28-LED light strip; 29-First gantry frame; 30-Electric cylinder; 31-Connecting plate; 32-Rotating shaft; 33-L-shaped intercepting rod; 34-First servo motor; 35-Second gantry frame; 36-Second servo motor; 37-Collection box; 38-Rotating rod; 39-Seedling pole; 40-Third gantry frame; 41-Connecting cover; 42-Flat box body; 43-Rotating roller; 44-Transmission belt; 45-Drive motor; 46-Divider plate; 47-Slide plate; 48-First counting sensor; 49-Second counting sensor; 50-Audible and visual alarm. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] like Figures 1 to 13As shown, a transplanting device for Astragalus membranaceus seedlings based on machine vision is disclosed. The device includes a mobile chassis 1, a belt conveyor 2, a visual recognition device, and a seedling selection device. The mobile chassis 1 provides structural support and is movable, capable of trenching and soil covering. The belt conveyor 2 places the seedlings into the transplanting trenches based on worker input. The visual recognition device uses machine vision to identify the transported seedlings, distinguishing between superior and inferior seedlings. The seedling selection device picks up and stores inferior seedlings identified by the visual recognition device. This picking process can also pick up and store superior seedlings. After storing a certain number, superior seedlings are added to fill the gaps while inferior seedlings are being picked up later, ensuring continuous transplanting.

[0063] The mobile chassis 1 can be a flatbed truck with its own power supply and control system. To reduce costs, a lattice-shaped flatbed frame can be used as the basic frame, with depth-limiting wheels on both sides to form the mobile chassis 1. A three-point suspension traction frame 3 is installed on the upper front side of the mobile chassis 1 for connection with the rear suspension system of an existing agricultural tractor, allowing it to be towed forward by the agricultural tractor. The front end of the mobile chassis 1 refers to the front end defined along the direction of movement. The structure of the depth-limiting wheel includes a threaded cylinder 4 fixed to the side of the mobile chassis 1, a column 5 threaded with the threaded cylinder 4, a wheel 6 connected to the lower end of the column 5, and a control rod 7 fixed to the column 5; a set screw 8 can be vertically threaded into the threaded cylinder 4 to stop the column 5 relative to the threaded cylinder 4 when tightened. The depth-limiting wheel is mainly used to control the trenching depth, and the depth-limiting wheels in existing agricultural implements can also be applied to this mobile chassis 1. The mobile chassis 1 has a furrowing plow 9 at its front end. The lower edge of the furrowing plow 9 is hook-shaped in frontal view and inverted hook-shaped in top view. The furrowing plow 9 is fixed to the lower front end of the mobile chassis 1 by rods. The hook-shaped lower edge creates hook-shaped furrows, with one gently sloping ridge for placing transplanted seedlings, allowing the seedling heads to be close to the ground to prevent them from being buried too deep and affecting growth. A soil covering plate 10 is connected to the rear end of the mobile chassis 1 by rods, which scrapes soil from both sides of the furrow into the furrow. The soil covering plate 10 is V-shaped in top view. A seat 11 made of iron or aluminum alloy is fixed near the front end of the mobile chassis 1, with bundles of transplanted seedlings stacked on both sides of the seat 11.

[0064] The belt conveyor 2 has a transverse conveying surface and a downward-sloping inclined conveying surface. The transverse conveying surface is used in conjunction with machine vision for identifying superior and inferior seedlings and for seedling selection by the seedling selection device. The belt conveyor 2 corresponds to the seat 11. The end of the inclined conveying surface is located below the movable chassis 1 to reduce the height at which the Astragalus seedlings are placed, allowing them to be placed stably into the transplanting trench, with the height from the ground controlled within 3-5 cm. Structurally, the belt conveyor 2 includes roller frames, a conveyor belt 13, and a servo reducer 12. There are three roller frames, two of which are fixed to the upper side of the movable chassis 1 and arranged laterally at intervals to cooperate with the conveyor belt 13 to form a transverse conveying surface; the third is fixed to the lower side of the movable chassis 1 to cooperate with the conveyor belt 13 to form an inclined conveying surface, in which case the conveyor belt 13 partially passes through the movable chassis 1; a support wheel is also provided on the middle roller frame for adjusting the position of the conveyor belt 13. The roller frame includes a U-shaped frame 14 and support rollers 15 rotatably connected to the U-shaped frame 14. The U-shaped frame 14 is fixed to the mobile chassis 1. The support rollers 15 are hollow cylinders with rotating shafts at both ends, which are rotatably connected to the U-shaped frame 14 via bearings. The servo reducer 12 is a combination of a servo motor and a planetary gear reducer. The servo reducer 12 is fixed to the U-shaped frame 14 and connected to the rotating shaft on one of the support rollers 15 via a coupling, thereby driving the rotation of one support roller 15. The conveyor belt 13 is fitted onto the three support rollers 15 and forms a transverse conveying surface and a downward inclined conveying surface. Two limit rollers 16 are installed on the U-shaped frame in the middle. The limit rollers 16 are symmetrically arranged and cover the edge of the conveyor belt 13, used to adjust the position of the conveyor belt 13 located on the lower side, to better adapt to the structure of the mobile chassis. Multiple baffles 17, made of rubber strips, are arranged along the conveying direction on the conveying plane of the conveyor belt 13. Each pair of baffles 17 forms an independent unit and a receiving trough 18 for holding Astragalus seedlings. Adjacent receiving troughs 18 are evenly spaced, with a spacing of not less than 10 cm. Support blocks 19, made of strip-shaped rubber blocks, are installed on the conveyor belt 13 inside the receiving trough 18, with a height less than the baffles 17. The height of the support blocks 19 relative to the surface of the conveyor belt 13 is controlled at 1-1.5 cm. The height difference between the support blocks 19 and the baffles 17 is controlled at 2-3 cm. Both the baffles 17 and the support blocks 19 are arranged along the width direction of the conveyor belt 13 and are of equal length. Multiple equally spaced notches 20 are provided on the baffles 17 and the support blocks 19 along the width direction of the conveyor belt 13. These notches 20 provide space for the rake structure formed by the inferior seedling collection device and the seedling cutting and picking device to accommodate and operate. The depth of the notch 20 should be controlled between 1 and 1.5 cm. The notch 20 needs to completely cover the horizontal bar of the L-shaped cutting rod on the cutting rake to avoid the horizontal bar overlapping with the transplanted seedling in the longitudinal direction.

[0065] The visual recognition device identifies transplanted seedlings based on machine vision. The device includes an image acquisition unit 21 and a controller 22. The image acquisition unit 21 includes a protective cover 23, a binocular industrial camera 24, and a dust removal and heat dissipation system. The protective cover 23 is upright, with uprights on both sides fixed to a mobile chassis 1. The lower end of the protective cover 23 is open, and its lower edge is spaced apart from the conveying plane to form an exhaust gap. The lower opening of the protective cover 23 should completely cover a 35cm long rod-shaped Astragalus membranaceus seedling with a 5-10cm margin. It can selectively cover 1-3 seedlings along the conveying direction. The binocular industrial camera 24 is fixed to the inner top wall of the protective cover 23 for 3D imaging of the Astragalus membranaceus seedlings. The binocular industrial camera 24 is fixed by a hanging method. The dust removal and heat dissipation system provides positive pressure exhaust for the protective cover 23, ensuring internal cleanliness and also dissipating internal heat. The dust removal and heat dissipation system includes a vent pipe 25 connected to the top of the protective cover 23, a DC fan 26 mounted on the vent pipe 25, and a dust filter 27 mounted on the air inlet of the vent pipe 25. Multiple dust removal and heat dissipation systems can be installed to enhance heat dissipation. A ring-shaped LED light strip 28 is also installed inside the protective cover 23 to illuminate the conveyor belt 13 below, providing supplemental lighting.

[0066] The industrial computer in controller 22 and the binocular industrial camera 24 in image acquisition device 21 constitute a visual recognition system. The system's functionality is implemented through three steps: dataset construction, model training and optimization, and industrial scenario application testing. The system distinguishes between superior seedlings with root lengths of 25-30cm, upper and middle diameters of 3-5mm, and without disease, lateral roots, or damage, and inferior seedlings (weak seedlings, etc.) with disease, damage, or non-compliant dimensions. The industrial computer is also used to guide subsequent operations.

[0067] During dataset construction, the dataset must cover the "full-scene variation" of Astragalus membranaceus to ensure the model's generalization ability. More than a thousand valid images of Astragalus membranaceus transplanted seedlings in different scenes and states should be collected to increase model accuracy by increasing the sample size. When selecting sample types, a large number of typical diseased and weak seedlings should be manually selected, with no fewer than 50 seedlings of each type. If the number of diseased seedlings is limited, the seedlings should be repositioned and photographed from multiple angles and positions to increase the sample size. Damaged seedling samples can be obtained by bundling numerous transplanted seedlings and forcibly rubbing them to simulate damage, thereby increasing the sample size. Simultaneously, interference sample sets, high-quality seedling sample sets, and no-sample image sets should also be added to increase recognition accuracy.

[0068] Image acquisition is primarily based on binocular industrial imaging. First, the operating state and environment of the device are simulated by placing samples on the belt of conveyor belt 2, while simultaneously introducing a small amount of interfering samples. Images are then captured using binocular industrial imaging. The binocular camera continuously acquires images at a frame rate of 30 FPS, and each image simultaneously stores an RGB image and a depth map. Tools such as OpenCV and PIL are used for batch processing of the acquired images, mainly involving denoising, cropping and ROI extraction, lighting correction, and size normalization. Geometric transformations, pixel transformations, and noise addition are applied to the image data to enhance it. After data augmentation, the image data is labeled to allow the model to learn features; LabelImg and LabelMe are used for labeling, with the labeling method selected based on the recognition target. After labeling, VOC (XML format) or COCO (JSON format) label files are generated, corresponding one-to-one with the image files. The samples are randomly divided in a "7:2:1" ratio to ensure consistent distribution across subsets. The training set (70%) is used for the model to learn the lesions, morphology, and damage characteristics of Astragalus membranaceus; the validation set (20%) is used to monitor the model performance in real time during training, adjust hyperparameters, and prevent overfitting; the test set (10%) is completely independent of the training process and is used to finally evaluate the generalization ability of the model. The test set samples do not participate in any training or tuning.

[0069] During model training and optimization, the lightweight object detection model YOLOv8-nano was selected, as it balances inference speed and recognition accuracy. After training, the optimized model was exported in ONNX format, and the model configuration file was saved. The optimized model was then deployed to an industrial control computer.

[0070] During industrial application testing, transplanted seedlings are continuously transported via belt conveyor 2; binocular industrial cameras 24 continuously acquire images at a frame rate of 30 FPS, simultaneously obtaining RGB and depth maps. Image data is transmitted to the industrial control computer in real time via a high-speed data cable. Based on the requirements for the number and precision of the executed actions, a PLC can be connected to the industrial control computer. The PLC controls the actions of the execution components, while the industrial control computer is primarily responsible for reasoning and decision-making. The industrial control computer performs rapid preprocessing on each frame of the acquired image, inputs the processed data into the YOLOv8 model, and the model quickly infers and outputs target information, size information, and lesion / damage information. If the information meets the preset requirements, the industrial control computer does not issue control commands; if it does not meet the requirements, the industrial control computer issues control commands to the PLC, which then controls the corresponding execution components. The corresponding execution components mainly include a substandard seedling collection device, a seedling cutting and picking device, a seedling replanting device, and belt conveyor 2.

[0071] The seedling selection device includes a substandard seedling collection device, a seedling cutting and picking device, and a seedling replacement device, all arranged sequentially on a mobile chassis 1 behind the visual recognition device. The seedling cutting and picking device intercepts transplanted seedlings and lifts them to a certain height during the operation of the belt conveyor 2, forming a picking action. Simultaneously, its own flipping component causes the seedlings to flip synchronously. The substandard seedling collection device utilizes the lifting and lowering action of the seedling cutting and picking device to remove and collect the transplanted seedlings after they have been lifted to a certain height. The seedling replacement device utilizes the lifting and flipping characteristics of the seedling cutting and picking device; after being lifted to a certain height, the seedling cutting and picking device automatically places high-quality seedlings into the replacement device. The flipping component during the lifting process causes the high-quality seedlings to flip, sending them into the replacement device. The replacement device uses a counting method for seedling collection and placement.

[0072] The seedling harvesting device includes a first gantry frame 29, electric cylinders 30, and a flipping seedling cutter rake. The first gantry frame 29 is fixed on the movable chassis 1 and spans the belt conveyor 2. Two electric cylinders 30 are fixed at intervals on the inner top wall of the U-shaped frame 14, and the two electric cylinders 30 are arranged vertically. The flipping seedling cutter rake specifically includes a connecting plate 31, a rotating shaft 32, an L-shaped cutting rod 33, and a first servo motor 34. Two connecting plates 31 are provided and fixedly connected to the pistons of the two electric cylinders 30 respectively. The rotating shaft 32 is arranged horizontally and its two ends are rotatably connected to the connecting plate 31. The middle part of the L-shaped cutting rod 33 is connected and fixed to the rotating shaft 32, and multiple L-shaped cutting rods 33 are arranged at equal intervals along the length of the rotating shaft 32; the L-shaped cutting rods 33 can be inserted into the notch 20, and after insertion, the horizontal bar of the L-shaped cutting rod 33 is lower than the top of the support block 19 and is at the downward limit position. When the L-shaped trap bar 33 moves to its upper limit position, the distance between its bottom and the belt plane of the belt conveyor 2 is controlled to be 10~15cm. The first servo motor 34 is fixed on a connecting plate 31 and is connected to the rotating shaft 32 through a coupling to control the L-shaped trap bar 33 to rotate 180~225° from a vertical position.

[0073] The inferior seedling collection device includes a second portal frame 35, a seedling rake, a second servo motor 36, and a collection box 37. The second portal frame 35 is fixed on the mobile chassis 1 and spans the belt conveyor 2. The seedling rake includes a rotating rod 38 rotatably connected to two side arms inside the second portal frame 35, and multiple seedling rakes 39 evenly spaced along the length of the rotating rod 38. The seedling rakes 39 are straight rods and are staggered with L-shaped intercepting rods 33. In normal conditions, the seedling rakes 39 are arranged diagonally downwards, with the free end of the seedling rake 39 171cm higher than the grid bar, and the tilt angle controlled between 30 and 45°, corresponding to the position of the notch 20. When the seedling rake 39 is rotated to the horizontal position, the free end is aligned with the vertical rod of the L-shaped intercepting rod 33 and is located below the horizontal bar of the L-shaped intercepting rod 33. This positional relationship facilitates the removal of transplanted seedlings and their movement to the collection box 37 on the rear side when the seedling rake 39 is rotated. The second servo motor 36 is fixed on the second portal frame 35 and connected to the rotating rod 38 via a connecting shaft. It is used to control the swing of the seedling-pulling rod 39, with the swing angle controlled between 135° and 180°. The collection box 37 is fixed on one side of the second portal frame 35 and works in conjunction with the seedling-pulling rake. When the seedling-pulling rod 39 swings, it can catch the inferior seedlings pushed or thrown out by the seedling-pulling rod 39.

[0074] The seedling replenishment device includes a third portal frame 40, a conveying and storage device, and a connecting cover 41. The third portal frame 40 is fixed on the movable chassis 1 and spans the belt conveyor 2. The conveying and storage device includes a flat box 42, a rotating roller 43, a transmission belt 44, and a drive motor 45. The flat box 42 is fixed inside the third portal frame 40 and is arranged horizontally. One end of the flat box 42 is open and faces the flipping seedling cutter rake, while the other end of the flat box 42 is rounded to fit the shape of the rotating roller 43. The rotating roller 43 is a hollow cylinder with rotating shafts at both ends and is rotatably connected to the flat box 42 via bearings. There are two rotating rollers 43, one protruding outside the opening of the flat box 42 and the other located inside the other end of the flat box 42. A drive belt 44 is fitted between two rotating rollers 43 and forms a U-shaped conveying channel with the flat box 42. Multiple rubber partitions 46 are evenly spaced on the conveying plane of the drive belt 44 to isolate each transplanted seedling. The drive motor 45 can be a servo motor or a stepper motor; it is fixed to the flat box 42 and connected to one of the rotating rollers 43 via a coupling, driving the drive belt 44. A connecting cover 41 is located on one side of the flipping seedling cutter rake and is fully connected to the open end of the flat box 42. A sliding plate 47, guiding the drive belt 44, is located in the middle of the inner side of the connecting cover 41. A first counting sensor 48 is installed on the sliding plate 47 to count and statistically analyze the transplanted seedlings and provide feedback to the controller 22. A second counting sensor 49 is installed on the connecting cover 41 and below the sliding plate 47 to count and statistically analyze the discharged or released transplanted seedlings and provide feedback to the controller 22. Both the first counting sensor 48 and the second counting sensor 49 are photoelectric counting sensors.

[0075] like Figure 14 As shown, the controller 22 is a combination of an industrial computer and an industrial touch screen. This device uses an industrial computer, a PLC controller 22, and an industrial touch screen, with the PLC specifically controlling the execution components. The industrial computer is fixed to the top wall inside the protective cover 23, corresponding to the exhaust vent of the vent pipe 25, which facilitates heat dissipation. The industrial touch screen is fixed to the outside of the protective cover 23 and electrically connected to the industrial computer. For easy alerting of the driver and staff, two audible and visual alarms 50 can be installed, each electrically connected to the PLC. One audible and visual alarm 50 is installed on the outside of the protective cover 23; the other is magnetically installed near the cab of the agricultural tractor, or fixed in place. Other convenient installation methods are also possible. The industrial computer is electrically connected to the binocular industrial camera 24, and the industrial computer is electrically connected to the PLC; the PLC is electrically connected to the first counting sensor 48, the second counting sensor 49, the drive motor 45, the second servo motor 36, the electric cylinder 30, the first servo motor 34, the servo reducer 12, the LED light strip 28, and the DC fan 26 respectively.

[0076] The entire device is powered by a storage battery, which is fixed on the mobile chassis 1.

[0077] In practical applications, this device:

[0078] like Figure 15 and 16 As shown, the first step is to adjust the furrow depth. Specifically, the agricultural tractor uses its rear suspension system to control the entire device to tilt or slightly lift off the ground. Based on the preset furrow depth, loosen or tighten the set screw 8 and rotate the control lever 7 so that the distance between the lower end of the wheel 6 and the bottom of the moving chassis 1 meets the set size requirement, ensuring the furrow depth of the furrow plow 9 is 10-15 cm. After adjustment, no further adjustment is needed unless there are specific furrow depth requirements.

[0079] This device requires one operator to use. After purchase, the Astragalus seedlings are bundled together; multiple bundles are placed in an empty space on the mobile base 1. Before transplanting, the seedling replenishment device is pre-filled with high-quality seedlings. The device is started via controller 22, which controls the entire system to first replenish high-quality seedlings. The operator, seated on chair 11, separates each seedling and places it into the receiving trough 18 of the running belt conveyor 2. As the seedling passes the image acquisition device 21, the visual recognition system operates, acquiring and analyzing images. If a seedling is identified as high-quality, controller 22 controls the electric cylinder 30 to descend after the belt conveyor 2 has been running for a certain period, simultaneously causing the cutting rake to descend. At this time, the L-shaped cutting rod 33 is positioned in the gap between adjacent receiving troughs 18, remaining there for 1-1.5 seconds before being conveyed by the conveyor belt 13 to the top of the crossbar of the L-shaped cutting rod 33. The controller 22 controls the electric cylinder 30 to quickly rise to the upper limit position and pause for 1 second. During the ascent, the controller simultaneously controls the first servo motor 34 to rotate the L-shaped intercepting rod 33 towards the connecting cover 41. After rotating, the rod is tilted upwards, and the transplanted seedling is thrown into the connecting cover 41 and finally falls onto the transmission belt 44, placing it into the space formed by the partition plate 46. At this time, the first counting sensor 48 on the slide plate 47 is triggered and sends feedback to the controller 22. The controller 22 controls the drive motor 45 to move the transmission belt 44 a certain distance, so that the partition plate 46 forms a new receiving space to wait for the next high-quality seedling. The first servo motor 34 controls the L-shaped intercepting rod 33 to rotate at a certain angle and then automatically resets. After resetting, the electric cylinder 30, under the control of the controller 22, drives the rotating seedling cutting rake downwards to extract the next high-quality seedling. The operating speed of the belt conveyor 2 is controllable, and the downward speed and timing of the electric cylinder 30 are controllable. Through calculation and adjustment, the controller 22 controls the rotating seedling cutting rake to be positioned at a fixed position in the adjacent receiving tank 18 after each downward movement. In the design, after the first counting sensor 48 counts 30 times consecutively, the temporary storage device in the seedling replenishment device is full of superior seedlings. The controller 22 then controls the entire system to stop operating and begin the transplanting preparation process. The number of counts can be adjusted as needed, but should be less than the number of spaces formed by the partition plate 46. If inferior seedlings appear during the replenishment of superior seedlings, the seedling cutting rake is first moved upwards to its limit position, and then the second servo motor 36 is controlled to move. The second servo motor 36 drives the seedling pulling rake to flip, and the seedling pulling rod 39 pulls out the transplanted seedlings lifted by the L-shaped intercepting rod 33 and throws them into the collection box 37. After the second servo motor 36 completes the throwing, it automatically resets, thus realizing the collection of inferior seedlings.

[0080] A farm tractor drives the device slowly across the field. The belt conveyor 2 operates at a speed synchronized with the tractor, ensuring that the transplanted seedlings discharged from the belt conveyor 2 are spaced 8-15 cm apart. During the movement, workers continuously place the seedlings into the receiving trough 18, ensuring that the seedling heads are aligned with the same direction. After transplanting, the seedling heads are positioned on the gently sloping side of the transplanting furrow, facilitating the maintenance of a 2-3 cm soil cover thickness. As the device moves forward, the furrowing plow 9 automatically opens furrows, and the transplanted seedlings are automatically covered with soil by the rear covering plate 10.

[0081] During transplanting, the operation of the seedling picking and collecting device for inferior seedlings is the same as that for replenishing superior seedlings. The system also synchronously controls the drive motor 45 to operate the transmission belt 44, discharging the superior seedlings collected between the partition plates 46 into the connecting cover 41. Guided by the connecting cover 41, the superior seedlings enter the receiving trough 18. The replenishment of superior transplanted seedlings is triggered simultaneously with the downward movement of the L-shaped intercepting rod 33. The downward speed of the L-shaped intercepting rod 33 is faster than the sliding speed of the transplanted seedlings. When a transplanted seedling slides or falls to the lower end of the connecting cover 41, it is briefly intercepted by the L-shaped intercepting rod 33. When the L-shaped intercepting rod 33 moves upward, the obstruction is released, and the transplanted seedling is placed precisely into the receiving trough 18. One inferior seedling is lifted and collected, and one superior seedling is automatically added to replace it, thus enabling the belt conveyor 2 to achieve continuous and automatic transplanting. When high-quality seedlings are placed inside the connecting cover 41, the second counting sensor 49 is triggered. After the second counting sensor 49 triggers a count, the controller 22 controls the drive motor 45 to stop running. When the count by the second counting sensor 49 is the same as that by the first counting sensor 48, the controller 22 receives feedback and alerts the driver and staff through the audible and visual alarm 50. The driver stops the agricultural tractor, the staff stops placing the seedlings, and the controller 22 simultaneously stops the belt conveyor 2. The staff operates the corresponding switch on the controller 22 to replant the high-quality seedlings, and the entire equipment remains stationary. After replanting is completed, the audible and visual alarm 50 sounds an alarm and stops the equipment operation. The staff then controls the device through the controller 22 to continue the transplanting operation.

[0082] If the staff fails to continuously place the transplanted seedlings into the receiving trough 18 during the transplanting process, the machine vision recognition system identifies it as an empty trough and triggers a seedling replenishment operation through the controller 22. The collected diseased and weak seedlings are removed from the opening of the collection box 37 for destruction or other uses.

[0083] This device uses machine vision to transplant Astragalus seedlings, separating inferior seedlings and transplanting high-quality seedlings on a large scale, which can ensure the uniformity of Astragalus quality and help improve the yield and quality of Astragalus.

Claims

1. A red astragalus seedling transplanting device based on machine vision for seedling identification, characterized in that, include: The mobile chassis has a trenching plow at the front, a soil covering plate at the rear, depth limiting wheels on both sides, and a seat on the top. A belt conveyor is mounted on a mobile chassis and forms a transverse conveying surface and a downward-sloping inclined conveying surface. The end of the inclined conveying surface is located below the mobile chassis. The belt conveyor includes roller frames, a conveyor belt, and a servo reducer. There are three roller frames: two are fixed to the upper side of the mobile chassis and arranged transversely at intervals, and the third is fixed to the lower side of the mobile chassis. Each roller frame includes a U-shaped frame and support rollers rotatably connected to the U-shaped frame. The conveyor belt is fitted onto the three support rollers, forming a transverse conveying surface and a downward-sloping inclined conveying surface. Multiple baffles are arranged along the conveying direction on the conveying plane of the conveyor belt. Every two baffles form an independent unit and a receiving groove. Adjacent receiving grooves are arranged at equal intervals. Support blocks with a height less than the baffles are installed on the conveyor belt inside the receiving groove. Both the baffles and support blocks are arranged along the width direction of the conveyor belt, and the baffles and support blocks have multiple equally spaced notches along the width direction of the conveyor belt. The servo reducer is fixed on a U-shaped frame and is drivenly connected to the corresponding support roller. A visual recognition device, comprising an image acquisition device mounted on a mobile chassis and acting above a transverse conveying surface, and a controller mounted on the image acquisition device; The seedling selection device includes a substandard seedling collection device, a seedling cutting and picking device, and a seedling refilling device, which are arranged sequentially on a mobile chassis and located behind the visual recognition device. The seedling cutting and picking device is equipped with a flipping seedling cutting rake above the transverse conveying surface of the belt conveyor. The seedling cutting and picking device also includes a first gantry frame fixed on the mobile chassis and forming a span across the belt conveyor, and two electric cylinders fixed at intervals on the inner top wall of the U-shaped frame. The flipping seedling cutting rake includes two connecting plates fixedly connected to the pistons of the two electric cylinders, a rotating shaft arranged transversely and rotatably connected to the connecting plates at both ends, and multiple L-shaped cutting rods fixed in the middle and evenly spaced along the length of the rotating shaft, as well as a first servo motor fixed on a connecting plate and drivenly connected to the rotating shaft. The inferior seedling collection device includes a second portal frame, a seedling rake, a second servo motor, and a collection box. The second portal frame is fixed on a movable chassis and spans the belt conveyor. The seedling rake includes a rotating rod rotatably connected to two side arms on the inner side of the second portal frame, and multiple seedling-pulling rods evenly spaced along the length of the rotating rod, with the seedling-pulling rods and L-shaped intercepting rods arranged alternately. The second servo motor is fixed on the second portal frame and connected to the rotating rod for transmission. The collection box is fixed on one side of the second portal frame and cooperates with the seedling rake. The seedling replenishment device includes a third portal frame, a conveying and storage device, and a connecting cover. The third portal frame is fixed on a movable chassis and spans the belt conveyor. The conveying and storage device includes a flat box fixed inside the third portal frame with one end open, rotating rollers rotatably connected to both ends of the flat box, a transmission belt sleeved between the two rotating rollers, and a drive motor fixed on the flat box and driven by one of the rotating rollers. Multiple partition plates are evenly spaced on the conveying plane of the transmission belt. The connecting cover is located on the side of the flipping seedling cutter, and the connecting cover is semi-circular in shape and connected to the open end of the flat box. A sliding plate is provided in the middle of the connecting cover to guide the transmission belt. A first counting sensor is provided on the sliding plate, and a second counting sensor is provided on the connecting cover and below the sliding plate. The servo reducer, image acquisition device, electric cylinder, first servo motor, second servo motor, drive motor, first counting sensor and second counting sensor are electrically connected to the controller.

2. The transplanting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The image acquisition device includes: The protective cover is cubic in shape, with uprights on both sides and fixed to the mobile chassis. The lower end of the protective cover is open and the lower edge is spaced apart from the conveying plane. A binocular industrial camera, which is fixed to the top wall inside the protective housing; The dust removal and heat dissipation system includes a vent pipe connected to the top of the protective cover, a DC fan mounted on the vent pipe, and a dust filter mounted at the air inlet of the vent pipe.

3. The transplanting device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The controller includes: The industrial control computer is fixed inside the top wall of the protective cover; An industrial touch screen, which is fixed to the outside of a protective cover and connected to an industrial control electromechanical system; The industrial control computer is located at the exhaust port of the ventilation pipe and is electrically connected to the binocular industrial camera.

4. The transplanting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lower edge of the furrowing plow, when viewed from the front, is shaped like a hook.

Images