Intelligent fruit and vegetable picking robot and picking method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of fruit and vegetable picking automation, and discloses an intelligent fruit and vegetable picking robot and a picking method.The intelligent fruit and vegetable picking robot comprises a ground moving device, a picking arm, a picking head, a collecting device and a control device; the picking arm is arranged on one side of the ground moving device, the first end of the picking arm is fixedly connected with the top of the ground moving device, the second end of the picking arm is connected with a picking head, and the picking arm can drive the picking head to be close to or away from fruits and vegetables to be picked; the collecting device is arranged on the other side of the ground moving device, the first end of the collecting device is connected with the top of the ground moving device, the second end of the collecting device is connected with the picking head, and the collecting device is used for collecting fruits and vegetables to be picked; the control device is connected with the ground moving device, the picking arm, the picking head and the collecting device. Defects caused by opening and closing of scissors and high-speed rotation of saw blades in the prior art can be effectively avoided, and the integrity rate of fruits and vegetables is greatly increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated fruit and vegetable harvesting technology, and more specifically, to an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot and harvesting method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, fruits and vegetables such as coconuts, pomelos, and durians are usually harvested manually after they ripen. This method is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also poses certain safety hazards, as it requires manual harvesting of fruits and vegetables that grow at high altitudes.

[0003] To address these issues, industry researchers have developed a series of new harvesting machines to replace manual harvesting. For example, some machines use vibration to cause fruit to fall naturally from the plant, while others install shears or saw blades at the ends of long poles to cut the fruit and vegetables off the tree and allow them to fall freely. These machines have improved harvesting efficiency and reduced the labor intensity during the harvesting process to some extent.

[0004] However, existing harvesting machinery still faces some technical challenges. For example, the opening and closing of the shears and the high-speed rotation of the saw blade can easily cut or saw through fruits, vegetables, and branches, resulting in damaged fruit and trees, affecting the integrity of the produce. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables that have been vibrated, cut, or sawn off fall directly to the ground, easily becoming damaged and covered in mud, causing not only losses but also hygiene and safety concerns. Moreover, fallen fruits and vegetables require manual picking, collection, and transportation, further increasing labor intensity and costs.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot and harvesting method to solve the problems existing in the current technology. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention proposes an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot and harvesting method, aiming to solve the problems in the current technology where the opening and closing of scissors and the high-speed rotation of the saw blade easily cut or saw off fruits, vegetables and branches, causing damage to the fruit and trees and affecting the integrity rate of fruits and vegetables. In addition, fruits and vegetables that are vibrated, cut or sawn directly fall to the ground, which are easily damaged and stick to the soil, causing losses and being detrimental to hygiene and safety.

[0007] In one aspect, the present invention proposes an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, comprising: Ground-based mobile device, harvesting arm, harvesting head, collection device, and control device; The harvesting arm is located on one side of the ground moving device, and the first end of the harvesting arm is fixedly connected to the top of the ground moving device. The second end of the harvesting arm is connected to the harvesting head. The harvesting arm can drive the harvesting head to approach or move away from the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. The collecting device is located on the other side of the ground moving device, and the first end of the collecting device is connected to the top of the ground moving device, and the second end of the collecting device is connected to the picking head, for collecting the fruits and vegetables to be picked; The control device is connected to the ground moving device, the picking arm, the picking head, and the collecting device.

[0008] Furthermore, the harvesting head includes: The picking seat and picking fingers; among them, The picking seat is connected to the second end of the picking arm, and the center of the picking seat has a picking hole that is connected to the collecting device. The picking fingers are numerous and arranged in a circumferential array outside the picking hole. The picking fingers can rotate around the connection point between themselves and the picking seat to grasp the fruits and vegetables to be picked.

[0009] Furthermore, the picking refers to: Fixed finger, movable finger, and spring component; among which, The first end of the fixed finger is fixedly connected to the picking seat; The movable finger is hinged to the second end of the fixed finger in a direction parallel to the tangent of the picking hole at one end of the movable finger, and the movable finger can extend toward the side of the picking hole at the other end of the fixed finger. The fixed finger is also provided with a limiting structure that supports and connects to the end of the movable finger near the fixed finger, so that the movable finger can only be flipped inward in a direction parallel to the surface of the picking seat. The spring is fixedly disposed between the fixed finger and the movable finger, and the connection position between the spring and the fixed finger is adjustable up and down to adjust the tension of the spring.

[0010] Furthermore, the collection device includes: Collection basket, flexible collection tube, and vibration mechanism; among which, The collection basket is located at the bottom of the ground moving device and is detachably connected to the ground moving device; The flexible collection tube is disposed between the collection basket and the picking seat, with one end of the flexible collection tube connected to the collection basket and the other end connected to the picking hole of the picking seat; The vibration mechanism is installed on the flexible collection tube and is used to vibrate the flexible collection tube.

[0011] Furthermore, the ground mobile device includes: The running gear, chassis, and first detector; among them, The chassis is connected to the traveling unit via a vibration damping mechanism; The first detector is mounted on the chassis and is used to acquire the operating environment information in front of the ground mobile device, and the control device controls the movement of the traveling unit based on the environmental information.

[0012] Furthermore, the harvesting arm includes: A multi-jointed, multi-axis robotic arm and a second detector; among which... The second detector is installed on the multi-joint serial multi-axis robotic arm or the picking head, and is used to collect fruit and vegetable image data of the fruit and vegetables to be picked in front of the picking head. The control device controls the movement of the multi-joint serial multi-axis robotic arm based on the fruit and vegetable image data.

[0013] Furthermore, the control device includes a first identification module connected to the first detector, a second identification module connected to the second detector, a movement control module connected to both the first identification module and the ground movement device, and a harvesting control module connected to both the second identification module and the harvesting arm.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot provided by this invention effectively avoids the drawbacks caused by the opening and closing of scissors and the high-speed rotation of saw blades in current technologies, greatly improving the integrity rate of fruits and vegetables. The unique design of the harvesting head makes the grasping of fruits and vegetables more precise and gentle, reducing damage to fruits, vegetables, and branches. The presence of the collection device prevents fruits and vegetables from falling directly to the ground, preventing them from being damaged or sticking to soil, thus reducing losses and ensuring the hygiene and safety of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, the various components of the robot work together, exhibiting a high degree of intelligence. The ground moving device can move autonomously according to the working environment information, the harvesting arm can move accurately based on the image data of fruits and vegetables, and the control device precisely regulates each part, making the entire harvesting process efficient and stable. This intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot improves harvesting efficiency while reducing labor costs, bringing a new solution to the fruit and vegetable harvesting industry, and has broad application prospects and market value.

[0015] In another aspect, the present invention also proposes a method for harvesting fruits and vegetables, comprising the following steps: Collect the working environment information in front of the ground mobile device, analyze the working environment information, and control the ground mobile device to move near the plants to be harvested based on the analysis results; Collect fruit and vegetable image data to be harvested, analyze the fruit and vegetable image data, and determine the harvesting parameters of the harvesting head based on the analysis results; The harvesting arm's movement is controlled based on the harvesting parameters.

[0016] Furthermore, when determining the harvesting parameters of the harvesting head based on the analysis results, the following are included: The fruit and vegetable image data is analyzed to obtain the shape feature values ​​of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested; The shape feature values ​​of the fruits and vegetables are compared with historical data, and the gripping force of the picking head is determined based on the comparison results. If there is a historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value in the historical data that is the same as the fruit and vegetable shape feature value, then the historical gripping force corresponding to the historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value shall be used as the gripping force. If there is no historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value that is the same as the fruit and vegetable shape feature value in the historical data, the gripping force is determined according to the fruit and vegetable shape feature value.

[0017] Furthermore, when determining the gripping force based on the shape characteristic values ​​of the fruits and vegetables, the following steps are included: The fruit and vegetable shape feature value is compared with the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value and the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value, and the gripping force is determined according to the comparison result; wherein, the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value is smaller than the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value; If the shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is less than the first shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable, the gripping force is determined to be the first gripping force. If the fruit and vegetable shape feature value is greater than or equal to the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value and less than the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value, the gripping force is determined to be the second gripping force. If the shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is greater than or equal to the second shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable, the gripping force is determined to be the third gripping force.

[0018] It is understandable that the aforementioned intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robots and harvesting methods have the same beneficial effects, and will not be elaborated upon here. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 According to Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the harvesting head of an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the picking fingers of an intelligent fruit and vegetable picking robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the harvesting method of an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1-Ground moving device, 11-Traveling part, 12-Chassis, 13-First detector; 2-Harvesting arm, 21-Second detector; 3-Harvesting head, 31-Harvesting seat, 311-Harvesting hole, 32-Harvesting finger, 321-Fixed finger, 322-Modible finger, 323-Spring component; 4-Collection device, 41-Collection basket, 42-Flexible collection tube; 5-Control device. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey its scope to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] See Figure 1-4 As shown in some embodiments of this application, this embodiment provides an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, including: Ground moving device 1, picking arm 2, picking head 3, collecting device 4, and control device 5; The picking arm 2 is set on one side of the ground moving device 1, and the first end of the picking arm 2 is fixedly connected to the top of the ground moving device 1. The second end of the picking arm 2 is connected to the picking head 3. The picking arm 2 can drive the picking head 3 to approach or move away from the fruits and vegetables to be picked. The collecting device 4 is set on the other side of the ground moving device 1, and the first end of the collecting device 4 is connected to the top of the ground moving device 1, and the second end of the collecting device 4 is connected to the picking head 3, for collecting the fruits and vegetables to be picked. The control device 5 is connected to the ground moving device 1, the picking arm 2, the picking head 3, and the collecting device 4.

[0023] It is understandable that the beneficial effect of the intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot provided in this embodiment lies in its ability to effectively avoid the drawbacks caused by the opening and closing of scissors and the high-speed rotation of saw blades in current technologies, greatly improving the integrity rate of fruits and vegetables. The unique design of the harvesting head 3 makes it more precise and gentle when grasping fruits and vegetables, reducing damage to fruits, vegetables and branches. The presence of the collection device 4 prevents fruits and vegetables from falling directly to the ground, preventing them from being damaged or sticking to soil, thus reducing losses and ensuring the hygiene and safety of fruits and vegetables. At the same time, the various components of the robot work together and have a high degree of intelligence. The ground moving device 1 can move autonomously according to the working environment information, the harvesting arm 2 can move accurately according to the image data of fruits and vegetables, and the control device 5 can precisely control each part, making the entire harvesting process efficient and stable. This intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot can improve harvesting efficiency while reducing labor costs, bringing a new solution to the fruit and vegetable harvesting industry, and has broad application prospects and market value.

[0024] Specifically, the first three harvests include: Picking seat 31 and picking finger 32; among which, The picking seat 31 is connected to the second end of the picking arm 2, and the center of the picking seat 31 is provided with a picking hole 311 connected to the collecting device 4; There are several picking fingers 32, which are arranged in a circumferential array on the outside of the picking hole 311. The picking fingers 32 can rotate around the connection point with the picking seat 31 to grasp the fruits and vegetables to be picked.

[0025] Understandably, this picking finger 32 gives the picking head 3 excellent flexibility and adaptability when grasping fruits and vegetables. The picking finger 32 can adjust its position and angle by rotating to closely adhere to the surface of fruits and vegetables of different sizes and shapes, achieving a stable grip. Moreover, the force applied by the picking finger 32 during rotation can be precisely controlled according to the characteristics of the fruits and vegetables. For softer fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries and grapes, it can grip them gently to avoid damage; for harder fruits and vegetables, such as apples and pears, it provides sufficient gripping force to ensure a firm hold. During the harvesting process, once the picking finger 32 grasps the fruit or vegetable to be harvested, the control device 5 precisely controls the movement of the picking arm 2 based on the position and condition of the fruit or vegetable. The picking arm 2 then drives the picking head 3 to lift or rotate upwards, utilizing the fruit's own growth characteristics and the vulnerable points at the connection points to separate the fruit or vegetable from the branch. At this point, the picking hole 311 comes into play. The separated fruits and vegetables fall directly into the collection device 4 through the picking hole 311. The whole process is smooth and efficient, further ensuring the integrity and hygiene of the fruits and vegetables.

[0026] Specifically, picking refers to 32, which includes: Fixed finger 321, movable finger 322, and spring 323; wherein, The first end of the fixed finger 321 is fixedly connected to the picking seat 31; The movable finger 322 is hinged to the second end of the fixed finger 321 at one end near the fixed finger 321 in a direction parallel to the tangent of the picking hole 311, and the movable finger 322 can extend toward the side of the picking hole 311 at the other end away from the fixed finger 321. The fixed finger 321 is also provided with a limiting structure that supports and connects to the end of the movable finger 322 near the fixed finger 321, so that the movable finger 322 can only be flipped inward in a direction parallel to the surface of the picking seat 31. The spring element 323 is fixedly disposed between the fixed finger 321 and the movable finger 322, and the connection position between the spring element 323 and the fixed finger 321 can be adjusted up and down to adjust the tension of the spring element 323.

[0027] Understandably, the structure of the picking finger 32 further enhances the performance of the picking head 3 in grasping fruits and vegetables. The adjustable tension of the spring 323 allows for flexible adjustment of the grasping force of the picking finger 32 for different fruits and vegetables. For fruits and vegetables requiring greater grasping force, the spring 323 can be tightened to increase the rotation resistance of the movable finger 322, thus enabling the movable finger 322 to provide a stronger grip; while for more delicate fruits and vegetables, the spring 323 can be loosened, allowing the movable finger 322 to contact and grasp the fruits and vegetables with a gentler force. The limiting structure ensures that the movement direction of the movable finger 322 is limited to inward rotation. This allows the movable finger 322 to accurately approach the picking hole 311 when grasping fruits and vegetables, avoiding unnecessary shaking and deviation, and improving the accuracy and stability of the grasp. When the picking fingers 32 approach the fruits and vegetables to be picked, the movable fingers 322 naturally open at a certain angle under the action of the spring 323 to better adapt to the shape of the fruits and vegetables. Upon contact with the fruits and vegetables, the movable fingers 322 will adaptively rotate according to their size and shape, and the spring 323 will provide elastic support, allowing the movable fingers 322 to closely adhere to the surface of the fruits and vegetables. During the grasping process, this structure of the picking fingers 32 can also effectively disperse the grasping force, avoiding excessive pressure on any part of the fruit or vegetable and causing damage. For fruits and vegetables with irregular surfaces, the movable fingers 322 can achieve multi-point contact with the surface through their rotation and adjustment, applying a uniform grasping force and ensuring the integrity of the fruit or vegetable during the grasping process. Simultaneously, since the rotation of the movable fingers 322 is based on the elastic action of the spring 323, after the picking is completed, the movable fingers 322 will quickly return to their initial state under the rebound action of the spring 323, preparing for the next picking. This automatic reset function improves the working efficiency of the picking head 3, enabling the entire picking process to proceed continuously and efficiently. Furthermore, the simple and reliable structural design of the picking fingers 32 facilitates maintenance and parts replacement, reducing the robot's operating costs and maintenance difficulty, and further enhancing the practicality and economy of the intelligent fruit and vegetable picking robot.

[0028] Specifically, the collection device 4 includes: Collection basket 41, flexible collection tube 42, and vibration mechanism; among which, The collection basket 41 is located at the bottom of the ground moving device 1 and is detachably connected to the ground moving device 1; A flexible collection tube 42 is installed between the collection basket 41 and the picking seat 31. One end of the flexible collection tube 42 is connected to the collection basket 41, and the other end is connected to the picking hole 311 of the picking seat 31. The vibration mechanism is installed on the flexible collection tube 42 and is used to vibrate the flexible collection tube 42.

[0029] Understandably, the collection device 4 significantly improves the effectiveness and efficiency of fruit and vegetable collection. A key highlight is the vibration mechanism, which vibrates the flexible collection tube 42, effectively preventing fruits and vegetables from clogging the tube during their descent. During actual harvesting, fruits and vegetables of different sizes and shapes enter the flexible collection tube 42 through the picking hole 311 and may accumulate due to mutual compression or friction against the inner wall of the tube. The vibration mechanism applies timely vibration to the flexible collection tube 42, reducing friction between the fruits and vegetables and allowing them to slide more smoothly into the collection basket 41. The flexible collection tube 42 is made of a material with good flexibility; it can bend and deform within a certain range, better adapting to the movement of the picking arm 2 and the picking head 3. When the picking arm 2 moves the picking head 3 to different positions for fruit and vegetable harvesting, the flexible collection tube 42 can adjust its shape accordingly to the position of the picking head 3, ensuring that the fruits and vegetables can smoothly enter the collection basket 41 from the picking hole 311 without the rigidity of the tube affecting the harvesting process. The collection basket 41 is detachably connected to the ground moving device 1, a design that facilitates subsequent processing of fruits and vegetables. Once the collection basket 41 is full, it can be easily detached from the ground moving device 1 for transfer and storage. This also facilitates cleaning and maintenance of the collection basket 41, maintaining the hygiene of the collection device 4 and ensuring the quality of the fruits and vegetables is not affected. Furthermore, the presence of the collection device 4 further reduces manual intervention. In traditional fruit and vegetable harvesting, frequent manual collection and handling of harvested fruits and vegetables is not only inefficient but also prone to damage. The collection device 4 of the intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot can automatically complete the collection work, reducing labor costs and intensity, and improving the automation and intelligence level of the entire harvesting process.

[0030] Specifically, the ground mobile device 1 includes: The vehicle body 11, chassis 12, and first detector 13; among which, The chassis 12 is connected to the traveling section 11 via a vibration damping mechanism; The first detector 13 is mounted on the chassis 12 and is used to acquire the working environment information in front of the ground mobile device 1. The control device 5 controls the movement of the traveling unit 11 based on the environmental information.

[0031] In this embodiment, the traveling part 11 is preferably a traveling wheel or a track.

[0032] Understandably, the ground mobile device 1 fully considers the working environment and the robot's mobility requirements. The chassis 12 is connected to the traveling unit 11 via a vibration damping mechanism, a design that effectively reduces vibrations generated during movement. In actual orchard or farmland environments, ground conditions are often complex and varied, potentially including potholes, bumps, and other uneven surfaces. When the traveling unit 11 (such as the traveling wheels or tracks) moves on such ground, vibrations are inevitable. The vibration damping mechanism absorbs and buffers these vibrations, ensuring the stability of the chassis 12, and thus ensuring that other components mounted on the chassis 12, such as the picking arm 2 and the collecting device 4, are not affected by vibrations and thus do not affect their normal operation. This is crucial for improving the robot's picking accuracy and stability, reducing the risk of picking errors and equipment damage caused by vibrations. The first detector 13 is mounted on the chassis 12, and it can acquire information about the working environment in front of the ground mobile device 1. This information includes, but is not limited to, whether there are obstacles ahead, the slope of the ground, and the distribution of surrounding vegetation. Based on this environmental information, the control device 5 controls the movement of the traveling unit 11, enabling the robot to flexibly adjust its direction and speed according to the actual environment.

[0033] Specifically, harvesting arm 2 includes: A multi-joint, multi-axis robotic arm and a second detector 21; wherein, The second detector 21 is installed on the multi-joint serial multi-axis robotic arm or the picking head 3 to collect fruit and vegetable image data of the fruit and vegetables to be picked in front of the picking head 3, and the control device 5 controls the movement of the multi-joint serial multi-axis robotic arm based on the fruit and vegetable image data.

[0034] Specifically, the control device 5 includes a first identification module connected to the first detector 13, a second identification module connected to the second detector 21, a mobile control module connected to both the first identification module and the ground mobile device 1, and a harvesting control module connected to both the second identification module and the harvesting arm 2.

[0035] Understandably, the various modules of the control device 5 work together to enable the intelligent fruit and vegetable picking robot to complete the picking task efficiently and accurately. The first recognition module receives the working environment information from the first detector 13, analyzes and processes it, and then transmits the results to the motion control module. Based on this information, the motion control module precisely controls the movement of the traveling part 11 of the ground moving device 1, enabling the robot to flexibly avoid obstacles, adapt to different terrains and vegetation distributions, and move safely and efficiently in orchards or farmlands. The second recognition module is responsible for processing the image data of the fruits and vegetables to be picked collected by the second detector 21. It can identify key information such as the location, size, and maturity of the fruits and vegetables and transmit this data to the picking control module. Based on this information, the picking control module precisely controls the movement of the multi-joint tandem multi-axis robotic arm, allowing the picking head 3 to accurately approach the fruits and vegetables to be picked, achieving efficient and accurate picking.

[0036] See Figure 5 As shown in some embodiments of this application, this embodiment provides a method for harvesting fruits and vegetables, including the following steps: S100: Collect the working environment information in front of the ground mobile device, analyze the working environment information, and control the ground mobile device to move near the plant to be harvested based on the analysis result; S200: Collect image data of fruits and vegetables to be harvested, analyze the image data, and determine the harvesting parameters of the harvesting head based on the analysis results; S300: Control the movement of the harvesting arm based on the harvesting parameters.

[0037] Understandably, the operational environment information includes terrain, vegetation, and obstacle location information. Analyzing this information allows the robot to clearly understand the specific conditions of its environment. For terrain information, such as slope gradient and the presence of potholes, the robot can adjust its movement posture and speed to ensure stable movement across different terrains. Vegetation and obstacle location information helps the robot plan its route and avoid collisions with plants or obstacles.

[0038] Specifically, when determining the harvesting parameters of the harvesting head based on the analysis results, the following are included: The fruit and vegetable image data is analyzed to obtain the shape feature values ​​of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested; The shape feature values ​​of the fruits and vegetables are compared with historical data, and the gripping force of the picking head is determined based on the comparison results. If there is a historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value in the historical data that is the same as the fruit and vegetable shape feature value, then the historical gripping force corresponding to the historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value shall be used as the gripping force. If there is no historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value that is the same as the fruit and vegetable shape feature value in the historical data, the gripping force is determined according to the fruit and vegetable shape feature value.

[0039] In this embodiment, the preferred shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is its perimeter. The perimeter reflects the overall size and outline of the fruit and vegetable, and fruits and vegetables with different perimeters require different wrapping forces when grasped.

[0040] Understandably, determining the gripping force of the harvesting head by comparing the shape characteristics of fruits and vegetables with historical data is a scientific and effective method. Historical data is a summary of experience accumulated from extensive actual harvesting, recording the optimal gripping force applicable to fruits and vegetables with different shapes. When historical data for the same shape characteristics exists, directly using the corresponding historical gripping force ensures the accuracy and stability of harvesting, avoiding damage to fruits and vegetables or inadequate gripping due to improper force. Conversely, when no historical data contains the same shape characteristics, determining the gripping force based on the shape characteristics of the fruits and vegetables demonstrates the flexibility and adaptability of the harvesting method.

[0041] Specifically, determining the gripping force based on the shape characteristic values ​​of the fruits and vegetables includes: The fruit and vegetable shape feature value is compared with the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value and the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value, and the gripping force is determined according to the comparison result; wherein, the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value is smaller than the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value; If the shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is less than the first shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable, the gripping force is determined to be the first gripping force. If the fruit and vegetable shape feature value is greater than or equal to the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value and less than the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value, the gripping force is determined to be the second gripping force. If the shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is greater than or equal to the second shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable, the gripping force is determined to be the third gripping force.

[0042] Understandably, the gripping force should be categorized as follows: First gripping force < Second gripping force < Third gripping force. This grading of gripping force is both reasonable and necessary. For fruits and vegetables with shape characteristic values ​​smaller than the first shape characteristic value, they are typically smaller and more fragile. A smaller first gripping force can prevent damage from excessive force, ensuring the integrity of the fruits and vegetables. When the shape characteristic value falls between the first and second shape characteristic values, these fruits and vegetables are of moderate size and texture. A second gripping force can ensure a firm grip without excessive compression. For larger fruits and vegetables with shape characteristic values ​​greater than or equal to the second shape characteristic value, their structure is relatively more robust, requiring a larger third gripping force for stable gripping to prevent them from falling during harvesting. By grading gripping force based on fruit and vegetable shape characteristic values, intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robots can more accurately adapt to the characteristics of different fruits and vegetables, improving harvesting success rates and fruit and vegetable quality. During actual harvesting, the robot can quickly and accurately match the corresponding gripping force based on the real-time acquired shape characteristics of the fruits and vegetables, achieving efficient and intelligent harvesting operations. This scientific force grading mechanism further enhances the automation and intelligence of the entire harvesting process, reduces the need for manual adjustment and intervention, and lowers labor costs and intensity.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program goods. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program goods on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0044] This application is described with flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program goods according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0045] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0046] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot, characterized in that, include: Ground-based mobile device, harvesting arm, harvesting head, collection device, and control device; The harvesting arm is located on one side of the ground moving device, and the first end of the harvesting arm is fixedly connected to the top of the ground moving device. The second end of the harvesting arm is connected to the harvesting head. The harvesting arm can drive the harvesting head to approach or move away from the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. The collecting device is located on the other side of the ground moving device, and the first end of the collecting device is connected to the top of the ground moving device, and the second end of the collecting device is connected to the picking head, for collecting the fruits and vegetables to be picked; The control device is connected to the ground moving device, the picking arm, the picking head, and the collecting device.

2. The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The harvesting head includes: The picking seat and picking fingers; among them, The picking seat is connected to the second end of the picking arm, and the center of the picking seat has a picking hole that is connected to the collecting device. The picking fingers are numerous and arranged in a circumferential array outside the picking hole. The picking fingers can rotate around the connection point between themselves and the picking seat to grasp the fruits and vegetables to be picked.

3. The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The harvesting refers to: Fixed finger, movable finger, and spring component; among which, The first end of the fixed finger is fixedly connected to the picking seat; The movable finger is hinged to the second end of the fixed finger in a direction parallel to the tangent of the picking hole at one end of the movable finger, and the movable finger can extend toward the side of the picking hole at the other end of the fixed finger. The fixed finger is also provided with a limiting structure that supports and connects to the end of the movable finger near the fixed finger, so that the movable finger can only be flipped inward in a direction parallel to the surface of the picking seat. The spring is fixedly disposed between the fixed finger and the movable finger, and the connection position between the spring and the fixed finger is adjustable up and down to adjust the tension of the spring.

4. The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The collection device includes: Collection basket, flexible collection tube, and vibration mechanism; among which, The collection basket is located at the bottom of the ground moving device and is detachably connected to the ground moving device; The flexible collection tube is disposed between the collection basket and the picking seat, with one end of the flexible collection tube connected to the collection basket and the other end connected to the picking hole of the picking seat; The vibration mechanism is installed on the flexible collection tube and is used to vibrate the flexible collection tube.

5. The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The ground mobile device includes: The running gear, chassis, and first detector; among them, The chassis is connected to the traveling unit via a vibration damping mechanism; The first detector is mounted on the chassis and is used to acquire the operating environment information in front of the ground mobile device, and the control device controls the movement of the traveling unit based on the environmental information.

6. The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The harvesting arm includes: A multi-jointed, multi-axis robotic arm and a second detector; among which... The second detector is installed on the multi-joint serial multi-axis robotic arm or the picking head, and is used to collect fruit and vegetable image data of the fruit and vegetables to be picked in front of the picking head. The control device controls the movement of the multi-joint serial multi-axis robotic arm based on the fruit and vegetable image data.

7. The intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The control device includes a first identification module connected to the first detector, a second identification module connected to the second detector, a movement control module connected to both the first identification module and the ground movement device, and a harvesting control module connected to both the second identification module and the harvesting arm.

8. A method for harvesting fruits and vegetables, applied in an intelligent fruit and vegetable harvesting robot as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: Collect the working environment information in front of the ground mobile device, analyze the working environment information, and control the ground mobile device to move near the plants to be harvested based on the analysis results; Collect fruit and vegetable image data to be harvested, analyze the fruit and vegetable image data, and determine the harvesting parameters of the harvesting head based on the analysis results; The harvesting arm's movement is controlled based on the harvesting parameters.

9. The fruit and vegetable harvesting method according to claim 8, characterized in that, When determining the harvesting parameters of the harvesting head based on the analysis results, the following are included: The fruit and vegetable image data is analyzed to obtain the shape feature values ​​of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested; The shape feature values ​​of the fruits and vegetables are compared with historical data, and the gripping force of the picking head is determined based on the comparison results. If there is a historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value in the historical data that is the same as the fruit and vegetable shape feature value, then the historical gripping force corresponding to the historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value shall be used as the gripping force. If there is no historical fruit and vegetable shape feature value that is the same as the fruit and vegetable shape feature value in the historical data, the gripping force is determined according to the fruit and vegetable shape feature value.

10. The fruit and vegetable harvesting method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Determining the gripping force based on the shape characteristics of the fruits and vegetables includes: The fruit and vegetable shape feature value is compared with the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value and the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value, and the gripping force is determined according to the comparison result; wherein, the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value is smaller than the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value; If the shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is less than the first shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable, the gripping force is determined to be the first gripping force. If the fruit and vegetable shape feature value is greater than or equal to the first fruit and vegetable shape feature value and less than the second fruit and vegetable shape feature value, the gripping force is determined to be the second gripping force. If the shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable is greater than or equal to the second shape feature value of the fruit and vegetable, the gripping force is determined to be the third gripping force.

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