An automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device based on square nested scallop cages and its application

Abstract

This invention discloses an automated seedling separation and cage loading device and its application based on square nested scallop cages. The device includes a frame, a conveying system, a string of square nested, quick-connect, stitchless scallop cages consisting of a single scallop cage head and one or more conventional scallop cage units, a crane system for hoisting the string of square nested, quick-connect, stitchless scallop cages, a seedling separation system installed in the middle of the frame, a robotic arm picking and nesting system located below the seedling separation system, and a three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system. After the individual scallop cages are input, they are positioned by the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system, identified and picked up by the robotic arm, and quantitatively packaged into individual scallop cages. The individual scallop cages are then nested and secured one by one below the crane system. This invention automates the seedling separation and cage loading process in raft-type cage aquaculture production, completely eliminating the need for manual seedling separation and sewing, greatly improving operational efficiency, reducing seedling drying time, and increasing seedling survival rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fishery engineering equipment, specifically to an automated seedling separation and cage loading device based on square nested scallop cages, and also to the application of the automated seedling separation and cage loading device. Background Technology

[0002] Raft cage culture is one of the main production methods in marine ranching. It uses cages with different compartments to cultivate different types of aquatic products such as scallops, oysters, pearl oysters, and sea cucumbers. Since scallops are the primary species, they are generally referred to as scallop cages. During raft cage culture, the production process involves sorting and packing the scallops into cages at different sizes, as well as harvesting. In these situations, traditional production methods require manual labor to open or sew the scallop cages, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, inefficient, and cannot be automated. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automated seedling separation and cage loading device and its application based on square nested scallop cages, which greatly improves the efficiency of seedling separation and cage loading in hanging cage culture, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device based on square nested, sewn-free scallop cages, comprising a frame; the device further comprising:

[0005] The conveying system is installed on one side of the frame;

[0006] Square nested quick-connection, stitch-free scallop cage string;

[0007] The overhead crane system for hoisting square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cages is installed at the top of the frame;

[0008] A seedling separation system installed in the middle of the frame;

[0009] A robotic arm picking and nesting system is located below the seedling separation system;

[0010] And a three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above solution, an anti-detachment block is fixedly installed on the frame.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the overhead crane system and the conveying system are located on both sides of the seedling separation system. The conveying system consists of a front toothed conveyor belt and a rear toothed conveyor belt, which are used to receive conventional scallop cages with their openings facing upwards.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above solution, the square nested quick-connection stitchless scallop cage string is composed of a cage head scallop cage and one or more conventional scallop cage units nested together.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above solution, the conventional scallop cage unit consists of a square rigid ring covered with a net, which is stretched into an inverted frustum shape without a top.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above solution, four O-rings with soft magnets are fixed at the positions of the mesh opening of the conventional scallop cage directly opposite the corners of the square rigid ring. The four O-rings correspond to the four corners of the square rigid ring.

[0016] As a further improvement to the above solution, a flexible mesh is interspersed in the mesh opening of the conventional scallop cage, and a double-hole drawstring buckle is installed on the flexible mesh.

[0017] As a further improvement to the above solution, the robotic arm picking and nesting system includes a front slide rail and a rear slide rail mounted parallel to each other in the middle of the frame, a front slide rail slidably mounted on the front slide rail, a rear slide rail slidably mounted on the rear slide rail, and five waterproof flexible robotic arms.

[0018] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the five waterproof flexible robotic arms are designated as the first waterproof flexible robotic arm, the second waterproof flexible robotic arm, the third waterproof flexible robotic arm, the fourth waterproof flexible robotic arm, and the fifth waterproof flexible robotic arm; wherein the first and second waterproof flexible robotic arms are both mounted on the rear slide bar, and the third, fourth, and fifth waterproof flexible robotic arms are all mounted on the front slide bar.

[0019] As a further improvement to the above scheme, the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system is composed of a three-dimensional box array of magnetic sensors.

[0020] As a further improvement to the above solution, the seedling separation system includes a seedling storage bin fixedly installed in the middle of the frame and a seedling quantitative dispensing module fixedly installed at the discharge port of the seedling storage bin.

[0021] A method for cage-packing seedlings using the aforementioned automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device includes the following steps:

[0022] S1 debugging and setting up of the control system;

[0023] S2 is installed with a scallop cage at the head;

[0024] S3 conveys standard scallop cage units;

[0025] S4 dispenses an appropriate amount of seafood seedlings into a regular scallop cage.

[0026] S5 performs nesting and snapping on the conventional scallop cages processed by S4 to obtain scallop cage strings.

[0027] S6 lifts the scallop cage string that has undergone the snap-fit ​​process in S5.

[0028] S7 repeats S3~S6, attaching more regular scallop cage units one by one until the square nested quick-connect scallop cage string reaches the predetermined number of layers.

[0029] S8 repeats S3~S7 to complete the batch snapping of square nested quick-connect scallop cage strings without sewing.

[0030] Application of an automated seedling separation and cage-loading device based on square nested scallop cages in the separation and cage-loading operation of adult scallops in marine aquaculture.

[0031] Application of an automated seedling separation and cage-loading device based on square nested scallop cages in the separation and cage-loading operation of adult oysters in nearshore terrestrial aquaculture.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0033] 1. A fully automated seedling packaging and production process for hanging cage culture is proposed. It is based on the layer-by-layer nesting connection method between adjacent upper and lower layers of square nested quick-connection scallop cages without sewing. It completely eliminates the need for manual seedling packaging and sewing, saving human resources and greatly improving work efficiency.

[0034] 2. Through a fully automated operation process, the waiting time for seedlings to be packaged is greatly reduced, the time the seedlings are exposed to the water surface is greatly reduced, and the survival rate of the seedlings is improved.

[0035] 3. The device is simple and compact, and can be installed on production vessels, eliminating the need to transport seedlings to the shore and then transport them back to the sea operation site after repackaging, which greatly saves the operation time of repackaging and cage-loading seedlings for cage culture. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic of the device of the present invention. In the diagram, A indicates a conventional scallop cage that is picked up by the robotic arm and the nesting system.

[0037] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic of a scallop cage being fed into the conveying system of this invention.

[0038] Figure 3 The diagram shows a robotic arm picking and nesting system in this invention picking up a single scallop cage.

[0039] Figure 4The diagram shows the quantitative distribution of seedlings into individual scallop cages using the seedling distribution system of this invention.

[0040] Figure 5 The diagram shows the robotic arm picking up and nesting system of the present invention, in which individual scallop cages are nested and snapped together.

[0041] Figure 6 The diagram shows a miniature winch mechanism located at the end of the fifth waterproof flexible manipulator in this invention. The left diagram indicates that the winch mechanism clamp is in the open state, the right diagram indicates that the winch mechanism clamp is in the closed state, and B in the diagram indicates the flexible wire mesh.

[0042] Explanation of main component symbols

[0043] 1. Frame; 2. Scallop cage head; 3. Standard scallop cage unit; 4. O-ring lifting buckle; 5. Double-hole drawstring buckle; 6. Overhead crane system; 7. Anti-detachment block; 8. Front toothed conveyor belt; 9. Rear toothed conveyor belt; 10. Front slide rail; 11. Rear slide rail; 12. Front slide; 13. Rear slide; 14. First waterproof flexible manipulator; 15. Second waterproof flexible manipulator; 16. Third waterproof flexible manipulator; 17. Fourth waterproof flexible manipulator; 18. Fifth waterproof flexible manipulator; 19. Three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system; 20. Magnetic field emitter and sensor; 21. Double-claw dexterous hand; 22. Seedling storage bin; 23. Seedling quantitative dispensing module; 24. Left arm; 25. Double-claw dexterous hand base; 26. Right claw; 27. Right arm; 28. Right gripper; 29. ​​Left gripper; 30. Left claw; 31. Winch drive motor.

[0044] The above description of the main component symbols, together with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a more detailed explanation of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. It should be understood that the following description is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0046] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] Please see Figure 1-5This embodiment provides an automated seedling separation and cage loading device based on square nested scallop cages without sewing, which is suitable for aquaculture production processes using hanging cages. The automated seedling separation and cage loading device includes a frame 1, a conveying system installed on one side of the frame 1, square nested quick-connecting scallop cage strings without sewing, a crane system 6 for hoisting the square nested quick-connecting scallop cage strings without sewing, a seedling separation system installed in the middle of the frame 1, a robotic arm picking and nesting system located below the seedling separation system, and a three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19.

[0049] In this embodiment, the frame 1 is a cuboid frame structure, made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel coated with epoxy resin or other anti-corrosion coatings. The main frame is reinforced with multiple triangular intersecting chord ribs. If the overall straightened length of the square nested quick-connect seamless scallop cage to be cultured is L, then the height of the frame 1 must be at least approximately 1.5L. If the side length of the square nested quick-connect seamless scallop cage to be cultured is R (i.e., the side length of the square rigid ring), then the length of the frame 1 must be no less than 5R, and the width must be no less than 2R, to provide sufficient space for the installation of other subsystems. The frame 1 has sufficient strength and anti-overturning capacity, with an anti-overturning tensile force of no less than 400kg, and can be fixedly installed on aquaculture production vessels or other operating sites.

[0050] This embodiment of the square nested quick-connect stitchless scallop cage string consists of a scallop head cage 2 and one or more conventional scallop cage units 3, which are sequentially nested and connected by a robotic arm and a nesting system. In this embodiment, the conventional scallop cage unit 3 consists of a square rigid ring covered with a mesh. The mesh is spread out to form a topless inverted frustum shape. Four O-ring buckles 4 with soft magnets are fixed at the positions of the mesh openings of the conventional scallop cage unit 3, directly opposite the corners of the square rigid ring. The four O-ring buckles 4 correspond to the four corners of the square rigid ring. A flexible mesh is interspersed within the mesh opening of a standard scallop cage unit 3. The flexible mesh is equipped with a double-hole drawstring buckle 5, which is used to tighten or loosen the flexible mesh. The length of the locked flexible mesh 5 is adjusted via the double-hole drawstring buckle to control the circumference of the mesh opening. A soft magnet is incorporated into the double-hole drawstring buckle. The specific nesting and disassembly methods between adjacent scallop cages have been addressed in a related application (application titled "A Square Nested Quick-Connect Sewing-Free Scallop Cage"), and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0051] The overhead crane system 6 is installed at the top of the frame 1. Below the overhead crane system 6 is the hoisting space for the entire scallop cage. The overhead crane system 6 used in this embodiment is a customized, mature, small-scale overhead crane system. Its hook has three-dimensional movement capability, that is, it can move vertically, horizontally, and rotate, and the movement adjustment accuracy in any dimension is not less than 2mm, and the rotation adjustment accuracy is not less than 2° (360° per revolution). The hook load capacity of the overhead crane system 6 is not less than 200kg, and the extension length of the hoisting rope of the overhead crane system 6 is not less than the length of the entire square nested quick-connect seamless scallop cage when straightened. The frame 1 is fixedly installed with an anti-detachment block 7. In this embodiment, part of the top long beam of the frame 1 also serves as a guide rail for the horizontal movement of the overhead crane system 6, and the anti-detachment block 7 is fixed on the guide rail to limit the horizontal movement range of the overhead crane system 6 and prevent the overhead crane system 6 from detaching from the frame 1.

[0052] The overhead crane system 6 and the conveyor system are located on either side of the seedling separation system. The conveyor system is used to input conventional scallop cage units 3, and it consists of a front toothed conveyor belt 8 and a rear toothed conveyor belt 9. It is used to receive conventional scallop cage units 3 with their openings facing upwards and transport them to a suitable position for the robotic arm to pick up and the nesting system to pick up. The distance between the front toothed conveyor belt 8 and the rear toothed conveyor belt 9 is slightly less than the side length R of the square rigid ring, so that the double-row conveyor belts can receive the conventional scallop cage units 3 and transport them in the seedling separation direction. In this embodiment, both the front toothed conveyor belt 8 and the rear toothed conveyor belt 9 have relatively coarse serrations. Assuming that the side length of the scallop cage mesh to be used is L0, the tooth height and tooth pitch of the conveyor belt serrations are not greater than L0, so that the serrations of the conveyor belt can extend from the scallop cage mesh to receive the scallop cage units. The front toothed conveyor belt 8 and the rear toothed conveyor belt 9 move synchronously at the same speed to transport the received conventional scallop cage units 3 to a suitable position.

[0053] The robotic arm picking and nesting system includes a front slide rail 10 and a rear slide rail 11 mounted parallel to each other in the middle of the frame 1, a front slide rail 12 slidably mounted on the front slide rail 10, a rear slide rail 13 slidably mounted on the rear slide rail 11, and five waterproof flexible robotic arms. In this embodiment, the two slide rails slide synchronously and controllably on the rails, each waterproof flexible robotic arm has a load-bearing capacity of not less than 20 kg, and soft magnetic beacons are installed on the slide rails.

[0054] The waterproof flexible robotic arm involved in this embodiment is a mature robotic arm technology. The main body of the waterproof flexible robotic arm consists of a flexible arm, a magnetic field emitter and sensor 20, and a dual-claw dexterous hand 21. The waterproof flexible robotic arm is electrically driven, and its control and power supply are integrated into the central control system of the overall device. The flexible arm can move freely, the magnetic field emitter and sensor 20 identifies O-ring buckles 4 and double-hole drawstring buckles 5 with soft magnets, and the dual-claw dexterous hand 21 picks up the O-ring buckles 4 and double-hole drawstring buckles 5.

[0055] The five waterproof flexible robotic arms are designated as follows: First Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 14, Second Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 15, Third Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 16, Fourth Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 17, and Fifth Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 18. The First Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 14 and Second Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 15 are both mounted on the rear slide bar 13, while the Third Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 16, Fourth Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 17, and Fifth Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 18 are all mounted on the front slide bar 12. In this embodiment, the First Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 14, Second Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 15, Third Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 16, and Fourth Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 17 correspondingly pick up the four O-ring hooks 4 on the conventional scallop cage unit 3, and the Fifth Waterproof Flexible Robotic Arm 18 picks up the double-hole drawstring hook 5. Please refer to the relevant documentation. Figure 6 The fifth waterproof flexible manipulator 18 has a micro winch mechanism with a gripper at the end of its double-claw dexterous hand 21 via a double-claw dexterous hand base 25. This mechanism is used to grip and wind up the soft netting of the scallop cage 3, or to rotate in the opposite direction to release the soft netting of the scallop cage 3. To accommodate the gripping of the soft netting, in actual use, when the gripper plane is perpendicular to the plane of the double-claw dexterous hand, the openings of the left and right grippers of the micro winch mechanism are also perpendicular to each other.

[0056] In this embodiment, the dual-claw dexterous hand 21 has a right claw 26 and a left claw 30. The right claw 26 and the left claw 30 cooperate to grip and release the double-hole drawstring 5. The miniature winch mechanism has a clamp composed of a left arm 24 and a right arm 27, with a left gripper 29 mounted on the left arm 24 and a right gripper 28 mounted on the right arm 27. The miniature winch mechanism also has a winch drive motor 31 for driving the winch. When the two claws are engaged, their left and right grippers are perpendicular to each other and engaged in a trident shape. At least one of the trident-shaped grippers passes through the end of the flexible netting. By operating the winch drive motor 31, the engaged trident grippers rotate to tighten the flexible netting, and by rotating in the opposite direction, the flexible netting is released.

[0057] The three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, composed of a three-dimensional box array of magnetic sensors, is located in the middle of the frame 1. The robotic arm picking and nesting system is positioned, operated, and controlled within the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19. In the actual design, the magnetic sensors, such as Hall sensors, fluxmeters, magnetometers, magnetoresistive meters, or other suitable magnetic sensors, are constructed into a three-dimensional array with appropriate spacing, thereby forming a local three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, providing the control system with the specific position coordinates of each moving device with a soft magnetic beacon.

[0058] The specific process is as follows: In the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, the soft magnets on the O-ring pull tab 4 and the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 can be clearly identified and located by the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, thereby controlling the system to issue instructions to five waterproof flexible robotic arms to pick up the nearest O-ring pull tab 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle 5. During the approach to the O-ring pull tab 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle, the magnetic field emitter and sensor 20 at the front end of the waterproof flexible robotic arm magnetizes the soft magnet in the O-ring pull tab 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle, thereby attracting the O-ring pull tab 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle, that is, lifting the O-ring pull tab 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle 5 from the netting of the corresponding conventional scallop cage unit 3. Furthermore, the double-claw dexterous hand 21 at the front end of the waterproof flexible robotic arm accurately picks up the O-ring pull tab 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle 5 after identifying and magnetizing the soft magnet, avoiding entanglement of the netting or incorrect pickup.

[0059] The seedling separation system includes a seedling storage bin 22 fixedly installed in the middle of the frame 1, and a seedling quantitative dispensing module 23 fixedly installed at the discharge port of the seedling storage bin 22. In this embodiment, the seedling storage bin 22 is located on one side of the overhead crane system 6, and stores the seedlings of the target species. The seedling storage bin 22 also provides necessary temporary holding conditions for the seedlings, such as water supply, watering, or aeration. The seedling quantitative dispensing module 23 can be customized as a mature weight dispensing device with a dispensing accuracy of not less than 1g, which will not be described in detail here. When the conventional scallop cage 3 is picked up by the robotic arm system and transported directly below the seedling separation system, the operation of the robotic arm system is paused, and the seedling quantitative dispensing module 23 is activated to load the conventional scallop cage 3 with the set amount of target species seedlings.

[0060] The conventional scallop cage unit 3, already loaded with seedlings of the designated rearing species, is transported by a robotic arm system to the overhead crane system 6 directly below the nested scallop cage string, where a nesting and locking action is performed. Specifically: First, the robotic arm that picks up the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 presses its two locking heads to unlock it. Four O-rings 4 then open the conventional scallop cage unit 3, making the mesh opening slightly larger than the square rigid ring, allowing it to smoothly fit into the bottom square rigid ring of the previous scallop cage. Next, the winch mechanism of the robotic arm that picks up the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 clamps and winds to tighten the flexible mesh of the picked-up conventional scallop cage unit 3, ensuring that the perimeter of the flexible mesh is less than the perimeter of the square rigid ring at the bottom of the previous scallop cage by 2c. When the length exceeds m and the two locking heads of the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 are released, the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 is locked. At this time, the soft netting of the picked-up conventional scallop cage unit 3 is nested and locked between the two square rigid rings of the upper-level scallop cage and the next-upper-level scallop cage, completing the nesting and locking action. Finally, the hoisting mechanism of the fifth waterproof flexible manipulator 18 rotates in the opposite direction to release the soft netting, and the five waterproof flexible manipulators release the four O-ring lifting buckles 4 and the double-hole drawstring buckle 5, returning to an empty state, waiting for new action commands from the control system.

[0061] By repeating the input, picking, seedling sorting, and nesting processes of the conventional scallop cage unit 3 described above, more scallop cage units can be connected in series until the required number of layers of scallop cage strings is met. The automated seedling sorting and cage-loading device in this embodiment is also equipped with a control system, which coordinates the actions of various subsystems during the automated cage-loading process. This includes the identification and picking of the four O-ring hooks 4 and double-hole drawstring hooks 5 on the conventional scallop cage unit 3; the picking by the robotic arm and the quantitative distance transport of the nesting system; the precise operation of the overhead crane system 6; the quantitative sorting of seedlings by the seedling sorting system; the nesting and locking of adjacent scallop cages; and the release and idle of the robotic arm system after the nesting and locking of the scallop cage units. The control system is a general-purpose industrial automatic control device with a microprocessor as its core, integrating computer technology, automatic control technology, and communication technology, which will not be described in detail here.

[0062] In summary, the device of this embodiment has the following advantages: it can quickly and easily connect and combine scallop cages, realize the automation of the seedling separation and cage loading process in raft-type cage aquaculture production, completely eliminate the need for manual seedling separation and sewing, greatly improve work efficiency, reduce the drying time of seedlings exposed to the water surface, and improve the survival rate of seedlings.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] This embodiment provides a method for cage-packing seedlings using an automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device as described in Embodiment 1, which includes the following steps:

[0065] S1 Debugging and Setting the Control System: Based on the actual application requirements, environmental conditions, and specifications of the farmed organisms, set the seedling distribution quantity to Xg. Debug the functions of each subsystem of the automated seedling separation and cage loading device to ensure they can smoothly complete their respective actions. Set various corresponding operating parameters in the control system, as follows: 1) Let the height of the scallop cage be L1, then the vertical lifting height of the overhead crane system 6 each time is L1; 2) Let the distance from the position of the scallop cage robotic arm picking, conveying, and nesting system from the position of the double-row toothed conveyor belt to directly below the seedling separation system be L2, then the scallop cage robotic arm picking, conveying, and nesting system will stop after running L2, accepting a fixed quantity. Seedling separation operation; 3) If the seedling separation system completes the separation of Xg seedlings after m seconds, the scallop cage robot arm picking, conveying and nesting system continues to operate; 4) The seedling separation system is loaded with a sufficient amount of the seedlings of the object being raised, and maintenance such as watering is performed; 5) The equipment is calibrated, controlled and pre-run, and the sensitivity and parameter settings of the magnetic field emitter and sensor 20 of the robot arm and the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19 are adjusted to ensure that the robot arm system can accurately identify and pick up the four O-ring buckles 4 and double-hole drawstring buckles 5 of the conventional scallop cage unit 3, and can smoothly release the four O-ring buckles 4, double-hole drawstring buckles 5 and soft netting after the scallop cage nesting is completed.

[0066] S2 Installation of Scallop Cage 2: Take a square nested scallop cage unit 3, put in Xg of the scallop seedlings to be raised, tie the scallop cage 2 tightly, and suspend it on the hook of the crane system 6. Adjust the position of the crane system 6 in the control system so that the rigid ring under the scallop cage 2 is located at the position to be nested and snapped in the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19.

[0067] S3 conveys a standard scallop cage unit 3: Take an empty standard scallop cage unit 3, with the mesh opening facing upwards and the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 positioned on the same side as the front slide bar 12 with three waterproof flexible robotic arms. Place it between the front toothed conveyor belt 8 and the rear toothed conveyor belt 9 of the conveying system, and input it to the position to be picked up. The three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19 identifies the input and position of the standard scallop cage unit 3, and instructs the robotic arm picking and nesting system to slide above the standard scallop cage unit 3 to be picked up, extending five waterproof flexible robotic arms to pick up the scallop cage unit. The specific process is as follows: In the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, the soft magnets on the O-ring buckle 4 and the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 can be clearly identified and positioned by the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, thereby controlling the system to issue instructions, commanding the five waterproof flexible robotic arms to pick up the nearest O-ring buckle 4 or double-hole drawstring buckle 5. As the waterproof flexible robotic arm approaches the O-ring buckle 4 or the double-hole drawstring buckle, the magnetic field emitter and sensor 20 magnetizes the soft magnet in the O-ring buckle 4 or the double-hole drawstring buckle, thereby attracting the O-ring buckle 4 or the double-hole drawstring buckle and lifting the O-ring buckle 4 or the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 from the netting of the corresponding conventional scallop cage unit 3.

[0068] S4 dispenses an appropriate amount of marine seedlings into the conventional scallop cage unit 3: After the robotic arm system picks up the conventional scallop cage unit 3, it continues to slide and convey it to the other end. When the conventional scallop cage unit 3 is conveyed to the bottom of the seedling dispensing system, it pauses for m seconds, starts the seedling quantitative dispensing module 23, and dispenses Xg of seedlings into the conventional scallop cage unit 3.

[0069] S5 performs nesting and snapping processing on the conventional scallop cage unit 3 after processing by S4: After being packaged with Xg of seedlings, the conventional scallop cage unit 3 is picked up by a robotic arm and continued to be conveyed by the nesting system until it is directly below the lowest level of the scallop cage in the scallop cage string suspended by the overhead crane system 6. It is then identified by the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, which issues a nesting and snapping command. The specific process is as follows: First, the robotic arm that picks up the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 presses its two locking heads to unlock the double-hole drawstring buckle 5. The four O-rings lifting buckles 4 open the conventional scallop cage unit 3 so that the mesh opening is slightly larger than the square rigid ring, thus allowing it to be smoothly fitted into the bottom square rigid ring of the upper level scallop cage. Then, the hoisting mechanism of the robotic arm that picks up the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 clamps and winds to tighten the soft mesh of the picked-up conventional scallop cage unit 3, so that the perimeter of the soft mesh is smaller than the perimeter of the square rigid ring at the bottom of the upper level scallop cage. When the length is more than 2cm and the two clips of the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 are released, the double-hole drawstring buckle 5 is locked. At this time, the soft netting of the picked-up conventional scallop cage unit 3 is nested and snapped between the two square rigid rings of the previous scallop cage and the next higher scallop cage, completing the nesting and snapping action. Finally, the hoisting mechanism of the fifth waterproof flexible manipulator 18 rotates in the opposite direction to release the soft netting, and the five waterproof flexible manipulators release the four O-ring lifting buckles 4 and the double-hole drawstring buckle 5, returning to an empty state, waiting for new action commands from the control system.

[0070] S6 lifts the scallop cage string that has been snapped together by S5: After processing by S5, the scallop cage unit 3 at the head of the cage and the first regular scallop cage unit 3 have been nested and snapped together. The overhead crane system 6 is started, and the vertical lifting distance L1 is increased so that the lower rigid ring of the regular scallop cage unit 3 that has just been nested and snapped together is in the position to be nested and snapped together in the three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system 19, waiting for a new nesting and snapping action.

[0071] S7. Snapping and extension of square nested quick-connect seamless scallop cage strings: Repeat S3~S6, snapping on more conventional scallop cage units 3 one by one until the square nested quick-connect seamless scallop cage string reaches the predetermined number of layers and the length is L. Remove the completed snapped string of square nested quick-connect seamless scallop cages from the overhead crane system 6 and temporarily store it in a suitable place. During offshore operations, it can be directly suspended onto the aquaculture raft for aquaculture production.

[0072] S8 Square Nested Quick-Connect No-Sewing Scallop Cage String Batch Assembly and Aquaculture Production: Repeat S3~S7 until the production target is reached, complete the assembly of a sufficient number of square nested quick-connect no-sewing scallop cage strings, and then transport them uniformly to suitable waters for raft-type hanging cage aquaculture production. When operating at sea, S8 can be omitted.

[0073] Example 3

[0074] This embodiment provides an application of an automated seeding and cage-loading device based on square nested, sewn-free scallop cages in the cage-loading operation of adult scallop marine aquaculture. In application, the automated seeding and cage-loading device as described in Embodiment 1 is fixedly installed on the aquaculture vessel to carry out the cage-loading operation of adult scallops at sea, including the following steps:

[0075] S1 is for debugging and setting up the control system. Based on the actual application requirements, environmental conditions and the specifications of the scallops being raised, the amount of scallops packaged in each layer of the cage under this specification is set to Xg. The rest is the same as S1 in Example 2.

[0076] S2 collects and cleans the scallop seedlings to be packed in cages and then removes the scallop seedlings from the culture rafts. Using auxiliary equipment, the seedlings are cleaned and sieved to remove dead empty shells and other debris, and then stored in the seedling storage chamber 22.

[0077] S3 installs the scallop cage 2 at the head, and the rest is the same as S2 in Example 2.

[0078] S4 conveys the conventional scallop cage unit 3, and the specific operation is the same as S3 in Example 2.

[0079] S5 is filled with Xg of scallop seedlings, and the rest is the same as S4 in Example 2.

[0080] S6 performs nesting and snapping on the conventional scallop cage unit 3 that has been treated by S5, and the specific operation is the same as S5 in Example 2.

[0081] S7 lifts the scallop cage string that has been snapped together by S6, and the specific operation is the same as S6 in Example 2.

[0082] S8 involves the nesting and extension of square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cage strings. Repeat S4~S7, nesting and connecting more conventional scallop cage units 3 one by one, until the square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cage string reaches the predetermined number of layers and the length is L. Then, remove the completed string of square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cages from the overhead crane system 6 and suspend it again on the aquaculture raft for aquaculture production.

[0083] Example 4

[0084] This embodiment provides an application of an automated seeding and cage-loading device based on a square nested, sewn-free scallop cage in the seeding and cage-loading operation of adult oysters in nearshore terrestrial culture. In application, the automated seeding and cage-loading device as described in Embodiment 1 is fixedly installed in the nearshore terrestrial work site to carry out the seeding and cage-loading operation during the adult oyster culture process, including the following steps:

[0085] S1 is for debugging and setting up the control system. Based on the actual application requirements, environmental conditions and the specifications of the oysters to be farmed, the amount of oyster seedlings packaged in each layer of the cage under this specification is set to Xg. The rest is the same as S1 in Example 2.

[0086] S2 collects and cleans the oyster seedlings to be packed in cages. The oyster seedlings to be packed in cages are then cleaned and sieved using auxiliary equipment to remove dead empty shells and other debris, and stored in the seedling storage chamber 22.

[0087] S3 is the same as S2 in Example 2, where the scallop cage head is installed.

[0088] S4 conveys the conventional scallop cage unit 3, and the specific operation is the same as S3 in Example 2.

[0089] S5 is filled with Xg of oyster seedlings, and the rest is the same as S4 in Example 2.

[0090] S6 performs nesting and snapping on the conventional scallop cage unit 3 that has been treated by S5, and the specific operation is the same as S5 in Example 2.

[0091] S7 lifts the scallop cage string that has been snapped together by S6, and the specific operation is the same as S6 in Example 2.

[0092] S8 involves the nesting and extension of square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cage strings. Repeat steps S4 to S7, nesting and connecting more conventional scallop cage units 3 one by one until the square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cage string reaches the predetermined number of layers and a length of L. Remove the completed string of square nested quick-connecting seamless scallop cages from the overhead crane system 6 and place it in a temporary storage area. After a sufficient number of scallop cages are packed and packaged, they are transported to a suitable water area for raft-type hanging cage aquaculture production.

[0093] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. Any simple modifications, alterations, and substitutions made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device based on square nested sewn-free scallop cages, comprising a frame (1); Its features are, The device further includes: The conveying system is installed on one side of the frame (1); Square nested quick-connection, stitch-free scallop cage string; The overhead crane system (6) for hoisting square nested quick-connection no-seam scallop cages is installed at the top of the frame (1); A seedling separation system installed in the middle of the frame (1); A robotic arm picking and nesting system is located below the seedling separation system; And a three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system (19).

2. The automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A detachment block (7) is fixedly installed on the frame (1); The overhead crane system (6) and the conveying system are located on both sides of the seedling separation system. The conveying system consists of a front toothed conveyor belt (8) and a rear toothed conveyor belt (9) and is used to receive conventional scallop cages (3) with the opening facing upward.

3. The automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The square nested quick-connection no-seam scallop cage string is made by nesting and connecting one cage head scallop cage (2) and one or more conventional scallop cage units (3) one by one; The conventional scallop cage unit (3) consists of a square rigid ring covered with a net, which is stretched into an inverted truncated cone shape without a top.

4. The automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conventional scallop cage unit (3) has four O-ring buckles (4) with soft magnets fixed at the position of the net opening facing the corner of the square rigid ring. The four O-ring buckles (4) correspond to the four corners of the square rigid ring respectively. The conventional scallop cage unit (3) has a flexible netting inserted into the mesh opening, and the flexible netting is equipped with a double-hole drawstring buckle (5).

5. The automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm picking and nesting system includes a front slide rail (10) and a rear slide rail (11) mounted parallel to each other in the middle of the frame (1), a front slide rail (12) slidably mounted on the front slide rail (10), a rear slide rail (13) slidably mounted on the rear slide rail (11), and five waterproof flexible robotic arms; The five waterproof flexible robotic arms are the first waterproof flexible robotic arm (14), the second waterproof flexible robotic arm (15), the third waterproof flexible robotic arm (16), the fourth waterproof flexible robotic arm (17), and the fifth waterproof flexible robotic arm (18). The first waterproof flexible robotic arm (14) and the second waterproof flexible robotic arm (15) are both mounted on the rear slide bar (13), while the third waterproof flexible robotic arm (16), the fourth waterproof flexible robotic arm (17), and the fifth waterproof flexible robotic arm (18) are all mounted on the front slide bar (12).

6. The automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The three-dimensional magnetic coordinate positioning system (19) is composed of a three-dimensional box array of magnetic sensors.

7. The automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The seedling distribution system includes a seedling storage bin (22) fixedly installed in the middle of the frame (1) and a seedling quantitative dispensing module (23) fixedly installed at the discharge port of the seedling storage bin (22).

8. A method for cage-packing seedlings using the automated seedling sorting and cage-packing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1 debugging and setting up of the control system; S2 Install the scallop cage head (2); S3 delivers conventional scallop cage units (3); S4 dispenses an appropriate amount of seafood seedlings into a conventional scallop cage (3); S5 performs nesting and snapping on the conventional scallop cage unit (3) treated by S4 to obtain scallop cage string; S6 lifts the scallop cage string that has undergone the snap-fit ​​process in S5. S7 repeats S3~S6, attaching more conventional scallop cage units one by one (3) until the square nested quick-connect scallop cage string reaches the predetermined number of layers; S8 repeats S3~S7 to complete the batch snapping of square nested quick-connect scallop cage strings without sewing.

9. Application of an automated seedling separation and cage-loading device based on square nested scallop cages in the seedling separation and cage-loading operation of adult scallops in marine aquaculture.

10. Application of an automated seedling separation and cage-loading device based on square nested scallop cages in the seedling separation and cage-loading operation of adult oysters in nearshore terrestrial aquaculture.

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