Side envelope cluster growing large tomato picking end effector, picker and picking method with adjacent fruit protection function

Abstract

This invention provides a side-enveloping harvesting end effector for clustered large tomatoes with adjacent fruit protection function, comprising: a fixed frame assembly, a linear drive assembly, a lateral isolation assembly, a linkage gripping assembly, and an image acquisition assembly. The lateral isolation assembly rotates to align its outer surface with the side where there are more interfering tomatoes. The lateral isolation assembly cuts along the surface of the target tomato, flexibly pushing aside the interfering tomatoes and isolating the target tomato within the gripping space. Through an asymmetric heterogeneous design, it achieves active spatial isolation and stable coverage of individual fruits in a narrow, clustered growth environment. By identifying the distribution quantity and location of the target tomato and surrounding interfering tomatoes, it establishes an active isolation logic based on visual density discrimination, rotational pose compensation, and lateral alignment cutting. The image acquisition assembly guides the lateral isolation assembly to accurately cut into the densely packed side of adjacent interfering tomatoes and push aside obstacles, solving the problem of feed obstruction in complex environments from the perspective of operational path planning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural harvesting equipment technology, specifically to a side-envelope clustered tomato harvesting end effector, harvester, and harvesting method with neighboring fruit protection function. Background Technology

[0002] A Chinese patent with publication number CN107711078A discloses a tomato adsorption and clamping synchronous harvesting end effector and corresponding harvesting mechanism and method, relating to the field of agricultural harvesting robots. It consists of a robotic end effector, a robotic arm, a mobile platform, a fruit storage box, and a control box. Its key feature is that the robotic end effector is installed at the end of the robotic arm, which is mounted on the mobile platform. The robotic end effector further includes a first cylinder, a mounting plate, a second cylinder, a U-shaped bracket, a suction cup cylinder, a spring bracket, a spring, a contoured finger structure, a suction cup, a finger pressure plate, and a cylinder shaft. This invention provides a tomato adsorption and clamping synchronous harvesting end effector and corresponding harvesting mechanism and method, overcoming the shortcomings of low efficiency and low mechanization in existing manual tomato harvesting. This invention adopts a harvesting method that simultaneously clamps and pulls the fruit, then swings to break the fruit stem, solving the technical problem of low tomato harvesting efficiency.

[0003] Fruit and vegetable cultivation is increasingly moving towards intensive production, creating a growing demand for automated harvesting equipment. Taking tomatoes as an example, their clustered growth characteristics make the harvesting environment extremely complex, with the target fruit often surrounded by adjacent ripe or unripe fruits.

[0004] Existing technologies, including the tomato adsorption clamping synchronous harvesting end effector and corresponding harvesting mechanism and method disclosed in CN107711078A, have significant limitations when dealing with clustered tomatoes: First, they lack an active isolation mechanism, making the harvesting claw susceptible to obstruction or crushing damage from adjacent fruits during insertion; second, their visual guidance function is limited, only achieving basic positioning and unable to dynamically adjust the feeding strategy based on the crowding level of the fruit cluster; and third, their radial dimensions are too large, making it difficult to operate flexibly within narrow fruit cluster spaces. Therefore, developing an end effector capable of intelligently identifying fruit cluster density distribution and utilizing a compact mechanism for active separation and envelopment is crucial for improving the level of automated fruit and vegetable harvesting. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a side-envelope clustered tomato harvesting end effector, harvester, and harvesting method with neighboring fruit protection function.

[0006] The present invention provides a side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function, comprising: a fixed frame assembly, a linear drive assembly, a lateral isolation assembly, a linkage gripping assembly, and an image acquisition assembly; The linear drive assembly is installed inside the fixed frame assembly, the linkage gripping assembly is installed on one side of the top of the fixed frame assembly, the lateral isolation assembly is fixed on the other side of the top of the fixed frame assembly, and a gripping space is formed between the lateral isolation assembly and the linkage gripping assembly. The image acquisition component is fixed to the bottom of the fixed frame assembly, and the viewing angle of the image acquisition component is facing the front of the center of the harvesting end effector; the image acquisition component is used to identify the feed vector from the center of the target tomato to the stem, the grasping state of the target tomato, and the distribution, quantity, and position of the target tomato and the surrounding interfering tomatoes. The lateral isolation component rotates to align its outer surface with the side where there are more interfering tomatoes. The lateral isolation component cuts into the surface of the target tomato, flexibly pushes aside the interfering tomatoes, and isolates the target tomato within the gripping space. The output end of the linear drive component is connected to the input end of the linkage gripping component, and the linear drive component is used to drive the linkage gripping component to retract or expand. The linkage gripping assembly retracts and closes in conjunction with the lateral isolation assembly to grip the target tomato within the gripping space; the linkage gripping assembly expands and opens to release the target tomato.

[0007] Preferably, the fixed frame assembly includes a mounting flange, a main frame, and a camera bracket; The mounting flange is located at the bottom and is used to connect to the end of the robotic arm; The main frame is arranged in a longitudinally slender pattern, with a hollow interior forming a drive chamber; The camera bracket extends to the side and front from the connection between the mounting flange and the main frame.

[0008] Preferably, the linear drive assembly is a linear motor, which is longitudinally mounted in the fixed frame assembly; The moving end of the linear motor is hinged to the input end of the linkage gripping assembly via a pin, and the linear motor converts longitudinal linear motion into the envelope motion of the linkage gripping assembly.

[0009] Preferably, the lateral isolation assembly includes a lateral isolation flexible shovel; The inner curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is arc-shaped, and the inner curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is used to laterally enclose the target tomato in accordance with the surface contour of the target tomato. The outer curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is streamlined. The outer curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is used to generate a thrust along the normal direction of the curved surface on the interfering tomato during the feeding process along the feed vector, so as to realize the physical separation of the target tomato and the interfering tomato.

[0010] Preferably, the lateral isolation flexible shovel is made of a semi-flexible material, which includes: flexible plastic, silicone, or composite elastic material; The lateral isolation flexible shovel can passively deform according to the force direction and distribution contour of the interfering tomato during the process of shoveling away the interfering tomato.

[0011] Preferably, the interior of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is provided with a high-friction texture; The high-friction texture is used to increase the friction generated when gripping the target tomato within the gripping space.

[0012] Preferably, the linkage gripping assembly includes an adaptive multi-link finger and a power input link; The adaptive multi-link finger comprises multiple rotating links, and is connected to the linear drive assembly 2 via a power input link. Driven by the linear drive assembly, the adaptive multi-link finger transitions from an open state to a curved covering state. Multiple links in the adaptive multi-link finger make multi-point contact with the target tomato, increasing the gripping force between the adaptive multi-link finger and the target tomato.

[0013] Preferably, the image acquisition component is a depth camera; The depth camera is fastened to the bottom of the fixed frame assembly by bolts.

[0014] According to the present invention, a side-envelope clustered large tomato harvester with neighboring fruit protection function is characterized in that the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighboring fruit protection function as described above further includes: a robotic arm and a control system. The fixed frame assembly is mounted on the end of the robotic arm; The control system is used to control the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato picking end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to move forward or backward along the feed vector based on the feed vector from the center of the target tomato to the stem identified by the image acquisition component. The control system is used to control the robotic arm to move the gripping space of the side-envelope clustered large tomato picking end effector with neighbor fruit protection function to the starting point of the feed vector from the center of the target tomato to the stem side, based on the distribution position of the target tomato and the surrounding interfering tomatoes identified by the image acquisition component. The control system is used to control the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato picking end effector with neighbor fruit protection function to rotate around its central axis according to the target tomato identified by the image acquisition component and the distribution and number of the surrounding interfering tomatoes, so that the outer side of the lateral isolation component is aligned with the side with more interfering tomatoes. The control system is used to control the linear drive assembly to drive the linkage gripping assembly to retract or expand based on the gripping state of the target tomato.

[0015] A method for harvesting side-enveloping clustered large tomatoes with neighboring fruit protection function according to the present invention, using the side-enveloping clustered large tomato harvester with neighboring fruit protection function described above, includes: The image acquisition component identifies the feed vector from the center of the target tomato to the stem, as well as the distribution and quantity of the target tomato and the surrounding interfering tomatoes; The control system controls the robotic arm to move the gripping space of the side-envelope clustered tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to the center of the target tomato towards the starting point of the feed vector towards the stem. The control system drives the robotic arm to rotate the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighboring fruit protection function around its central axis according to the number of interfering tomatoes distributed around the target tomato, so that the outer side of the lateral isolation component is aligned with the side with more interfering tomatoes. The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato picking end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to advance along the feed vector to the equatorial region of the target tomato and enter the gripping space. The lateral isolation component cuts into the surface of the target tomato and flexibly pushes away the interfering tomatoes. The linear drive assembly drives the linkage gripping assembly to retract and close, and the retraction and closure of the linkage gripping assembly cooperates with the lateral isolation assembly to grip the target tomato within the gripping space; The image acquisition component identifies the gripping state of the target tomato and confirms that the linkage gripping component completely covers the equatorial region of the target tomato; The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with adjacent fruit protection function to rotate, grasp the target tomato in the grasping space and rotate it relative to the fruit stem, and twist off the fruit stem of the target tomato; The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to move backward along the feed vector and to the collection point; The linear drive assembly drives the linkage gripping assembly to expand and open, releasing the target tomato.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention achieves active spatial isolation and stable coverage of individual fruits in narrow, clustered growth environments through asymmetric heterogeneous design. Addressing the pain point of limited working space caused by the clustered growth of large tomatoes, the invention identifies the distribution, quantity, and location of the target tomato and surrounding interfering tomatoes through an image acquisition component. It establishes an active isolation logic of "visual density judgment - rotational pose compensation - lateral alignment and cutting." The image acquisition component can guide the lateral isolation component to accurately cut into the densely packed side of adjacent interfering tomatoes and remove obstacles, thus solving the problem of feeding obstruction in complex environments from the perspective of work path planning. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a first-view structural diagram illustrating the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function, which is the main feature of this invention. Figure 2 This is a second-view structural diagram illustrating the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function, which is the main feature of this invention. Figure 3 This is a top view of the end effector for harvesting large tomatoes with a side-envelope structure and a function of protecting adjacent fruits, which is the main feature of this invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the linear motor and the power input linkage of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end actuator linkage gripping assembly with adjacent fruit protection function when it is opened. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end actuator linkage gripping assembly with adjacent fruit protection function when closed. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the harvesting process of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function, which is the main feature of this invention. Figure 8 This is a top view of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighboring fruit protection function, which is the main feature of this invention, during the harvesting process.

[0018] The figure shows: 1. Fixed frame assembly; 101. Mounting flange; 102. Main frame; 103. Camera bracket; 2. Linear drive assembly; 3. Lateral isolation assembly; 301. High friction texture; 4. Link grip assembly; 401. Power input link; 402. Adaptive multi-link finger; 5. Image acquisition assembly; 6. Target tomato; 7. Interference tomato. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, a side-envelope clustered tomato harvesting end effector with neighboring fruit protection function provided by the present invention includes: a fixed frame assembly 1, a linear drive assembly 2, a lateral isolation assembly 3, a linkage gripping assembly 4, and an image acquisition assembly 5. The fixed frame assembly 1 serves as the skeleton support for the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting device with adjacent fruit protection function. The linear drive assembly 2, the lateral isolation assembly 3, the linkage gripping assembly 4, and the image acquisition assembly 5 are all mounted on the fixed frame assembly 1.

[0021] The linear drive assembly 2 is longitudinally installed inside the fixed frame assembly 1. The linkage gripping assembly 4 is installed on one side of the top of the fixed frame assembly 1. The lateral isolation assembly 3 is fixed on the other side of the top of the fixed frame assembly 1. The lateral isolation assembly 3 and the linkage gripping assembly 4 are installed on opposite sides, and a gripping space is formed between the lateral isolation assembly 3 and the linkage gripping assembly 4.

[0022] Image acquisition component 5 is used to identify the feed vector from the center of the target tomato 6 to the fruit stem, so as to know the growth posture of the target tomato 6 and guide the feed of the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with neighboring fruit protection function.

[0023] Image acquisition component 5 is used to identify the grasping state of the target tomato 6.

[0024] Image acquisition component 5 is used to identify the distribution quantity and location of target tomato 6 and surrounding interfering tomatoes 7, and to identify the density of interfering tomatoes 7 in the fruit cluster to guide lateral isolation component 3 to cut in from the side with higher density of interfering tomatoes 7.

[0025] The lateral isolation component 3 is rotated to align its outer side with the side where the interfering tomatoes 7 are more distributed. The lateral isolation component 3 cuts into the surface of the target tomato 6, flexibly pushes aside the interfering tomatoes 7, and isolates the target tomato 6 within the gripping space.

[0026] The output end of the linear drive assembly 2 is connected to the input end of the linkage gripping assembly 4 via a linkage mechanism. The linear drive assembly 2 is used to drive the linkage gripping assembly 4 to retract or expand.

[0027] The linkage gripping assembly 4 retracts and closes in conjunction with the lateral isolation assembly 3 to grip the target tomato 6 within the gripping space. The multi-link mechanism 4, in conjunction with the lateral isolation assembly 3, achieves adaptive envelope gripping of the target tomato 6. The linkage gripping assembly 4 expands and opens to release the target tomato 6.

[0028] The image acquisition component 5 is fixed to the bottom of the fixed frame component 1, and the viewing angle of the image acquisition component 5 is facing the front of the center of the harvesting end effector.

[0029] This invention achieves active spatial isolation and stable coverage of individual fruits in narrow, clustered growth environments through an asymmetric heterogeneous design. Addressing the challenge of limited working space caused by the clustered growth of large tomatoes, the invention uses an image acquisition component 5 to identify the distribution, quantity, and location of the target tomato 6 and surrounding interfering tomatoes 7, establishing an active isolation logic of "visual density judgment—rotational pose compensation—lateral alignment and cutting." Compared to traditional actuators, this invention guides the lateral isolation component 3 to precisely cut into the densely packed side of adjacent fruits and remove obstacles, solving the problem of feed obstruction in complex environments from the perspective of work path planning.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the fixed frame assembly 1 includes a mounting flange 101, a main frame 102, and a camera bracket 103.

[0031] Mounting flange 101 is located at the bottom and is used to connect to the end of the robotic arm.

[0032] The main frame 102 is arranged in a longitudinally slender pattern to reduce the lateral envelope size of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end actuator with adjacent fruit protection function. The interior is hollow to form a drive chamber, and a linear motor is installed inside.

[0033] The camera bracket 103 extends to the side and front from the connection between the mounting flange 101 and the main frame 102. The image acquisition component 5 is installed at the extended end of the camera bracket 103 and is not located on the same vertical line as the gripping space.

[0034] In one feasible implementation, the linear drive assembly 2 uses a linear motor, which is longitudinally mounted inside the hollow drive chamber formed by the main frame 102 in the fixed frame assembly 1.

[0035] The moving end of the linear motor is hinged to the power input link 401 of the link gripping assembly 4 via a pin. The linear motor converts the longitudinal linear motion into the envelope motion of the link gripping assembly 4.

[0036] Specifically, the linear motor moves downward to drive the linkage gripping assembly 4 to retract and close, and the linkage gripping assembly 4 cooperates with the lateral isolation assembly 3 to hold the target tomato 6 within the gripping space. The linear motor moves upward to drive the linkage gripping assembly 4 to expand and open, thereby releasing the target tomato 6.

[0037] In one feasible implementation, the lateral isolation component 3 includes a lateral isolation flexible shovel, the inner surface of which has a different curvature from the outer surface, to achieve non-destructive physical isolation between the target tomato 6 and the interfering tomato 7.

[0038] The inner curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is arc-shaped. The inner curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is used to laterally enclose the target tomato according to the surface contour of the target tomato.

[0039] The outer curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is streamlined, and its streamlined outer surface serves as a flow-deflecting structure. The outer curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is used to generate a thrust along the normal direction of the curved surface on the interfering tomato 7 during the feeding process along the feed vector, guiding the actuator to penetrate into the side of the interfering tomato 7 with a higher density, thereby achieving physical isolation between the target tomato 6 and the interfering tomato 7.

[0040] In one feasible implementation, the lateral isolation flexible shovel is made of a semi-flexible material, including flexible plastic, silicone, or composite elastic material.

[0041] The lateral isolation flexible shovel can passively deform according to the force direction and distribution contour of the interfering tomato 7 during the process of shoveling away the interfering tomato 7. This adaptive deformation capability ensures that when the lateral isolation flexible shovel penetrates to the side with higher density of the interfering tomato 7, it can slide along the natural gap between the interfering tomato 7 and the target tomato 6 and isolate the interfering tomato 7 from the target tomato 6, minimizing the compressive stress on the interfering tomato 7.

[0042] The material's own elastic modulus enables passive compliant deformation in narrow gaps. During the process of isolating the interfering tomato 7, the lateral isolation flexible shovel can adaptively adjust its shape according to the squeezing pattern of the interfering tomato 7, achieving "separation by force" with extremely low interaction stress, thus eliminating mechanical damage to the non-target tomato 6 caused by rigid collisions from a physical interaction perspective.

[0043] In one feasible implementation, the interior of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is provided with a high-friction texture 301.

[0044] The high-friction texture 301 is used to increase the friction generated when gripping the target tomato 6 in the gripping space, which, together with the torque generated by the rotation of the robotic arm, enables the fruit stem to break at the abscission point. This prevents the target tomato 6 from sliding in the gripping space during harvesting.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the linkage grip assembly 4 includes an adaptive multi-link finger 402 and a power input link 401.

[0046] The adaptive multi-link finger consists of multiple rotating links; the adaptive multi-link finger 402 is connected to the linear drive assembly 2 via the power input link 401.

[0047] Driven by the linear drive assembly 2, the adaptive multi-link finger transitions from an open state to a curved surface covering state. By utilizing the multi-point contact between multiple links in the adaptive multi-link finger and the target tomato 6, along with the lateral isolation shovel, sufficient gripping force is generated to withstand the rotational torsional force at the end of the robotic arm.

[0048] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the actuator performs the opening action, the linear motor of the linear drive assembly 2 moves upward. The displacement of the linear motor pushes the adaptive multi-link finger 402 through the power input link 401. The adaptive multi-link finger 402 expands outward under the thrust, so that the adaptive multi-link finger 402 is in an unfolded posture, preparing to enter the target tomato 6.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, when the actuator performs the gripping action, the linear motor of the linear drive assembly 2 moves downward, pulling the power input link 401 connected to it. Under the linear displacement drive of the power input link 401, the adaptive multi-link finger 402 generates an inward curling motion.

[0050] Due to the adaptive characteristics of the power input linkage 401, multiple links of the adaptive multi-link finger 402 can conform to the surface contour of the target tomato 6 and cover it, ultimately pressing the target tomato 6 firmly against the inner side of the lateral isolation component 3. Furthermore, the adaptive multi-link finger has significant adaptive characteristics, enabling it to cover multiple areas of irregularly shaped large fruits. Combined with the high-friction texture 301 on the inner side of the lateral isolation shovel, it can provide uniform and sufficient static friction during the rotation and picking process, effectively solving the problem of surface slippage and skin damage that easily occurs when large tomatoes are separated by the knob, thus ensuring the reliability of the picking process.

[0051] In one feasible implementation, the image acquisition component 5 is a depth camera.

[0052] The depth camera is bolted to the end of the camera bracket 103 at the bottom of the fixed frame assembly 1. Its viewing angle is directed towards the center of the actuator's gripping space, and it is used to capture the relative posture information of the tomato fruit and stem in real time, guiding the actuator to move along the vector direction from the center of the fruit to the stem. After the image acquisition component identifies the side with a higher distribution of tomatoes, it feeds back the orientation signal to the robotic arm control system, driving the actuator to rotate around the central axis until the lateral isolation shovel is aligned with the high-density distribution direction for cutting.

[0053] The present invention provides a side-envelope clustered large tomato harvester with neighboring fruit protection function, which adopts any of the above-mentioned side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effectors with neighboring fruit protection function, and further includes: a robotic arm and a control system.

[0054] The fixed frame assembly 1 is installed at the end of the robotic arm.

[0055] The control system is used to control the robotic arm to drive the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with adjacent fruit protection function to move forward or backward along the feed vector based on the feed vector from the center of the target tomato 6 identified by the image acquisition component 5 to the fruit stem.

[0056] The control system is used to control the robotic arm to move the gripping space of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighbor fruit protection function to the starting point of the feed vector from the center of the target tomato 6 to the stem side, based on the distribution position of the target tomato 6 and the surrounding interfering tomatoes 7 identified by the image acquisition component 5.

[0057] The control system is used to control the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighbor fruit protection function to rotate around its central axis based on the distribution and number of target tomatoes 6 and surrounding interfering tomatoes 7 identified by the image acquisition component 5, so that the outer side of the lateral isolation component 3 is aligned with the side where there are more interfering tomatoes 7.

[0058] The control system is used to control the linear drive assembly 2 to drive the linkage gripping assembly 4 to close or expand according to the gripping state of the target tomato 6.

[0059] The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighbor fruit protection function, combined with the end-rotation of the robotic arm, enables low-damage harvesting and significantly improves the harvesting success rate of large tomatoes in complex environments.

[0060] This invention also provides a method for harvesting side-enveloping clustered large tomatoes with neighboring fruit protection function, using the above-mentioned side-enveloping clustered large tomato harvester with neighboring fruit protection function, comprising: Image acquisition component 5 captures images of tomato clusters. The image system uses an image segmentation algorithm to identify the distribution location and quantity of the target tomato 6 and its surrounding interfering tomatoes 7. It also identifies the feed vector from the center of the target tomato 6 to the stem, as well as the distribution location and quantity of the target tomato 6 and its surrounding interfering tomatoes 7.

[0061] If a disturbing tomato 7 is detected to the side of the target tomato 6, the control system calculates the centroid distribution of the disturbing tomato 7 and generates a pose compensation signal based on the distribution information.

[0062] The control system controls the robotic arm to move the gripping space of the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with adjacent fruit protection function to the center of the target tomato 6 towards the starting point of the feed vector towards the fruit stem.

[0063] Based on the distribution of the surrounding interfering tomatoes 7, the control system drives the robotic arm to rotate the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with neighboring fruit protection function around its central axis, so that the outer side of the lateral isolation component 3 is aligned with the side with more interfering tomatoes 7, thereby suggesting the optimal cutting path. The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvester, which has a neighboring fruit protection function, forward along the feed vector to the equatorial region of the target tomato 6 and enter the grasping space. The lateral isolation component 3 cuts into the surface of the target tomato 6. The lateral isolation component 3, made of a semi-flexible material, generates elastic deformation when it comes into contact with the interfering tomato 7, using the passive compliance of the material to adapt to the gap shape between the adjacent interfering tomatoes 7, and flexibly separates the interfering tomatoes 7, thereby isolating an independent grasping space for the target tomato 6 in the dense fruit cluster. Because the lateral isolation component 3 has adaptive deformation characteristics, it will not cause local high-pressure damage to the interfering tomatoes 7 when generating isolation displacement, realizing safe obstacle avoidance and stable harvesting in complex fruit cluster environments.

[0064] The linear drive assembly 2 drives the linkage gripping assembly 4 to retract and close. The retraction and closure of the linkage gripping assembly 4, in conjunction with the lateral isolation assembly 3, grips the target tomato 6 within the gripping space.

[0065] Image acquisition component 5 identifies the gripping state of the target tomato and confirms that the linkage gripping component 4 completely encloses the equatorial region of the target tomato 6.

[0066] The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with adjacent fruit protection function to rotate, and the target tomato 6, which is held in the gripping space, rotates relative to the fruit stem and twists off the fruit stem of the target tomato 6. The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomatoes with adjacent fruit protection function to move backward along the feed vector and move to the collection point.

[0067] The linear drive assembly 2 drives the linkage gripping assembly 4 to expand and release the target tomato 6, achieving non-destructive and efficient harvesting of the target tomato 6.

[0068] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0069] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A side-envelope harvesting end effector for clustered large tomatoes with adjacent fruit protection function, characterized in that, include: Fixed frame assembly (1), linear drive assembly (2), lateral isolation assembly (3), linkage gripping assembly (4), image acquisition assembly (5); The linear drive assembly (2) is installed inside the fixed frame assembly (1), the linkage gripping assembly (4) is installed on one side of the top of the fixed frame assembly (1), the lateral isolation assembly (3) is fixed on the other side of the top of the fixed frame assembly (1), and a gripping space is formed between the lateral isolation assembly (3) and the linkage gripping assembly (4). The image acquisition component (5) is fixed to the bottom of the fixed frame component (1), and the viewing angle of the image acquisition component (5) is directed towards the front of the center of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end actuator with neighboring fruit protection function; the image acquisition component (5) is used to identify the center of the target tomato (6) feed vector to the fruit stem, the grasping state of the target tomato (6), and the distribution quantity and position of the target tomato (6) and the surrounding interfering tomatoes (7); The lateral isolation component (3) is rotated to align its outer side with the side where there are more interfering tomatoes (7). The lateral isolation component (3) cuts into the surface of the target tomato (6) and flexibly pushes aside the interfering tomatoes (7), thus isolating the target tomato (6) within the gripping space. The output end of the linear drive assembly (2) is connected to the input end of the linkage gripping assembly (4), and the linear drive assembly (2) is used to drive the linkage gripping assembly (4) to close or expand. The linkage gripping assembly (4) closes and cooperates with the lateral isolation assembly (3) to hold the target tomato (6) in the gripping space; the linkage gripping assembly (4) expands and releases the target tomato (6).

2. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed frame assembly (1) includes a mounting flange (101), a main frame (102), and a camera bracket (103). The mounting flange (101) is located at the bottom and is used to connect to the end of the robotic arm; The main frame (102) is arranged in a longitudinally slender pattern, and its interior is hollow to form a driving chamber; The camera bracket (103) extends to the side and front from the connection between the mounting flange (101) and the main frame (102).

3. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The linear drive assembly (2) uses a linear motor, which is longitudinally mounted in the fixed frame assembly (1); The moving end of the linear motor is hinged to the input end of the linkage gripping assembly (4) via a pin, and the linear motor converts longitudinal linear motion into the envelope motion of the linkage gripping assembly (4).

4. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lateral isolation assembly (3) includes a lateral isolation flexible shovel; The inner curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is arc-shaped, and the inner curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is used to laterally enclose the target tomato in accordance with the surface contour of the target tomato. The outer curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is streamlined. The outer curved surface of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is used to generate a thrust along the normal direction of the curved surface on the interfering tomato (7) during the feeding process along the feed vector, so as to realize the physical separation of the target tomato (6) and the interfering tomato (7).

5. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The lateral isolation flexible shovel is made of a semi-flexible material, which includes: flexible plastic, silicone, or composite elastic material; The lateral isolation flexible shovel can generate corresponding passive deformation according to the force direction and distribution contour of the interfering tomato (7) during the process of shoveling away the interfering tomato (7).

6. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The interior of the lateral isolation flexible shovel is provided with a high-friction texture (301). The high-friction texture (301) is used to increase the friction generated when gripping the target tomato (6) in the gripping space.

7. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage grip assembly (4) includes an adaptive multi-link finger (402) and a power input link (401). The adaptive multi-link finger (402) comprises multiple rotating links, and the adaptive multi-link finger (402) is connected to the linear drive assembly (2) through a power input link (401); The adaptive multi-link finger (402) is driven by the linear drive component (2) to switch from an open state to a curved covering state. Multiple links in the adaptive multi-link finger make multi-point contact with the target tomato (6), increasing the gripping force between the adaptive multi-link finger (402) and the target tomato (6).

8. The side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The image acquisition component (5) is a depth camera; The depth camera is fastened to the bottom of the fixed frame assembly (1) by bolts.

9. A side-enveloping harvester for clustered large tomatoes with neighboring fruit protection function, characterized in that, The end effector for harvesting large tomatoes with a side-envelope clustered growth and neighboring fruit protection function as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 further includes: a robotic arm and a control system; The fixed frame assembly (1) is mounted on the end of the robotic arm; The control system is used to control the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to move forward or backward along the feed vector based on the feed vector from the center of the target tomato (6) to the fruit stem identified by the image acquisition component (5). The control system is used to control the robotic arm to move the gripping space of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighbor fruit protection function to the starting point of the feed vector from the center of the target tomato (6) to the stem side, based on the distribution position of the target tomato (6) and the surrounding interfering tomatoes (7) identified by the image acquisition component (5). The control system is used to control the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighbor fruit protection function to rotate around its central axis according to the distribution of the target tomato (6) and the surrounding interference tomatoes (7) identified by the image acquisition component (5), so that the outer side of the lateral isolation component (3) is aligned with the side where the interference tomatoes (7) are more distributed. The control system is used to control the linear drive assembly (2) to drive the linkage gripping assembly (4) to close or expand according to the gripping state of the target tomato (6).

10. A method for harvesting large, clustered tomatoes with a lateral enveloping effect and a function of protecting neighboring fruits, characterized in that, The side-envelope clustered tomato harvester with neighboring fruit protection function as described in claim 9 includes: The image acquisition component (5) identifies the feed vector from the center of the target tomato (6) to the stem, the distribution location and quantity of the target tomato (6) and the surrounding interfering tomatoes (7); The control system controls the robotic arm to move the gripping space of the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to the center of the target tomato (6) towards the starting point of the feed vector of the fruit stem; The control system drives the robotic arm to rotate the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with neighbor fruit protection function around its central axis according to the distribution number of the interfering tomatoes (7) around the target tomato (6), so that the outer side of the lateral isolation component (3) is aligned with the side where the interfering tomatoes (7) are more distributed. The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato picking end effector with neighboring fruit protection function to advance along the feed vector to the equatorial region of the target tomato (6) and enter the grasping space. The lateral isolation component (3) cuts into the surface of the target tomato (6) and flexibly pushes away the interfering tomato (7). The linear drive assembly (2) drives the linkage gripping assembly (4) to retract and close. The retraction and closure of the linkage gripping assembly (4) cooperates with the lateral isolation assembly (3) to grip the target tomato (6) within the gripping space. The image acquisition component (5) identifies the gripping state of the target tomato and confirms that the linkage gripping component (4) completely wraps the equatorial region of the target tomato (6); The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the end effector of the side-envelope clustered large tomato with adjacent fruit protection function to rotate, grasp the target tomato (6) in the grasping space and rotate it relative to the fruit stem, and twist off the fruit stem of the target tomato (6). The control system controls the robotic arm to drive the side-envelope clustered large tomato harvesting end effector with adjacent fruit protection function to move backward along the feed vector and to the collection point; The linear drive assembly (2) drives the linkage gripping assembly (4) to expand and open, releasing the target tomato (6).

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