An underwater sea cucumber catching robot based on artificial fishing form

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of underwater operation robots, and particularly discloses an underwater sea cucumber catching robot based on an artificial catching mode, which comprises a diving robot, the bottom of the diving robot is fixedly connected with a fence plate, a hooking assembly and a storage basket assembly are oppositely arranged on the inner side of the fence plate, and an underwater probe is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the fence plate and located at one side of the storage basket assembly. The underwater sea cucumber catching robot based on the artificial catching mode imitates the catching action of manually taking out sea cucumbers with long hooks and then putting the sea cucumbers into a net, and through the cooperative work of the hooking assembly and the storage basket which can be synchronously opened and closed, the catching quality and the operation efficiency are effectively improved. The hooking action is highly targeted, and sand, shells and other sundries cannot be rolled into the sea cucumbers, so that the secondary collision damage of the sundries to the sea cucumbers in the transportation and storage process is avoided from the root, and the yield of good products is obviously improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater operation robot technology, specifically to an underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the mainstream method of sea cucumber harvesting mainly relies on manual diving. The working environment for sea cucumber harvesters is extremely harsh. In deep-sea operations, if the timing is not accurate and oxygen is insufficient, rapidly rising to the surface can often lead to a sudden drop in pressure and rapid lung congestion, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.

[0003] Therefore, manual harvesting of sea cucumbers is a highly technical and risky job, requiring harvesters to have extensive diving experience and the ability to handle emergencies. Constrained by labor and fixed costs, the price of manually harvested sea cucumbers is relatively stable and has been increasing year by year with no room for decline. Compared to manual harvesting, robotic harvesting methods have many technological advantages, including improved safety, cost savings, greater adaptability, and benefits to marine environmental protection.

[0004] Currently, there are only two main types of sea cucumber harvesting robots on the market: suction-type harvesting robots and gripping-type harvesting robots. Both are mounted on the ROV core unit and utilize biometric algorithms. The difference lies in that the former sucks the sea cucumbers into the storage box through a trachea, while the latter uses a mechanical claw to grip the sea cucumbers and place them into the storage box. However, the yield rate of both methods is significantly lower than that of manual harvesting.

[0005] For suction-type harvesting robots, the main functional components are the water pump and the suction pipe. The water flow at the suction pipe inlet has both axial and radial velocities, and the velocity distribution across the pipe's cross-section is uneven. Furthermore, the water flow velocity at the inlet is easily affected by the surrounding water environment, causing significant instability. This results in uneven water pressure distribution on the target sea cucumber's body, causing twisting during the suction process. In addition, suction-type harvesting is non-selective within its single suction range, easily entraining solid sand and gravel from the vicinity of the target sea cucumber into the suction device, potentially damaging the sea cucumber both during suction and when it falls into the storage tank.

[0006] For gripping harvesting robots, the main functional component is the mechanical claw structure. Firstly, due to the flexible nature of sea cucumbers and the size variations among different sea cucumbers, controlling the gripping force of the mechanical claw is difficult, easily causing crushing damage to the sea cucumbers and resulting in a low yield. Secondly, due to the complex underwater environment and the varying static positions of the sea cucumbers, controlling the gripping direction and posture of the mechanical claw is challenging. Over-reliance on visual recognition algorithms leads to low reliability and high cost underwater.

[0007] Based on the current market demand for underwater sea cucumber harvesting robots and the shortcomings of existing harvesting robot solutions, and in conjunction with communication with professional sea cucumber farming companies, the design scheme of this invention was determined. The invention mimics the movements and tools used by manual harvesters. For the action of the harvester using a long hook, a hooking device is designed to lift the sea cucumber and guide it towards the collection net. For the action of the harvester grasping the sea cucumber into the fixed collection net, a movable collection net device that can open and close synchronously is designed. This reduces contact between rigid mechanical mechanisms and the sea cucumber, lowers the possibility of damage, and ensures that the sea cucumber's movement in the water is brief due to inertia, thus improving the success rate of harvesting. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated human harvesting method, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method, comprising a diving robot, wherein a fence plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the diving robot, and a hooking component and a collection basket component are arranged opposite to each other on the inner side of the fence plate, and an underwater probe is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the fence plate and on one side of the collection basket component. The hooking assembly includes a hook and a hooking linkage drive mechanism, the hooking linkage drive mechanism being used to drive the hook to move along a crescent-shaped trajectory; The storage basket assembly includes a crab claw-shaped bag opening frame, a storage net, and a storage linkage drive mechanism. The storage net is fitted onto the crab claw-shaped bag opening frame, and the storage linkage drive mechanism is used to drive the crab claw-shaped bag opening frame to open and close, and at the same time drive the entire storage basket assembly to extend forward or retract backward. When it extends, the bag opening opens, and when it retracts, the bag opening closes.

[0010] Preferably, all surfaces of the fence panel are openwork structures.

[0011] Preferably, the fence panel further includes a first support plate and a second support plate for supporting the hook assembly and the storage basket assembly, respectively, and the second support plate is provided with a linear slide rail.

[0012] Preferably, the hooking linkage drive mechanism includes a hooking crank, a first hooking linkage, a second hooking linkage, a third hooking linkage, a directional linkage, and a hooking guide slider; The top of the hook claw is hinged to one end of the first hooking link, and the other end of the first hooking link is hinged to one end of the third hooking link; the other end of the third hooking link is hinged to one end of the second hooking link, and the other end of the second hooking link is hinged to the middle of the hook claw. The third hooking link is hinged to a directional link in the middle, and the directional link is rotatably connected to the first support plate of the fence panel; one end of the hooking crank is fixedly connected at the hinge point between the first hooking link and the third hooking link, and the other end of the hooking crank is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first servo motor. The first hooking link and the hook claw are hinged to a hooking guide slider, which is slidably connected to a linear guide rail on the first support plate.

[0013] Preferably, the side of the hook that contacts the hook guide slider is provided with a fan-shaped guide surface; the front end of the hook is covered with a silicone protective sleeve.

[0014] Preferably, the crab claw-type bag opening frame consists of two hinged claw plates, and two hinged crab claw connecting rods are connected between the two claw plates. The crab claw connecting rods and the two claw plates form a rhomboid connecting rod structure. A storage guide slider is hinged to the inner side of the hinge position of the two claw plates, and the storage guide slider is slidably connected to a linear slide rail on the second support plate.

[0015] Preferably, the retractable linkage drive mechanism includes a retractable crank, a first retractable linkage, a second retractable linkage, a third retractable linkage, a fourth retractable linkage, and a fifth retractable linkage; One end of the storage crank is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the second servo motor, and the other end is hinged to one end of the first storage link; the first storage link is slidably engaged with the storage guide slider, and the free end of the first storage link is hinged to the hinge point of the two crab claw links. The outer wall of the first storage link is hinged to one end of the second storage link, and the other end of the second storage link is hinged to one end of the third storage link; the other end of the third storage link is simultaneously hinged to the second support plate of the fence panel and one end of the fourth storage link, and the other end of the fourth storage link is hinged to the outer wall of the second storage link. The outer wall of the second storage link is also hinged to one end of the fifth storage link, and the other end of the fifth storage link is hinged to the storage guide slider.

[0016] Preferably, the two clamp plates of the crab claw-type bag opening frame are symmetrically arranged vertically, and the edge of the bag opening of the storage net is fixed to the two clamp plates by a hexagonal copper column assembly.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot, based on a simulated manual harvesting method, addresses the core deficiencies of existing suction-type and gripping-type sea cucumber harvesting robots. It mimics the harvesting action of manually using a long hook to pick up the sea cucumber and then catching it with a net. Through the coordinated operation of the hooking component and the synchronously opening and closing storage basket, it effectively improves the harvesting quality and operational efficiency. Employing a non-gripping harvesting method, the hooking process only contacts a small area of ​​the sea cucumber's bottom, and the front end of the hook is covered with a silicone protective sleeve to avoid scratches caused by rigid contact. The storage stage uses a flexible net to completely eliminate the risk of crushing damage. Simultaneously, the hooking action is highly targeted, preventing sand, shells, and other debris from being swept up with the sea cucumber, thus fundamentally avoiding secondary collision damage to the sea cucumber during transportation and storage, significantly improving the harvesting yield.

[0018] This invention completely replaces manual underwater fishing operations with robots, fundamentally eliminating occupational safety hazards such as drowning, decompression sickness, and femoral head necrosis faced by manual divers. The overall structure is simple and reliable, using only two standard servo motors as the drive source, with core transmission components being universal connecting rods and sliders, resulting in low manufacturing and maintenance costs. The equipment can operate 24 hours a day without interruption, unaffected by human physical strength, working hours, or inclement weather, significantly reducing the labor and time costs per unit of catch. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the fishing robot from a top-down perspective in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the fishing robot from a downward angle in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a diving robot in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fence panel and storage basket assembly in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a storage basket assembly in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hooking component in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Diving robot; 2. Fence panel, 21 First support plate, 22 Second support plate; 3. Hook assembly, 31 Hook claw, 32 First hook link, 33 Second hook link, 34 Hook crank, 35 Third hook link, 36 Orientation link, 37 Hook guide slider; 4. Storage basket assembly, 41 Crab claw bag opening holder, 42 First storage link, 43 Crab claw link, 44 Storage guide slider, 45 Storage crank, 46 Second storage link, 47 Third storage link, 48 Fourth storage link, 49 Fifth storage link; 5. Underwater probe. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Please see Figure 1-6 The present invention provides a technical solution: An underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method includes a submersible robot 1. A fence plate 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the submersible robot 1. A hook assembly 3 and a collection basket assembly 4 are arranged opposite each other on the inner side of the fence plate 2. An underwater probe 5 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the fence plate 2, located on one side of the collection basket assembly 4. The robot's motion and attitude control are based on a standard ROV submersible robot 1, whose frame integrates a control compartment and a battery compartment. At least two longitudinal propellers and four horizontal propellers are symmetrically arranged on the frame. Combined with built-in buoyancy materials, a navigation and positioning system, a communication system, and a lighting system, it can achieve omnidirectional underwater movement, hovering positioning, and real-time data transmission.

[0023] The bottom of the submersible robot 1 is fixedly connected to a fence panel 2. The fence panel 2 is composed of a front baffle, a rear baffle, a left side panel, and a right side panel, assembled using 135° angle brackets. All panels have a hollow structure, which can effectively reduce underwater travel resistance and provide protection for the internal working mechanism. On the inner side of the fence panel 2, a hook assembly 3 and a storage basket assembly 4 are arranged opposite each other. The hook assembly 3 is mounted on a first support plate 21, and the storage basket assembly 4 is mounted on a second support plate 22. Both support plates are vertically fixed to the inner wall of the fence panel 2. A linear slide rail is also provided on the second support plate 22. An underwater probe 5 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the fence panel 2, located on one side of the storage basket assembly 4, for real-time acquisition of underwater operation footage.

[0024] The hook assembly 3 is the core actuator that mimics the action of manually hooking a long hook. Driven by a single servo motor, the hook 31 can move along a smooth, crescent-shaped trajectory to complete the complete fishing action of dipping, scooping, hooking, and retracting in sequence.

[0025] The hook-and-link drive mechanism uses a first servo motor as its power source, with its output shaft fixedly connected to the hook-and-link crank 34, converting the servo motor's rotational power into planar motion of the linkage mechanism. The free end of the hook-and-link crank 34 is connected to the hinge point of the first hook-and-link 32 and the third hook-and-link 35, driving the two links to move synchronously. The upper end of the first hook-and-link 32 is connected to the top of the hook pawl 31, and the other end of the third hook-and-link 35 is connected to the second hook-and-link 33. The end of the second hook-and-link 33 is connected to the middle of the hook pawl 31. The three hook-and-link links and the hook pawl together form a movable triangular support structure.

[0026] To constrain the motion trajectory of the linkage mechanism, a directional link 36 is connected to the middle of the third hooking link 35. The other end of the directional link 36 is connected to the first support plate 21, providing a stable rotation fulcrum for the entire mechanism. Simultaneously, a hooking guide slider 37 is connected at the hinge point between the first hooking link 32 and the hook 31. This slider can slide along a linear guide rail on the first support plate 21. The side of the hook 31 that contacts the slider has a fan-shaped surface for precisely constraining the rotation angle of the hook. The front hook portion of the hook 31 is fitted with a silicone protective sleeve to prevent mechanical damage to the sea cucumber from rigid contact.

[0027] During operation, the first servo motor drives the hook crank 34 to rotate a full revolution, causing the first hook link 32 and the third hook link 35 to produce planar motion. Under the combined action of the rotational constraint of the directional link 36 and the linear constraint of the hook guide slider 37, the hook 31 is driven to form an approximately crescent-shaped motion trajectory: the front end of the trajectory bends downward to fit the seabed, completing the action of reaching under the sea cucumber; the middle section is approximately horizontal and moves forward, achieving a flat scooping action on the bottom of the sea cucumber; the rear end rises upward, smoothly hooking the sea cucumber and throwing it towards the collection basket assembly 4; finally, the hook 31 returns to the initial position along the trajectory, waiting for the next harvest. The entire action process is smooth and continuous, highly consistent with the posture of manually using a long hook for retrieval.

[0028] The storage basket component 4 is the core mechanism that mimics the action of a human net bag to receive the sea cucumber. It innovatively achieves the linkage effect of "the whole extension is synchronized with the opening of the bag, and the whole retraction is synchronized with the closing of the bag". This not only shortens the time that the sea cucumber moves in the water, but also reduces the risk of water resistance and debris entanglement when the robot moves.

[0029] The storage basket assembly 4 uses a crab claw-shaped bag opening frame 41 as the main support for the storage net. The crab claw-shaped bag opening frame 41 consists of two mutually rotating and connected claw plates, which are symmetrically arranged vertically. The edge of the bag opening of the storage net is fixed to the claw plates by a hexagonal copper post assembly. Two crab claw connecting rods 43 are also connected between the two claw plates, forming a rhombus structure with the two claw plates. The deformation of the rhombus structure can drive the claw plates to open and close. A storage guide slider 44 is connected to the inner side of the hinge position of the two claw plates. This slider can slide along a linear slide rail on the second support plate 22, realizing the overall forward and backward movement of the storage basket assembly.

[0030] The retractable linkage drive mechanism uses a second servo motor as its power source, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the retractable crank 45. A first retractable link 42 is connected to the free end of the retractable crank 45. The first retractable link 42 passes through and slides with the retractable guide slider 44, and its free end is connected to the hinge point of two crab claw links 43, directly driving the rhomboid structure to deform. Simultaneously, a second retractable link 46 is connected to the outer wall of the first retractable link 42. The second retractable link 46 is hinged to the third retractable link 47 and the fourth retractable link 48 in sequence. The end of the third retractable link 47 is fixedly connected to the second support plate 22, forming a stable parallelogram support structure. The two ends of the fifth retractable link 49 are respectively connected to the outer wall of the second retractable link 46 and the retractable guide slider 44, converting the motion of the parallelogram mechanism into the linear sliding of the slider.

[0031] During operation, the second servo motor drives the storage crank 45 to rotate a full revolution, causing the first storage link 42 to move in a planar motion. On one hand, the free end of the first storage link 42 pushes the two crab claw links 43 to rotate relative to each other, causing the rhomboid structure to deform, which in turn causes the two claw plates of the crab claw bag mouth frame 41 to open or close. On the other hand, the first storage link 42, through the parallelogram mechanism composed of the second to fourth storage links, drives the fifth storage link 49 to move, which in turn pushes the storage guide slider 44 to slide back and forth along the linear slide rail, realizing the forward extension and backward retraction of the entire storage basket assembly 4. By pre-adjusting the link size and servo motor phase, precise linkage can be achieved so that the bag mouth is fully open when the storage basket assembly extends forward, and fully closed when it retracts backward. When the hooking component hooks up and throws the sea cucumber, the opened storage net is exactly in the optimal receiving position, and immediately retracts and closes after catching the sea cucumber, effectively preventing the sea cucumber from falling.

[0032] In actual operation, the operator controls the submersible robot 1 to descend to the target sea area via the surface control terminal. The underwater probe 5 transmits the real-time seabed images to the control terminal. After searching for and locating the sea cucumber based on the images, the operator controls the submersible robot to move directly above the target sea cucumber and adjusts its attitude so that the hook 31 is aligned with the bottom of the sea cucumber.

[0033] Then, the first and second servo motors are activated sequentially. The hooking component first performs a downward, horizontal scoop, and hooking motion, throwing the sea cucumbers towards the collection basket. Simultaneously, the collection basket component extends forward and opens its opening to accurately catch the thrown sea cucumbers. After the sea cucumbers fall into the collection net, the collection basket component retracts and closes its opening, completing one harvesting operation. The above process is repeated until the collection net is full. Then, the submersible robot is controlled to rise to the surface to retrieve the harvested sea cucumbers.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "coaxial," "bottom," "one end," "top," "middle," "other end," "upper," "one side," "outer," "inner," "front," "center," "both ends," 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 invention 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 invention.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as “first,” “second,” “third,” or “fourth” may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features.

[0036] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," "connection," "fixing," "screw connection," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Unless otherwise explicitly limited, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method, comprising a diving robot (1), characterized in that: The bottom of the submersible robot (1) is fixedly connected to a fence plate (2). A hook assembly (3) and a storage basket assembly (4) are arranged opposite each other on the inner side of the fence plate (2). An underwater probe (5) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the fence plate (2) and on one side of the storage basket assembly (4). The hooking assembly (3) includes a hook (31) and a hooking linkage drive mechanism, which drives the hook (31) to move along a crescent-shaped trajectory. The storage basket assembly (4) includes a crab claw-type bag opening frame (41), a storage net and a storage linkage drive mechanism. The storage net is sleeved on the crab claw-type bag opening frame (41). The storage linkage drive mechanism is used to drive the crab claw-type bag opening frame (41) to open and close, and at the same time drive the storage basket assembly (4) to extend forward or retract backward as a whole. When it extends, the bag opening opens, and when it retracts, the bag opening closes. The crab claw-type bag holder (41) consists of two hinged claw plates, and two hinged crab claw connecting rods (43) are connected between the two claw plates. The crab claw connecting rods (43) and the two claw plates form a rhomboid connecting rod structure. A storage guide slider (44) is hinged to the inner side of the hinge position of the two claw plates. The storage guide slider (44) is slidably connected to the linear slide rail on the second support plate (22). The retractable linkage drive mechanism includes a retractable crank (45), a first retractable linkage (42), a second retractable linkage (46), a third retractable linkage (47), a fourth retractable linkage (48), and a fifth retractable linkage (49). One end of the storage crank (45) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the second servo motor, and the other end is hinged to one end of the first storage link (42); the first storage link (42) is slidably engaged with the storage guide slider (44), and the free end of the first storage link (42) is hinged to the hinge point of the two crab claw links (43); The outer wall of the first storage link (42) is hinged to one end of the second storage link (46), and the other end of the second storage link (46) is hinged to one end of the third storage link (47); the other end of the third storage link (47) is simultaneously hinged to the second support plate (22) of the fence panel (2) and one end of the fourth storage link (48), and the other end of the fourth storage link (48) is hinged to the outer wall of the second storage link (46); The outer wall of the second storage link (46) is also hinged to one end of the fifth storage link (49), and the other end of the fifth storage link (49) is hinged to the storage guide slider (44).

2. The underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: All surfaces of the fence panel (2) are hollow structures.

3. The underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fence panel (2) also includes a first support plate (21) and a second support plate (22) for supporting the hook assembly (3) and the storage basket assembly (4), respectively, with a linear slide rail provided on the second support plate (22).

4. The underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hooking linkage drive mechanism includes a hooking crank (34), a first hooking linkage (32), a second hooking linkage (33), a third hooking linkage (35), a directional linkage (36), and a hooking guide slider (37). The top of the hook (31) is hinged to one end of the first hooking link (32), and the other end of the first hooking link (32) is hinged to one end of the third hooking link (35); the other end of the third hooking link (35) is hinged to one end of the second hooking link (33), and the other end of the second hooking link (33) is hinged to the middle of the hook (31); The third hooking link (35) is hinged to the middle of the directional link (36), and the directional link (36) is rotatably connected to the first support plate (21) of the fence plate (2); one end of the hooking crank (34) is fixedly connected at the hinge point between the first hooking link (32) and the third hooking link (35), and the other end of the hooking crank (34) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first servo motor; The first hooking link (32) and the hook claw (31) are hinged to the hooking guide slider (37), and the hooking guide slider (37) is slidably connected to the linear guide rail on the first support plate (21).

5. The underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The side of the hook (31) that contacts the hook guide slider (37) is provided with a fan-shaped guide surface; the front end of the hook (31) is covered with a silicone protective sleeve.

6. The underwater sea cucumber harvesting robot based on a simulated manual harvesting method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two clamp plates of the crab claw-type bag opening frame (41) are symmetrically arranged, and the edge of the bag opening of the storage net is fixed to the two clamp plates by a hexagonal copper column assembly.

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