A seedling cutting robot and operation method for synergistically scattering and arranging seedlings by impact, pneumatic and finger pushing

Abstract

The application discloses a seedling cutting robot and a working method for impact-pneumatic-dialing finger collaborative seedling scattering and seedling arrangement, and the seedling cutting robot is composed of a seedling conveying mechanism, an impact device, a pneumatic device, a flexible dialing finger, a detection device, a double-arm cutting mechanism and a target plug conveying mechanism. The seedling conveying process sequentially passes through a seedling feeding area, a seedling scattering area, a seedling arrangement area, a seedling detection area, a cutting area and a cutting working position. The impact device intermittently impacts the supporting plate to make the disordered stacked seedlings vibrate and fly, the pneumatic device blows the flying seedlings by alternately spraying strong and weak air through two nozzles, the disordered and discrete seedlings are orderly arranged in parallel to the conveying direction under the action of the flexible dialing finger, the double-arm cutting mechanism orderly grabs, the detection device cooperates with the double-arm cutting mechanism to complete seedling detection, seedling picking and seedling placing, and high-speed and stable automatic cutting operation is realized. The application significantly improves the cutting efficiency under the condition of disordered seedling supply, and effectively solves the problems of seedling jamming, adhesion and missing cutting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural robots, specifically to a seedling cutting propagation robot and its operation method that uses impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting. Background Technology

[0002] Seedling cultivation is a crucial step in obtaining high-quality vegetables in agricultural production. Traditional sowing and seedling cultivation involves seed selection, soaking and disinfection, germination treatment, preparation of seedling soil, and control of moisture content to provide the necessary water, nutrients, and aeration for germination and root formation. After manual sowing, covering with soil, compacting, and using plastic film for heat and moisture retention, along with ventilation, light exposure, water and fertilizer management, thinning, replanting, and pest and disease prevention, can improve the germination rate. However, this process is highly dependent on human experience and manual operation, easily affected by individual differences and environmental fluctuations, leading to uneven emergence, high labor intensity, low efficiency, and increased management costs, making it difficult to meet the standardized production requirements of modern facility agriculture. Compared to traditional sowing and seedling cultivation, cutting propagation has advantages such as saving seeds, shorter seedling time, and lower costs, and plays an extremely important role in the rapidly developing and large-scale intensive vegetable seedling industry.

[0003] Cutting propagation involves inserting the plant's vegetative organs into soil or substrate for seedling cultivation. However, it currently relies entirely on manual labor, resulting in enormous labor costs. The need for "machine replacement" is urgent and of great significance to the development of the intensive seedling industry. For the automated cutting propagation of vegetable seedlings, scholars both domestically and internationally have conducted research for many years, achieving numerous effective results. Currently, in China, only semi-automatic insertion robots and planting robots are used in nursery cutting operations, while intensive vegetable seedling propagation relies entirely on manual labor. Dutch companies such as ISO Horti Innovators and TTA possess mature fully automated cutting propagation robots, but manual intervention is still required to ensure the dispersed distribution of seedlings. Most existing seedling dispersing methods rely on mechanical vibration, which loosens the seedlings by shaking them up and down on a vibrating table. However, vibration dispersing has the following drawbacks: (1) Vibration dispersing mostly uses only one conveyor belt, which transmits vibration energy to the frame, camera bracket, and conveyor belt, easily affecting visual detection and grasping accuracy; (2) The leaves of the seedlings are mostly adhered by a water film, which is tightly attached and difficult to separate by vibration; (3) The seedlings formed by shaking up and down on the table are disordered, and the robotic arm needs to change its posture significantly to grasp the seedlings, which reduces the cutting efficiency and easily causes strange postures. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a fully automatic cutting robot suitable for intensive seedling cultivation, which can effectively solve the problems of seedling stacking and adhesion and low efficiency of manual seedling dispersing. This is of great significance for liberating labor and rapidly developing the industry in intensive seedling cultivation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing cutting propagation robots, such as seedling leakage and jamming, reliance on manual labor, and poor operational continuity, the present invention aims to provide a seedling cutting robot and its operation method that integrates impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling dispersal and sorting, so as to achieve efficient integrated operation of seedling impact-pneumatic coordinated seedling dispersal, flexible finger sorting, and dual-arm coordinated seedling picking and placing.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the specific technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A seedling propagation robot with impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling dispersal and sorting includes a seedling conveying mechanism, a seedling supply platform, an impact device, an air jet device, a flexible finger, a seedling detection device, a dual-arm propagation mechanism, a hole detection device, a target seedling tray conveying mechanism, and a target seedling tray conveying platform.

[0007] The seedling supply platform and the target seedling tray delivery platform are installed at the same height and are set perpendicular to each other;

[0008] The seedling conveying mechanism and the target seedling tray conveying mechanism are respectively installed at one end of the seedling supply platform and the target seedling tray conveying platform; the seedling conveying mechanism includes conveyor belt I and conveyor belt II located on the same plane, with a gap between conveyor belt I and conveyor belt II, and both are driven by their respective drive mechanisms; the target seedling tray conveying mechanism includes conveyor belt III, which is driven by a corresponding drive mechanism, and multiple seedling tray push rods are installed at intervals on the upper surface of conveyor belt III; the empty hole detection device is installed in the middle of the target seedling tray conveying platform, directly facing conveyor belt III;

[0009] Above the seedling supply platform, along the seedling conveying direction, are sequentially installed an air jet device, a seedling detection device, and a double-arm cutting mechanism; the impact device is installed on the seedling supply platform and located below conveyor belt I; the flexible finger is installed on the seedling supply platform, located between conveyor belt I and conveyor belt II, and the diameter of the flexible finger is larger than the gap between the two conveyor belts.

[0010] The seedling supply platform is divided into seedling loading area A, seedling spreading area B, seedling sorting area C, seedling inspection area D1, and cutting area E along the seedling conveying direction. Above the seedling spreading area B is the seedling stacking area F. The target seedling tray conveying platform is divided into cutting area E and cutting operation position D2 along the seedling conveying direction.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the impact device located in the seedling distribution area B includes a frame base, springs, a tray, and an impact drive component. Several springs are provided between the frame base and the tray. The impact drive component is installed on the frame base and connected to the tray via a telescopic rod. The tray is located below the conveyor belt I, and the frame base is installed on the seedling supply platform. The main controller outputs pulsed impact signals to the impact drive component according to a preset impact cycle, causing the impact drive component to apply an impact to the tray once at regular intervals via the telescopic rod. Under the impact, the tray moves upward instantaneously in the vertical direction, thereby impacting the seedling distribution area B of the conveyor belt I. The seedlings stacked on the surface of the conveyor belt I are lifted into the seedling stacking area F under the action of inertia. After the impact is completed, the spring drives the tray to quickly return to its original position.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the jetting device located in the seedling area B includes an air tank, an air compressor, a jetting controller, a universal adjusting joint, air lines, a jetting pressure regulating valve, and an umbrella-shaped nozzle; one end of each of the two air lines is connected to the jetting pressure regulating valve, and the other end is connected to the umbrella-shaped nozzle. The outlet of the umbrella-shaped nozzle faces the seedling stacking area F. A universal adjusting joint is installed on the umbrella-shaped nozzle. The jetting pressure regulating valve is connected to the air tank through a pipeline, and the air tank is connected to the air compressor; the adjustment of the jetting pressure regulating valve is controlled by the jetting controller.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the ends of the two robotic arms of the double-arm cutting mechanism located in the cutting area E are equipped with seedling-grabbing claws. The two robotic arms drive the seedling-grabbing claws to periodically switch between the seedling-grabbing position and the seedling-releasing position. The seedling-grabbing position is the position in which the seedling-grabbing claws are in a vertical state to grip the seedlings on the conveyor belt II, and the seedling-releasing position is the position in which the seedling-grabbing claws are in a horizontal state to send the seedlings into the cutting position.

[0014] A method for operating a seedling cutting robot that uses impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling dispersal and seedling arrangement includes an impact-pneumatic coordinated seedling dispersal method, a flexible finger-finger directional seedling arrangement method, a seedling detection method, and a seedling cutting method. The seedling cutting method includes a whole-plate cutting operation algorithm module and a seedling replenishment operation algorithm module.

[0015] Furthermore, the impact-pneumatic coordinated seed dispersal method is as follows: the impact device is equipped with a high-speed pulse acquisition module to acquire the impact signal of the impact drive component. When the impact drive component is detected to apply an impact to the support plate through the telescopic rod, the high-speed pulse acquisition module transmits the impact signal to the jet controller. The jet controller controls the valve core opening of the jet pressure regulating valve, thereby changing the strength of the airflow ejected from the two umbrella-shaped nozzles.

[0016] The two umbrella-shaped nozzles create alternating strong and weak turbulent airflows within the seedling stacking area F. The strength of the jet airflow is controlled as follows:

[0017]

[0018] in, , These represent the air pressure of the two umbrella-shaped nozzles on the left and right sides along the direction of seedling delivery. Based on the jet pressure, For time variables, This represents the amplitude of the air pressure change. For a periodically changing function, when At that time, the airflow intensity from the left umbrella-shaped nozzle along the seedling transport direction was greater than that from the right umbrella-shaped nozzle. At that time, the airflow intensity from the left umbrella-shaped nozzle along the seedling transport direction was less than that from the right umbrella-shaped nozzle.

[0019] Furthermore, the flexible finger-shaped seedling orientation method is as follows: the flexible finger located in the seedling orientation area C is a cylindrical structure with multiple thin rods evenly distributed around its periphery. It is made of silicone material and its rotation direction is consistent with that of conveyor belt I and conveyor belt II. During the rotation process, it forms flexible contact with the seedlings on conveyor belt I and is sent to conveyor belt II through elastic feeding and forward combing action, so that the seedlings are arranged in an oriented state that is easy for the double-arm cutting mechanism to grasp in an orderly manner.

[0020] Furthermore, the seedling detection sub-method is as follows: the seedling detection device located in the seedling detection area D1 includes an industrial camera I. The industrial camera I identifies the seedlings on the seedling supply surface of the conveyor belt II and obtains the pixel coordinates in the image coordinate system. After being transformed from the camera coordinate system to the robotic arm coordinate system, the seedlings are grasped by the double-arm cutting mechanism. The number of seedlings detected by the industrial camera I is also used to judge the seedling distribution effect. If the seedling distribution is not qualified, the jet controller adjusts the opening of the jet pressure regulating valve core to increase the basic jet pressure.

[0021] Furthermore, the target seedling trays on the target seedling tray conveying mechanism are grouped into two groups. Along the seedling tray conveying direction, the target seedling tray conveying mechanism controls the conveyor belt III to drive the seedling tray push rods on its surface to the cutting operation position D2. The whole tray cutting operation algorithm module performs the following operations: the two robotic arms located in the cutting area E drive the seedling picking claws to perform cutting operations on the front and rear seedling trays of the cutting operation position D2 respectively. Each robotic arm inserts cuttings into the target seedling trays without seedlings in a fixed order in the opposite direction of the seedling tray conveying direction.

[0022] Furthermore, the seedling replenishment algorithm module performs the following operations: the empty hole detection device located at the cutting operation position D2 includes an industrial camera II. The industrial camera II identifies the position of the empty hole in the target seedling tray and feeds back the position of the empty hole to the dual-arm cutting mechanism. The two robotic arms drive the seedling picking claw to perform motion planning and place seedlings into the empty holes in sequence.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: by using the combined action of impact and airflow to disperse the stacked seedlings, the effect of seedling dispersion is effectively improved; by using flexible finger-manipulation to organize the disordered and loose seedlings, the success rate and efficiency of robotic cutting operations are significantly improved, the rate of missed cuttings and the risk of seedling damage are reduced, and it is especially suitable for large-scale automated cutting production of solanaceous vegetable seedlings. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the seedling cutting robot described in this invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the division of the working area of ​​the seedling cutting robot described in this invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the seedling conveying mechanism described in this invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the seedling supply platform layout for the seedling cutting robot described in this invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the seedling cutting robot operation method described in this invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the impact device described in this invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the jet device described in this invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the control logic for the impact-pneumatic-finger-finger coordinated seedling dispersal and management described in this invention;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible seedling orientation method described in this invention;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the seedling detection device described in this invention;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the insertion sequence of the double-arm insertion mechanism described in this invention;

[0035] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the hole detection device described in this invention;

[0036] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of the target cavity tray conveying platform according to the present invention.

[0037] In the diagram: 1. Seedling conveying mechanism, 2. Seedling supply platform, 3. Seedling, 4. Conveyor belt I, 5. Air jet device, 6. Flexible finger, 7. Seedling detection device, 8. Double-arm cutting mechanism, 9. Conveyor belt II, 10. Hole detection device, 11. Target seedling tray conveying mechanism, 12. Target seedling tray conveying platform, 13. Conveyor belt III, 14. Target seedling tray, 15. Seedling tray push rod, 16. Seedling claw, 17. Air tank, 18. Air compressor, 19. Impact device, 20. Air jet controller, 21. Chain I, 22. Sprocket I, 23. Reducer I, 24. 25. Servo Motor I, 26. Square Ball Bearing, 27. Bearing Adjustment Bracket, 28. Drive Shaft, 29. Chain II, 30. Sprocket II, 31. Sprocket III, 32. Driven Shaft, 33. Reducer II, 34. Servo Motor II, 35. Robot Arm Mounting Plate, 36. Frame Base, 37. Spring, 38. Support Plate, 39. Impact Drive Component, 40. Universal Adjustment Joint, 41. Air Circuit, 42. Air Jet Pressure Regulator Valve, 43. Umbrella-shaped Nozzle, 44. Industrial Camera I, 45. Industrial Camera Mounting Bracket I, 46. Industrial Camera II, 47. Industrial Camera Mounting Bracket II. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, a seedling propagation robot with impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting includes a seedling conveying mechanism 1, a seedling supply platform 2, an impact device 19, an air jet device 5, a flexible finger 6, a seedling detection device 7, a double-arm propagation mechanism 8, a cavity detection device 10, a target seedling tray conveying mechanism 11, and a target seedling tray conveying platform 12. The seedling supply platform 2 and the target seedling tray conveying platform 12 are used to support the entire machine mechanism and provide an installation reference surface, ensuring the relative position stability of the seedling conveying mechanism 1, the impact device 19, the air jet device 5, the flexible finger 6, the seedling detection device 7, the double-arm propagation mechanism 8, the cavity detection device 10, and the target seedling tray conveying mechanism 11, thereby improving the repeatability and stability of the positioning.

[0040] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the seedling supply platform 2 and the target seedling tray conveyor platform 12 are installed at the same height and are placed vertically to ensure that the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 can simultaneously cover the seedling supply conveyor belt II 9 and the seedling release conveyor belt III 13 in space, thus reducing the loss of the robotic arm's stroke.

[0041] like Figure 3 , 4As shown, the seedling conveying mechanism 1 is installed at one end of the seedling supply platform 2. The seedling conveying mechanism 1 includes a conveyor belt I4, a conveyor belt II9, a servo motor I24, a servo motor II33, a reducer I23, a reducer II32, a sprocket I22, a chain I21, a sprocket II29, a chain II28, a drive shaft 27, a driven shaft 31, and a sprocket III30. The servo motor I24 is mounted on the seedling supply platform 2 via a mounting plate. The output shaft of the servo motor I24 is connected to the reducer I23. The reducer I23 is connected to the sprocket I22. The sprocket I22 meshes with one end of the chain I21, and the other end of the chain I21 meshes with the sprocket II29. The sprocket II29 is connected to one end of the drive shaft 27, and both ends of the drive shaft 27 are connected to sprockets. Ⅲ30, sprocket Ⅲ30 meshes with one end of chain Ⅱ28. Square ball bearings 25 are installed on the drive shaft 27 outside sprocket Ⅲ30, and bearing adjustment brackets 26 are installed on the outer ring of the square ball bearings 25. Conveyor belt Ⅰ4 is fixed to chain Ⅱ28 on both sides by clips. The other end of chain Ⅱ28 meshes with driven shaft 31 via a sprocket. Both ends of driven shaft 31 are rotatably connected to the seedling supply platform 2. Servo motor Ⅱ33 is mounted on the seedling supply platform 2 via a mounting plate. The output shaft of servo motor Ⅱ33 is connected to reducer Ⅱ32. The subsequent connection method of reducer Ⅱ32 is also the same as that of reducer Ⅰ23, driving conveyor belt Ⅱ9 through sprockets, chains, and drive / driven shafts, and will not be described further here. A small gap is left between conveyor belt Ⅰ4 and conveyor belt Ⅱ9; in this embodiment, the gap is 50mm.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, an air jet device 5, a seedling detection device 7, and a double-arm cutting mechanism 8 are sequentially installed above the seedling supply platform 2 along the seedling conveying direction. The two robotic arms of the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 are mounted on the seedling supply platform 2 via robotic arm mounting plates 34. An impact device 19 is installed on the seedling supply platform 2 and located below conveyor belt I4. A flexible finger 6 is installed on the seedling supply platform 2, and its diameter is larger than the gap between the two conveyor belts. An air storage tank 17, an air compressor 18, and an air jet controller 20 are installed below the seedling supply platform 2.

[0043] The target cavity tray conveying mechanism 11 is installed on the target cavity tray conveying platform 12. It includes a conveyor belt III 13, which is driven by a servo motor, reducer, sprocket, chain, and main and driven shafts. The cavity detection device 10 is installed in the middle of the target cavity tray conveying platform 12, facing the conveyor belt III 13. Cavity tray push rods 15 are installed at certain intervals on the upper surface of the conveyor belt III 13, which can push the target cavity tray 14 to move. The distance between two adjacent cavity tray push rods 15 is greater than the distance between two adjacent target cavity trays 14, so as to avoid slippage, deviation or stagnation when the target cavity tray 14 is driven by the friction of the conveyor belt III 13 alone.

[0044] like Figure 2 , 3As shown, randomly stacked seedlings 3 are placed on the surface of conveyor belt I4. Servo motor I24 drives reducer I23, which in turn drives sprocket I22. Sprocket I22 drives chain I21, which in turn drives sprocket II29. Sprocket II29 drives drive shaft 27, which in turn drives sprocket III30. Sprocket III30 drives chain II28, which in turn drives driven shaft 31. This, in turn, causes conveyor belt I4 to move along the conveying direction V1 (i.e., the seedling conveying direction), so that the seedlings 3 in upper seedling area A move along the conveying direction V1 into seedling area B. Upper seedling area A is located in the first half of conveyor belt I4, and seedling area B is located in the middle and rear of conveyor belt I4. Servo motor I24 provides a controllable speed under the control of the main controller. The control conveyor belt I4 and reducer I23 are used to increase the output torque of servo motor I24 and reduce speed fluctuations to achieve stable seedling delivery. Servo motor II33 drives reducer II32 to control conveyor belt II9 to move along conveying direction V1 in the same way, causing the dispersed seedlings 3 to stop at the cutting area E. The cutting area E is located in the middle and rear section of conveyor belt II9 and the front section of conveyor belt III13. The target seedling tray conveying mechanism 11 controls conveyor belt III13 to move along conveying direction V2 (i.e., seedling tray conveying direction) in the same way, so that a group of target seedling trays 14 (two as a group) on conveyor belt III13 stop at the cutting operation position D2, so as to facilitate the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 to pick up and place seedlings. The cutting operation position D2 is located in the middle section of conveyor belt III13.

[0045] The speeds v1 of conveyor belt I4, v2 of conveyor belt II9, and v3 of conveyor belt III13 can be expressed as:

[0046]

[0047] Where R is the equivalent radius of the driving / driven shaft, and ω1, ω2, and ω3 are the angular velocities of the driving shafts corresponding to conveyor belts I4, II9, and III13, respectively, they can be expressed as:

[0048]

[0049] Where, ω m1 ω m2 With ω m3 i1, i2, and i3 are the output angular velocities of the servo motors of servo motor I24, servo motor II33, and target cavity plate conveying mechanism 11, respectively, and the reduction ratios of reducers I23, II32, and target cavity plate conveying mechanism 11, respectively.

[0050] like Figure 5As shown, the operation method of the seedling cutting robot consists of an impact-pneumatic coordinated seedling dispersal method, a flexible seedling orientation method, a seedling detection method, and a seedling cutting method. The seedling cutting method includes a whole-plate cutting operation algorithm module and a seedling replenishment operation algorithm module.

[0051] In the impact-aerodynamic synergistic seed dispersal method, such as Figure 6 As shown, the impact device 19 located in the seedling distribution area B consists of a frame base 35, springs 36, a tray 37, and an impact drive component 38. The frame base 35 is mounted on the seedling supply platform 2. Several springs 36 are provided between the frame base 35 and the tray 37. The impact drive component 38 is mounted on the frame base 35 and is connected to the tray 37 via a telescopic rod. The tray 37 is located below the conveyor belt I4. The main controller outputs a pulsed impact signal to the impact drive component 38 according to a preset impact cycle, causing the impact drive component 38 to apply an impact to the tray 37 at regular intervals via the telescopic rod. Under the impact, the tray 37 moves upward in a vertical direction, thereby impacting the seedling distribution area B of the conveyor belt I4. The seedlings 3 stacked on the surface of the conveyor belt I4 are lifted into the seedling stacking area F due to inertia. After the impact, the springs 36 drive the tray 37 to quickly return to its original position, increasing the airflow area between the seedlings 3. The impact signal output by the main controller is:

[0052]

[0053] in, For time variables, Number the impact cycle. The time interval between two adjacent impacts is taken as... , The duration of each impact signal. The number of consecutive impacts. This is a rectangular pulse function. When... At that time, the main controller controls the impact drive component 38 to drive the pallet 37 to move upward rapidly through the telescopic rod, and apply an upward impact to the seedling area B of the conveyor belt I4; when At that time, the impact drive 38 stops outputting, and the support plate 37 returns to its initial position under the action of the spring 36.

[0054] like Figure 1 , 7As shown, the jetting device 5 located in the seedling area B consists of an air tank 17, an air compressor 18, a jetting controller 20, a universal adjusting joint 39, an air passage 40, a jetting pressure regulating valve 41, and an umbrella-shaped nozzle 42. The air tank 17 is connected to the air compressor 18. One end of the two air passages 40 is connected to the jetting pressure regulating valve 41, and the other end is connected to the umbrella-shaped nozzle 42. The umbrella-shaped nozzle 42 is equipped with a universal adjusting joint 39. The jetting pressure regulating valve 41 is connected to the air tank 17 through a pipeline. The air compressor 18 generates compressed air and sends it to the air tank 17 for storage. The compressed air is delivered to the working end of the umbrella-shaped nozzle 42 through the air passage 40. The umbrella-shaped nozzle 42 adjusts the jetting direction and tilt angle through the universal adjusting joint 39 so that the jetting is aimed at the seedling stacking area F on the conveyor belt I4 that is lifted into the air due to the impact. The seedling stacking area F is located above the seedling area B.

[0055] like Figure 8 As shown, the impact device 19 is equipped with a high-speed pulse acquisition module to acquire the impact signal of the impact drive 38. When the impact drive 38 is detected to apply an impact to the support plate 37 through the telescopic rod, the high-speed pulse acquisition module transmits the impact signal to the jet controller 20. The jet controller 20 controls the valve core opening of the jet pressure regulating valve 41, thereby driving the two umbrella-shaped nozzles 42 to spray alternating strong and weak turbulent airflow. The turbulent airflow can generate a lateral shearing effect that alternates between left and right. Compared with the simultaneous spraying of the two umbrella-shaped nozzles 42, it is easier to promote the loosening and separation of the stacked seedlings. The control of the jet airflow strength is as follows:

[0056]

[0057] in, , These represent the air pressure of the two umbrella-shaped nozzles 42 on the left and right sides along the direction of seedling delivery. For time variables, This represents the amplitude of the air pressure change. For a periodically changing function, when At that time, the airflow intensity from the left umbrella-shaped nozzle was greater than that from the right umbrella-shaped nozzle. At that time, the airflow intensity of the left umbrella-shaped nozzle is less than that of the right umbrella-shaped nozzle; in order to prevent the seedlings 3 from being blown away from the conveyor belt I4, the basic air pressure is limited to 0.03~0.10MPa, and the height of the umbrella-shaped nozzle 42 is 150mm and the tilt angle is 10°~25°.

[0058] In the flexible seedling allocation method, such as Figure 2As shown, the flexible finger 6 is located between conveyor belt I4 and conveyor belt II9, i.e., the seedling sorting area C, which consists of the tail section of conveyor belt I4 and the head section of conveyor belt II9. Specifically, the flexible finger 6 is a cylindrical structure with multiple thin rods evenly distributed around its periphery. It is used to adjust the posture, orient, and directionally transport the disordered and loose seedlings 3 after impact and pneumatic dispersion. The rotation direction of the flexible finger 6 is as follows... Figure 9 As shown, the seedlings 3 on conveyor belt I4 form flexible contact and are conveyed to conveyor belt II9 through elastic feeding and forward combing. The stems of the disordered and loose seedlings 3 are arranged parallel to the conveying direction V1 under the adjustment of the flexible finger 6, which makes it easy for the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 to grasp them in an orderly manner. The flexible finger 6 is made of silicone material with a hardness of 60, which will not damage the stems and leaves of the seedlings 3, and can easily come into contact with the conveyor belt II9 to bend elastically, thereby unloading the seedlings 3.

[0059] In the sub-methods for seedling detection, such as Figure 2 , 10 As shown, the seedlings 3, combed by the flexible finger 6, are conveyed by the conveyor belt I4 along the conveying direction V1 to the seedling detection area D1, which is located in the front half of the conveyor belt II9. The seedling detection device 7 located in the seedling detection area D1 consists of an industrial camera I43 and an industrial camera mounting frame I44. The industrial camera I43 is mounted on the industrial camera mounting frame I44, which is mounted on the seedling supply platform 2. The industrial camera I43 identifies the seedlings 3 on the seedling supply surface of the conveyor belt II9 and obtains their coordinate positions, which are used as the target points for the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 to grasp. The industrial camera I43 obtains the pixel coordinates (u,m) of the seedling in the image coordinate system, and converts them into coordinates (x,m) in the industrial camera coordinate system through calibration. c ,y c ):

[0060]

[0061] Where H is the homography matrix, which is obtained through calibration;

[0062] Then transform the industrial camera's I43 coordinate system {C} to the robotic arm's coordinate system {B}:

[0063]

[0064] Among them, P B and P C Let R be the coordinates of the same spatial point in the industrial camera I43 coordinate system {C} and the robotic arm coordinate system {B}, respectively. BC Let T be the rotation matrix. BC Let R be the translation vector. BC T BC The coordinates are determined based on coordinate systems {C} and {B}. This allows the coordinates (x...) to be determined.c ,y c The coordinates are switched to the robotic arm coordinate system, and the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 is used to grasp the seedlings.

[0065] The main controller calculates the seedling dispersal effect index η based on the seedling detection device 7's identification results of seedlings 3, which is used to evaluate the seedling dispersal effect of impact-pneumatic coordinated seedling dispersal.

[0066]

[0067] Where, N s N represents the number of individual seedlings detected by industrial camera I43. t The total number of seedlings is η; if η ≥ 95%, the seedlings are considered qualified. If the seedlings are not qualified, the jet controller 20 controls the opening of the jet pressure regulating valve 41 to increase the basic jet pressure.

[0068] The seedlings 3 on the seedling supply surface of conveyor belt II9 are identified by the seedling detection device 7 along the conveying direction V1 and then enter the cutting area E. At the same time, the target seedling tray 14 is delivered to the cutting operation position D2 by conveyor belt III 13 controlled by the target seedling tray conveying mechanism 11 along the conveying direction V2. Figure 2 As shown, the two robotic arms of the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 located in the cutting area E are equipped with seedling-grabbing claws 16 at their ends. The two robotic arms drive the seedling-grabbing claws 16 to periodically switch between the seedling-grabbing position and the seedling-placing position. When picking up seedlings, the main controller controls the robotic arms to move the seedling-grabbing claws 16 to the seedling surface of the conveyor belt II 9 and keep them in a vertical position. Then, the main controller controls the seedling-grabbing claws 16 to close to clamp the seedling. After picking up seedlings, the main controller controls the robotic arms to move the seedling-grabbing claws 16 to the target seedling tray 14 on the surface of the conveyor belt III 13. During the movement, the seedling-grabbing claws 16 are switched from a vertical position to a horizontal position. When the seedling-grabbing claws 16 reach the cutting area, the robotic arms drive the seedling-grabbing claws 16 to keep them in a horizontal position and insert the seedling into the empty hole position before opening them. After the cutting operation is completed, the main controller controls the robotic arms to reset the seedling-grabbing claws 16 from a horizontal position to a vertical position to perform the next seedling-grabbing operation. In this embodiment, the switching cycle between the seedling-grabbing position and the seedling-placing position is 1.5s.

[0069] In the seedling cutting propagation method, there are two operation modes depending on the task, which are implemented by the whole tray cutting operation algorithm module and the supplementary seedling operation algorithm module, respectively:

[0070] The first method involves propagating the entire tray of cuttings in the target seedling tray 14 where no seedlings have yet been planted. Figure 2 , 11 As shown, two seedling-free target trays 14 are grouped together. Two robotic arms located in the cutting area E drive the seedling-grabbing claws 16 to hold the seedlings 3 and perform cutting operations on the front and rear trays in opposite directions along the conveying direction V2, in order to prevent the two robotic arms from colliding and interfering.

[0071] The second method involves supplementing the seedlings by cuttings in the target seedling trays (14) that are not yet full. Figure 12 , 13 As shown, the empty hole detection device 10 located at the cutting operation position D2 includes an industrial camera II 45 and an industrial camera mounting bracket II 46. The industrial camera mounting bracket II 46 is installed on the target seedling tray conveying platform 12, and the industrial camera II 45 is installed on the industrial camera mounting bracket II 46. The industrial camera II 45 identifies the position of the empty hole in the target seedling tray 14 with missing seedlings and feeds back the position of the empty hole to the dual-arm cutting mechanism 8. The two robotic arms drive the seedling picking claw 16 to perform motion planning and place seedlings into the empty holes in sequence (the motion planning is existing technology).

[0072] After the cutting operation is completed, the target seedling tray conveying mechanism 11 controls the conveyor belt Ⅲ 13 to drive the seedling tray push rod 15 fixed on its surface to move along the conveying direction V2. Since the friction between the target seedling tray 14 and the conveyor belt Ⅲ 13 is small, slippage will occur. Therefore, the seedling tray push rod 15 pushes the full seedling target seedling tray 14 away from the cutting work position D2. At the same time, the target seedling tray behind is also pushed into the cutting work position D2 by the seedling tray push rod 15, and continues to work in conjunction with the double-arm cutting mechanism 8 to ensure the continuity of the task.

[0073] Thus, the seedling cutting robot completes the fully automatic cutting operation through the coordinated operation of the seedling conveying mechanism 1, the seedling supply platform 2, the impact device 19, the air jet device 5, the flexible finger 6, the seedling detection device 7, the double-arm cutting mechanism 8, the cavity detection device 10, the target seedling tray conveying mechanism 11, and the target seedling tray conveying platform 12.

[0074] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any obvious improvements, substitutions or modifications that can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essence of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A seedling cutting propagation robot with impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting, characterized in that, It includes a seedling conveying mechanism (1), a seedling supply platform (2), an impact device (19), an air jet device (5), a flexible finger (6), a seedling detection device (7), a double-arm cutting mechanism (8), a hole detection device (10), a target seedling tray conveying mechanism (11), and a target seedling tray conveying platform (12). The seedling supply platform (2) and the target seedling tray conveying platform (12) are installed at the same height and are set vertically. The seedling conveying mechanism (1) and the target seedling tray conveying mechanism (11) are respectively installed at one end of the seedling supply platform (2) and the target seedling tray conveying platform (12); the seedling conveying mechanism (1) includes conveyor belt I (4) and conveyor belt II (9) located on the same plane, with a gap between conveyor belt I (4) and conveyor belt II (9), and both are driven by their respective drive mechanisms; the target seedling tray conveying mechanism (11) includes conveyor belt III (13), which is driven by a corresponding drive mechanism, and multiple seedling tray push rods (15) are installed at intervals on the upper surface of conveyor belt III (13); the empty hole detection device (10) is installed in the middle position of the target seedling tray conveying platform (12), and it is set directly opposite to conveyor belt III (13); Above the seedling supply platform (2), along the seedling conveying direction, are sequentially installed an air jet device (5), a seedling detection device (7), and a double-arm cutting mechanism (8); the impact device (19) is installed on the seedling supply platform (2) and located below the conveyor belt I (4); the flexible finger (6) is installed on the seedling supply platform (2) and located between the conveyor belt I (4) and the conveyor belt II (9), and the diameter of the flexible finger (6) is greater than the gap between the two conveyor belts; The seedling supply platform (2) is divided into seedling area A, seedling area B, seedling sorting area C, seedling detection area D1, and cutting area E along the seedling conveying direction. Above the seedling area B is the seedling stacking area F. The target seedling tray conveying platform (12) is divided into cutting area E and cutting operation position D2 along the seedling conveying direction.

2. The seedling cutting propagation robot with impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The impact device (19) located in the seedling area B includes a frame base (35), springs (36), a tray (37) and an impact drive (38); several springs (36) are provided between the frame base (35) and the tray (37), the impact drive (38) is installed on the frame base (35), and the impact drive (38) is connected to the tray (37) through a telescopic rod. The tray (37) is located below the conveyor belt I (4), and the frame base (35) is installed on the seedling supply platform (2); The main controller outputs a pulsed impact signal to the impact drive (38) according to the preset impact cycle, so that the impact drive (38) applies an impact to the pallet (37) once every certain time through the telescopic rod; the pallet (37) moves upward in the vertical direction under the impact, and then impacts the seedling area B of the conveyor belt I (4) upward. The seedlings (3) stacked on the surface of the conveyor belt I (4) enter the seedling stacking area F under the action of inertia. After the impact is completed, the spring (36) drives the pallet (37) to quickly reset.

3. The seedling cutting propagation robot with impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The jetting device (5) located in the seedling area B includes an air tank (17), an air compressor (18), a jetting controller (20), a universal adjusting joint (39), an air passage (40), a jetting pressure regulating valve (41), and an umbrella-shaped nozzle (42); one end of the two air passages (40) is connected to the jetting pressure regulating valve (41), and the other end is connected to the umbrella-shaped nozzle (42). The outlet of the umbrella-shaped nozzle (42) faces the seedling stacking area F. A universal adjusting joint (39) is provided on the umbrella-shaped nozzle (42). The jetting pressure regulating valve (41) is connected to the air tank (17) through a pipeline. The air tank (17) is connected to the air compressor (18). The adjustment of the jetting pressure regulating valve (41) is controlled by the jetting controller (20).

4. The seedling cutting propagation robot with impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The two robotic arms of the double-arm cutting mechanism (8) located in the cutting area E are equipped with seedling claws (16). The two robotic arms drive the seedling claws (16) to periodically switch between the seedling picking position and the seedling placing position. The seedling picking position is the position in which the seedling claws (16) are in a vertical position to pick up the seedlings (3) on the conveyor belt II (9). The seedling placing position is the position in which the seedling claws (16) are in a horizontal position to send the seedlings (3) into the cutting position.

5. A method for operating a seedling cutting propagation robot that uses impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading and sorting, characterized in that, The seedling cutting robot based on any one of claims 1-4, comprising an impact-pneumatic-finger coordinated seedling spreading-seedling arrangement method, a flexible finger-finger directional seedling arrangement method, a seedling detection method, and a seedling cutting method, wherein the seedling cutting method includes a whole-plate cutting operation algorithm module and a seedling replenishment operation algorithm module.

6. The operating method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The impact-pneumatic coordinated seed dispersal method is as follows: The impact device (19) is equipped with a high-speed pulse acquisition module to acquire the impact signal of the impact drive (38). When the impact drive (38) is detected to apply an impact to the support plate (37) through the telescopic rod, the high-speed pulse acquisition module transmits the impact signal to the jet controller (20). The jet controller (20) controls the valve core opening of the jet pressure regulating valve (41), thereby changing the strength of the airflow ejected by the two umbrella-shaped nozzles (42). The two umbrella-shaped nozzles (42) create alternating strong and weak turbulent airflows within the seedling stacking area F. The strength of the jet airflow is controlled as follows: in, , These are the air pressures of the two umbrella-shaped nozzles (42) on the left and right sides along the seedling transport direction, respectively. Based on the jet pressure, For time variables, This represents the amplitude of the air pressure change. For a periodically changing function, when At that time, the airflow intensity from the left umbrella-shaped nozzle along the seedling transport direction was greater than that from the right umbrella-shaped nozzle. At that time, the airflow intensity from the left umbrella-shaped nozzle along the seedling transport direction was less than that from the right umbrella-shaped nozzle.

7. The operating method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flexible finger (6) located in the seedling area C is a cylindrical structure with multiple thin rods evenly distributed around its periphery. It is made of silicone and its rotation direction is consistent with that of conveyor belt I (4) and conveyor belt II (9). During the rotation process, it forms flexible contact with the seedlings (3) on conveyor belt I (4) and sends them to conveyor belt II (9) through elastic feeding and forward combing, so that the seedlings (3) form an oriented arrangement that is easy for the double-arm cutting mechanism (8) to grasp in an orderly manner.

8. The operating method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The seedling detection method is as follows: The seedling detection device (7) located in the seedling detection area D1 includes an industrial camera I (43). The industrial camera I (43) identifies the seedlings (3) on the seedling supply surface of the conveyor belt II (9) and obtains the pixel coordinates in the image coordinate system. After the camera coordinate system is transformed to the robotic arm coordinate system, the seedlings are grasped by the double-arm cutting mechanism (8). The number of seedlings detected by the industrial camera I (43) is also used to judge the seedling distribution effect. If the seedling distribution is not qualified, the jet controller (20) adjusts the opening of the jet pressure regulating valve (41) to increase the basic jet pressure.

9. The operating method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The target seedling trays (14) on the target seedling tray conveying mechanism (11) are in groups of two. Along the seedling tray conveying direction, the target seedling tray conveying mechanism (11) controls the conveyor belt III (13) to drive the seedling tray push rod (15) on its surface to deliver to the cutting operation position D2. The whole tray cutting operation algorithm module performs the following operations: the two robotic arms located in the cutting area E drive the seedling claw (16) to perform cutting operations on the front and rear seedling trays of the cutting operation position D2 respectively. Each robotic arm inserts the seedlings into the target seedling trays (14) without seedlings in a fixed order in the opposite direction of the seedling tray conveying direction.

10. The operating method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The seedling replenishment algorithm module performs the following operations: The empty hole detection device (10) located at the cutting operation position D2 includes an industrial camera II (45) and an industrial camera mounting bracket II (46). The industrial camera II (45) identifies the position of the empty hole in the target seedling tray (14) and feeds back the position of the empty hole to the double-arm cutting mechanism (8). The two robotic arms drive the seedling picking claw (16) to perform motion planning and place seedlings into the empty holes in sequence.

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