Natural rubber cutting-harvesting dual-mode robot

Abstract

The application discloses a natural rubber cutting and collecting dual-mode robot, which comprises a walking mechanism, a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm, a terminal quick-release joint, a rubber cutting device, a rubber collecting terminal and a residual rubber scraping assembly, and a controller is configured to execute a rubber cutting operation mode and a rubber collecting operation mode. The terminal quick-release joint can quickly replace the rubber cutting device or the rubber collecting terminal, realizing one machine with two functions. The rubber cutting device realizes spiral rubber cutting through cooperation of upper and lower gear guide rails with a screw rod arranged at a spiral angle, and closed-loop feedback control of cutting depth is realized through cooperation of double profiled wheels and a rope displacement sensor. The rubber collecting terminal adopts an underactuated dexterous hand, and different shapes of rubber bowls are passively and flexibly self-adaptively gripped through springs. The residual rubber scraping assembly drives a polyurethane scraping sheet to clean and scrape the inner wall of the rubber bowl through a connecting rod and a gear mechanism. The application solves the problems of independent rubber cutting and collecting equipment and high idle rate, improves the collection rate and process continuity, and is suitable for natural rubber full-process collection operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural machinery, and more particularly to a dual-mode robot for tapping and harvesting natural rubber. Specifically, this invention relates to the technical field of a fully automated natural rubber harvesting robot that integrates tapping, harvesting, and scraping of excess rubber. Background Technology

[0002] Natural rubber, as an important industrial raw material, is widely used in medical and machinery manufacturing fields, and market demand continues to grow. Natural rubber is primarily obtained by tapping rubber trees for latex harvesting. Rubber trees are perennial, tall trees, reaching 20-30 meters in height and 25-40 centimeters in diameter at breast height, with smooth, grayish-white bark. There is a significant difference in timing between tapping and harvesting. Tapping typically takes place around 2:00 AM, when the latex pressure in the tree's ducts reaches its peak. A slanted incision is made in the phloem to induce latex outflow. Harvesting takes place around 9:00 AM, after the latex has been drained and collected in containers before being harvested. Based on the physiological recovery patterns of rubber trees, an interval of at least 48 hours is usually required between each tapping-harvesting process.

[0003] Currently, the natural rubber industry mainly relies on manual tapping and harvesting, which is inefficient, labor-intensive, and involves harsh working conditions and long hours. In recent years, rubber plantations across the country have begun to adopt intelligent and automated tapping technologies. For example, publicly available automated tapping robots include tree wrapping strips, tapping manipulators, lifting devices, and controllers. The tapping manipulators use elastic movement devices to drive the cutter head along an arc-shaped track to achieve tapping. In addition, there are intelligent rubber tree tapping systems using high-pressure water jet cutting modules, as well as tapping robots fixed to the rubber trees by clamping mechanisms. However, most existing intelligent tapping technologies only employ the single process of "tapping," requiring separate harvesting after tapping. Currently, the rubber industry lacks robots that integrate tapping and harvesting.

[0004] Because there is a several-hour interval between tapping (early morning) and collecting (morning), the tapping and collecting processes are separated. Using separate equipment not only doubles the cost of agricultural machinery but also results in extremely high equipment idle rates during non-operational periods, hindering the realization of the comprehensive benefits of digital management in forest farms. Traditionally, collecting rubber is mainly done in the morning, when the rubber plantation is hot, humid, and teeming with mosquitoes. Long-term, high-intensity physical labor has led to a severe aging of rubber workers, and the difficulty in recruiting and soaring labor costs have become core bottlenecks restricting the large-scale development of the rubber industry. Furthermore, manual collecting makes it difficult to thoroughly clean the solidified latex from the inner wall and bottom of the rubber drum. If this residual latex is not scraped off in time, it not only directly depletes natural rubber resources but also, over time, contaminates subsequent latex production, and even reduces the volume and lifespan of the rubber drum. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dual-mode robot for natural rubber tapping and harvesting, in order to solve the problems of independent natural rubber tapping and harvesting equipment and high equipment idle rate in the prior art, thereby improving the continuity of the production process and the harvesting rate of natural rubber.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: The natural rubber tapping and harvesting dual-mode robot includes a walking mechanism, a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, an end-effector quick-release connector, a rubber-tapping device, a rubber-harvesting end, and a residual rubber scraping assembly.

[0007] The walking mechanism includes a chassis platform and a walking chassis. The chassis platform is equipped with a controller, a vision recognition system, a power module, and a center of gravity adjuster. A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is mounted on the chassis platform. The working end of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm is equipped with a rotating end seat and a rotational power device for driving the rotating end seat to rotate. One end of the quick-release connector is fixed to the robotic arm, and the other end is fixed to the glue collection end and the glue cutting device, for quick disassembly and replacement after the glue cutting or collection process is completed.

[0008] The rubber tapping device includes a tree fixing mechanism and a tapping mechanism. The tree fixing mechanism uses a tree-clamping cylinder to push a connecting rod to clamp the tree for fixation. The tapping mechanism includes an upper gear guide rail and a lower gear guide rail, which are fixed together by a hinged connection using a fixing rod. The upper gear guide rail is equipped with a motor that drives a lead screw, which in turn drives the tapping tip to tap the rubber. The upper and lower gear guide rails are fixed together by the hinged connection using a lead screw motor. The lead screw is driven by a lead screw motor and has a tapping tip on it. The extension direction of the upper gear guide rail is set at a helical angle to the extension direction of the lower gear guide rail. Driven by the tapping motor, the tapping lead screw moves synchronously along the upper and lower gear guide rails, causing the tapping tip assembly to perform a helical upward motion relative to the tree trunk.

[0009] The receiving end is installed at one end of the quick-release connector and adopts a dexterous hand five-finger structure. Each finger uses a servo motor, and each knuckle is equipped with a tension spring, which connects to the proximal phalanx of each knuckle. When the finger contacts irregular surfaces such as the edge of the rubber cup, the spring provides passive flexibility, allowing the finger to adaptively deform according to the curvature of the cup. The servo motor integrates a DC motor, a reduction gear set, a position sensor, and a control circuit board. The tension spring is fixed to the output end of the servo motor. The knuckles of the dexterous hand five-finger structure are connected in a multi-link series, with each servo motor driving multiple knuckles of one finger. When grasping the rubber cup, at least two fingers contact the inner wall of the cup, and at least one finger contacts the outer wall.

[0010] The residual adhesive scraping assembly includes a drive scraping end moving structure and a scraping end mounted on a chassis platform. The drive scraping end moving structure is located on the chassis platform and drives the scraping end to move back and forth. The scraping end can scrape away residual adhesive in the adhesive bowl.

[0011] The controller is configured to execute a rubber tapping operation mode and a latex collection operation mode: In the rubber tapping operation mode, the end quick-release connector connects to the rubber tapping device, which forms a tapping trajectory on the rubber tree and collects latex into a latex bowl; in the latex collection operation mode, the end quick-release connector connects to the latex collection end, which grasps the latex bowl based on the latex bowl's orientation identified by the vision recognition system and transfers the latex from the latex bowl to a latex collection box on the traveling mechanism. The controller is also configured to, in the latex collection operation mode, drive the residual latex scraping assembly to perform a contour-following scraping action on the inner wall of the tilted latex bowl and guide the scraped residual latex to the latex collection box.

[0012] In one specific embodiment, the "grasping based on the pose of the plastic bowl identified by the visual recognition system" specifically includes: First, the visual recognition system acquires an image containing the plastic bowl through its depth camera, identifies the plastic bowl region in the image using a pre-trained target detection model, and calculates the six-degree-of-freedom pose of the plastic bowl in the camera coordinate system based on depth information. This pose includes the three-dimensional spatial position and spatial orientation of the plastic bowl. Second, based on the pre-completed hand-eye calibration results, the pose of the plastic bowl in the camera coordinate system is converted to the robot arm base coordinate system. Finally, based on the converted plastic bowl pose and combined with a preset grasping strategy (e.g., aligning the grasping center of the plastic end with the center of mass of the plastic bowl and matching the orientation of the plastic end with the opening direction of the plastic bowl), a collision-free grasping trajectory is generated through motion planning. The robot arm is controlled to move the plastic end along the trajectory to the target grasping pose and drive the clamping mechanism of the plastic end to move, thereby completing the stable grasping of the plastic bowl. Preferably, the gripping force can be detected in real time by a force sensor during the gripping process to prevent the gripping force from being too large and damaging the rubber cup, or too small and causing the rubber cup to slip off.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the end quick-release connector is fixed to one end of the robotic arm, connected to the robotic arm via a fixing ring and screws, and fixed to the glue collection end and the glue cutting device via screws. A return spring is provided directly below the button on the end quick-release connector, which allows the snap-fit ​​structure to be inserted into the snap-fit ​​hole.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution, the rubber tree fixing mechanism is driven by a tree-clamping cylinder, which pushes a connecting rod to clamp the rubber tree. The tree-attaching structure is located at the contact point between the connecting rod and the tree and is made of a flexible material. The extension amount of the piston rod of the tree-clamping cylinder is adjusted in a closed loop by a controller based on the feedback signal of the rubber tree's diameter at breast height (DBH) to maintain the clamping force of the flexible tree-attaching pad on the trunk within a preset threshold range.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution, the tapping end consists of an upper contour wheel, a lower contour wheel, and a tapping blade. The upper and lower contour wheels are equipped with rope displacement sensors at their rear ends, and a return spring is located at the outer end of the rope. The contour wheels extend and retract via a contour adjustment rod mounted on the tapping end frame. The tapping end frame is mounted on a lead screw, and the tapping blade is mounted on a blade holder. The blade holder is connected to a cylinder, and the blade holder and cylinder are fixed together via a Y-joint. The cylinder is fixed to the tapping end frame. The upper and lower contour wheels are arranged axially along the trunk, and the upper and lower rope displacement sensors respectively collect the displacement of the upper and lower contour wheels in real time. The controller dynamically adjusts the extension of the piston rod of the blade drive cylinder based on the displacement difference between the upper and lower rope displacement sensors to maintain a constant cutting depth between the tapping blade and the trunk surface.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution, the drive structure for moving the scraper end comprises an eccentric wheel, a slider, a first connecting rod, and a second connecting rod. The eccentric wheel is driven by a motor, and the slider is fixed to the eccentric wheel by welding or other methods. The first connecting rod has a slot, and the slider is disposed within the slot of the first connecting rod. The second connecting rod is hinged to the lower end of the first connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is fixed to the chassis. The upper end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the scraper end.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution, the scraping end comprises a third link, a fourth link, a fifth link, an external meshing gear, and a scraping blade. The third link is driven to rotate by a motor, the left end of the fourth link is hinged to the third link, and the right end is hinged to the fifth link. The fifth link oscillates and is connected to the external meshing gear, which is fixedly connected to the scraping blade.

[0018] As a preferred technical solution, the scraper blade is a polyurethane scraper blade.

[0019] As a preferred technical solution, when the glue-collecting end performs the glue-collecting operation, the controller controls it sequentially according to the following timing sequence: the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm moves the glue-collecting end to directly above the glue bowl; the vision recognition system collects the three-dimensional point cloud data of the glue bowl; the controller calculates the grasping posture and diameter of the glue bowl based on the three-dimensional point cloud data; the controller calculates the target rotation angle of each servo motor based on the diameter, and drives each finger to open to the corresponding grasping posture; the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm moves the glue-collecting end downward, so that each finger contacts the glue bowl; the controller monitors the current feedback value of each servo motor in real time; when the current feedback value exceeds a preset threshold, it determines that the finger... The glue bowl has been reliably contacted; the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm drives the glue collection end to rise and flip, pouring the latex in the glue bowl into the glue collection box; the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm drives the glue collection end to move to the working area of ​​the residual glue scraping assembly, and the controller drives the horizontal feed drive mechanism to send the scraping end frame into the inside of the glue bowl; the controller drives the scraping motor to rotate forward, so that the polyurethane scraper scrapes from the first limit position to the second limit position on the inner wall of the glue bowl, and then drives the horizontal feed motor to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the polyurethane scraper moves outward from the bottom of the inner wall of the glue bowl, taking the scraped residual glue away from the glue bowl; the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm drives the glue collection end to put the scraped glue bowl back in its original position.

[0020] As a preferred technical solution, the controller is further configured to determine the starting coordinates of the current tapping operation based on the endpoint coordinates of the tapping trajectory of the previous tapping operation collected by the visual recognition system in the tapping operation mode, so that the tapping device restarts tapping in a direction offset from the previous tapping operation by a preset angle, thereby forming a rotational harvesting of tree bark.

[0021] As a preferred technical solution, during the process of the polyurethane scraper scraping from the first limit position to the second limit position, the controller simultaneously controls the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm to drive the glue collection end to make a slight lifting motion along the axis of the glue bowl, so that the scraping trajectory of the polyurethane scraper on the inner wall of the glue bowl is spiral-shaped, increasing the coverage area of ​​a single scraping.

[0022] As a preferred technical solution, the controller is further configured to: when performing the scraping action, if the visual recognition system detects that the area of ​​residual latex adhering to the inner wall of the latex bowl is greater than a preset threshold, then repeat the forward scraping and reverse carrying actions until the adhering area is less than the preset threshold. The controller is also configured to record the number of times each latex bowl is scraped, and associate the number of scraping times with the corresponding latex bowl's identification information in the controller's memory, for evaluating the coagulation characteristics of rubber latex in different regions.

[0023] The present invention, by adopting the above-described technical solution, has the following beneficial effects: This invention utilizes a quick-release end connector, enabling the same robot to flexibly switch between rubber tapping and harvesting modes. Only one chassis and robotic arm system are needed to complete the entire "tapping-harvesting" process, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies where rubber tapping and harvesting equipment are independent and have limited functionality. This significantly reduces the purchase and maintenance costs of agricultural machinery, solves the problem of high idle rates for individual equipment during non-operational periods, and improves the overall utilization rate of the equipment.

[0024] This invention employs a dexterous hand structure with a tension spring at the glue-collecting end. Addressing the issue of uneven glue bowl contours or glue residue on the edges making gripping difficult in real-world environments, the passive flexibility provided by the spring allows the fingers to adaptively deform according to the bowl's curvature when they contact irregular surfaces like the glue bowl. The fingers can penetrate deep into the glue bowl, flexibly adjusting the position and posture of each knuckle as needed, thus achieving a stable and precise grip on glue bowls in various complex shapes.

[0025] This invention utilizes a residual rubber scraping assembly that drives a polyurethane scraper blade via a linkage and gear mechanism to simulate the action and trajectory of manual rubber scraping. During operation, the scraper blade adheres to the inner wall of the rubber bowl for cleaning, effectively removing solidified residual rubber from the inner wall and bottom of the bowl. This reduces direct loss of natural rubber and effectively prevents subsequent latex contamination and reduced bowl volume caused by long-term accumulation of residual rubber, thus extending the service life of the rubber bowl.

[0026] This invention utilizes a dual-sensor feedback structure—combining an upper and lower contour wheel with a rope displacement sensor—to achieve real-time closed-loop control of tapping depth during rubber tapping. When there are protrusions or depressions on the tree trunk surface, the controller dynamically adjusts the cutter drive cylinder based on the difference between the upper and lower displacement sensors, ensuring that the tapping blade's cutting depth remains consistent and effectively preventing tree damage or insufficient tapping depth.

[0027] This invention automates the entire glue collection process by integrating timing control logic into the controller, automatically executing actions such as glue bowl identification, grasping, tilting, glue scraping, and resetting in the optimal sequence. Simultaneously, a visual recognition system detects the effect of glue scraping, determines whether a repetition mechanism is needed, and records and stores the number of times glue is scraped from each glue bowl, enabling data-driven management of the harvesting process. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The disclosure of this invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same parts. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the quick-release connector at the end of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rubber tapping device of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rubber-cutting end of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the glue collection end of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a side view of the glue collection end of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the residual adhesive scraping assembly of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the adhesive scraping end of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100—End quick-release connector; 101—Quick-release drive slider; 102—Quick-release locking tongue; 103—Quick-release housing; 104—Quick-release base; 105—Quick-release fixing screw; 106—Quick-release return spring; 200—Rubber tapping device; 201—Rubber tapping motor; 202—Rubber tapping gear; 203—Rubber tapping screw; 204—Rubber tapping gear track; 205—Tree clamping cylinder; 206—Tree clamping linkage assembly; 207—Tree attaching structure; 208—Rubber tapping end frame; 209—Rope displacement sensor; 210—Following wheel; 211—Cutter drive cylinder; 212—Rubber tapping cutter head; 213—Cutter clamp; 214—Following wheel return spring; 215—Following wheel push rod; 300—Glue retraction end; 301—Servo motor; 302—Servo motor joystick; 303—First transmission spring; 304—Four-finger assembly; 305—Dexterous hand first link; 306—Four-finger fixing bracket; 307—Opposite finger; 308—Dexterous hand second link; 309—Dexterous hand connector; 310—Dexterous hand third link; 311—Second transmission spring; 312—Dexterous hand fourth link; 400—Residual glue scraping assembly; 401—Horizontal feed motor; 402—Motor shaft; 403—Drive wheel; 404—Slider; 405—First horizontal feed link; 406—Second horizontal feed link; 407—Fixed shaft; 408—Horizontal feed slide bar; 409—Glue scraping frame; 410—Glue scraper blade; 411—Pin pinion gear; 412—Glue scraping motor; 413—First glue scraping link; 414—Second glue scraping link; 415—Third glue scraping link; 416—Large glue scraping gear; 417—Fixed rod; 500-degree-of-freedom robotic arm; 600—Walking mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0030] For ease of understanding, based on the technical solutions of the present invention, those skilled in the art can propose various interchangeable structural methods and implementations without altering the essential spirit of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative examples of the technical solutions of the present invention and should not be considered as the entirety of the invention or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solutions of the present invention. Example

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot includes an end-effector quick-release connector 100, a tapping device 200, a harvesting end 300, a residual rubber scraping assembly 400, a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500, and a walking mechanism 600.

[0032] The 600 walking mechanism includes a chassis platform and a walking chassis. The walking chassis is a tracked chassis used for movement within rubber plantations. The chassis platform houses a controller, a vision recognition system, a power module, and a center of gravity adjuster. The controller is a computer host with vision processing and intelligent algorithms, including a control cabinet containing a CPU, memory modules, a motherboard, hard drive, and other hardware. It includes an intelligent algorithm module, a vision processing module, a side-mounted intelligent display screen, control buttons, and a one-button start / stop button. It can issue movement commands to the chassis to control its movement, and can also perform obstacle avoidance and autonomous navigation within the forest. The vision recognition system is a vision camera used for locating rubber trees during tapping, locating rubber cups during latex collection, and detecting the effect after scraping the latex.

[0033] A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 is fixedly mounted on a walking mechanism 600, with a quick-release end connector 100 connected to its end. It is used to drive the rubber-cutting device 200 and the rubber-collecting end 300 to perform multi-degree-of-freedom movement and attitude adjustment within space. The specific structure and control principle of the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 are common knowledge well-known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated here. Any robotic arm capable of driving the rubber-cutting device 200 and the rubber-collecting end 300 to perform spatial displacement is applicable to this invention.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, one end of the quick-release connector 100 is fixed to the quick-release housing 103 by a quick-release fixing screw 105, and the other end is fixed to the rubber cutting device 200 and the rubber receiving end 300 by a quick-release base 104. The quick-release connector 100 includes a quick-release housing 103, a quick-release latch 102 disposed inside the quick-release housing 103, a quick-release drive slider 101 for retracting the quick-release latch 102, and a quick-release return spring 106 disposed between the quick-release latch 102 and the quick-release housing 103.

[0035] The quick-release latch 102 has a wedge-shaped guide surface facing the second interface. When the second interface is inserted axially into the quick-release housing 103, it pushes the wedge-shaped guide surface to retract the quick-release latch 102. After the second interface is fully inserted, the quick-release return spring 106 drives the quick-release latch 102 to extend and engage in the lock hole of the second interface. When the rubber cutting or rubber collection operation is completed, pressing the button on the upper end of the quick-release drive slider 101 can move the quick-release latch 102 inward, causing the latch to retract and thus disassembling the rubber cutting device 200 or the rubber collection end 300. Stopping the pressing of the quick-release drive slider 101 will cause the quick-release drive slider 101 to reset due to the elasticity of the quick-release return spring 106, so that the latch of the quick-release latch 102 springs back and extends, so as to install the rubber cutting device 200 or the rubber collection end 300 for the next operation. The quick-release drive slider 101 is provided with a manual pressing part. When the manual pressing part is pressed, it drives the quick-release latch 102 to retract and release the second interface.

[0036] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the rubber tapping device 200 includes a rubber tree fixing mechanism and a rubber tapping mechanism.

[0037] The rubber tree fixing mechanism consists of a tree-clamping cylinder 205, a tree-clamping linkage 206, and a tree-attaching structure 207. Before tapping, the tree-clamping linkage 206 is in the open state, and the tree-clamping cylinder 205 is in the closed state. When tapping begins, the tree-clamping linkage 206 is positioned outside the rubber tree, the tree-clamping cylinder 205 extends, the tree-clamping linkage 206 gradually closes, and the tree-attaching structure 207 adheres tightly to the rubber tree until a set pressure is reached, thus fixing the tapping device 200 to its relative position. The tree-attaching structure 207 is located at the contact point between the linkage and the tree and is made of a flexible material such as rubber or polyurethane. The extension amount of the piston rod of the tree-clamping cylinder 205 is adjusted in a closed loop by a controller based on the feedback signal of the rubber tree's diameter at breast height (DBH) to maintain the clamping force of the flexible tree-attaching pad on the trunk within a preset threshold range, which is 50N to 200N, preferably 100N to 150N. The lower limit of the clamping force of 50N is set to ensure that there is no relative displacement between the device and the tree trunk during the rubber tapping process, ensuring the stability of the cutting trajectory of the tapper. The upper limit of the clamping force of 200N is set to prevent excessive clamping force from causing pressure damage to the bark surface or affecting the normal physiological function of the sieve tubes inside the bark. The extension of the piston rod of the tree clamping cylinder 205 is adjusted in a closed loop by the electronic control unit 701 based on the feedback signal of the diameter at breast height of the rubber tree obtained by the depth camera 702. When the clamping force of the flexible tree pad 207 on the tree trunk is less than 50N, the electronic control unit 701 controls the tree clamping cylinder 205 to continue to extend to increase the clamping force; when the clamping force is higher than 200N, the electronic control unit 701 controls the tree clamping cylinder 205 to retract slightly to reduce the clamping force, so that the clamping force is always maintained within the preset threshold range.

[0038] Rubber tapping mechanism: The motor shaft of the rubber tapping motor 201 is coaxially connected to the rubber tapping screw 203 via a coupling. The rubber tapping screw 203 has rubber tapping gears 202 at its upper and lower ends, and a rubber tapping end frame 208 is located in the intermediate transmission section. The rubber tapping gears 202 mesh with the rubber tapping gear rail 204, which, along with the tree clamping cylinder 205, is fixed to the frame by welding, hinge, or other means. The extension direction of the upper gear guide rail is set at a helical angle to the extension direction of the lower gear guide rail 204.

[0039] The rubber tapping process is driven by the rubber tapping motor 201, which rotates the rubber tapping screw 203. The rubber tapping gear 202, fixed to the rubber tapping screw 203, rotates, causing the rubber tapping screw 203 to move in a semi-circular motion along the upper and lower rubber tapping toothed tracks 204. Simultaneously, a fixed optical shaft is provided parallel to the rubber tapping screw 203, and this shaft is slidably connected to the rubber tapping end frame 208. When the rubber tapping screw 203 rotates, it causes the rubber tapping end frame 208 to move upwards as a whole. This combination of semi-circular and upward motion causes the rubber tapping screw 203 to move synchronously along the upper and lower gear guides under the drive of the rubber tapping motor 201, achieving a spiral upward movement of the rubber tapping end frame 208, which in turn causes the rubber tapping head 212 to cut a spiral curve.

[0040] rubber tapping end: like Figure 4 As shown, the rubber tapping end frame 208 is equipped with a rope displacement sensor 209, a contour wheel 210, a cutter drive cylinder 211, a rubber tapping head 212, a cutter clamp 213, a contour wheel return spring 214, and a contour wheel push rod 215. A pressure sensor is installed at the contact point between the rubber tapping end frame 208 and the contour wheel push rod 215. The upper and lower contour wheels 210 are arranged axially along the trunk and are telescopically mounted on the end frame 208 via the contour push rod 215. The upper rope displacement sensor and the lower rope displacement sensor 209 respectively collect the displacement of the upper and lower contour wheels 210 in real time.

[0041] During rubber tapping, the rope displacement sensor 209 is set to a certain stretching length, the pressure sensor reading is zero, and the tapping head 212 moves closer to the tree trunk until the contour wheel 210 contacts the tree surface. At this point, the pressure sensor reaches the set pressure value, and the tapping head 212 contacts the tree surface to tap the rubber. When encountering a protrusion on the rubber tree trunk surface, the stretching length of the rope displacement sensor 209 shortens, and the pressure sensor reading exceeds the set pressure value. Based on the displacement difference between the upper and lower rope displacement sensors 209, the controller retracts the cutter drive cylinder 211. When encountering a depression on the rubber tree trunk surface, the stretching length of the rope displacement sensor 209 increases, and the pressure sensor reading falls below the set pressure value. Based on the displacement difference between the upper and lower rope displacement sensors 209, the controller extends the cutter drive cylinder 211. The controller dynamically adjusts the extension of the piston rod of the cutter drive cylinder 211 based on the displacement difference between the upper and lower rope displacement sensors 209, so as to keep the cutting depth between the rubber tapping head 212 and the tree trunk surface constant. The cutter clamp 213 is used to replace the rubber tapping head 212 or adjust the extension length of the rubber tapping head 212. The cutter head fixing seat and the cutter drive cylinder 211 are fixed by a Y-type connector.

[0042] End of glue removal: like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the retractor end 300 adopts a dexterous hand five-finger structure, which simulates the proximal, middle, and distal phalanges of a human hand and uses a multi-link underactuated structure. The retractor end 300 includes a base, five servo motors 301 mounted on the base, and an underactuated dexterous hand composed of five fingers. Each of the five fingers is driven by one of the five servo motors 301, with each finger being independently driven by one servo motor 301.

[0043] Each finger has a multi-link serial structure, including the proximal phalanx, middle phalanx, and distal phalanx. A servo joystick 302 is connected to the output shaft of a servo motor 301. The servo joystick 302 is connected to a first transmission spring 303 and a second transmission spring 311. The first transmission spring 303 connects to the four-finger assembly 304, and the second transmission spring 311 connects to the opposing finger 307. The proximal phalanx is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor 301 via the servo joystick 302 and the first transmission spring 303, while the distal phalanx is connected to the middle phalanx via the second transmission spring 311. The first link 305 of the dexterous hand connects the middle segment of the four-finger assembly 304 to the hand bone frame; the third link 310 of the dexterous hand connects the proximal and distal phalanges of the four-finger assembly 304; the second link 308 of the dexterous hand connects the proximal and distal phalanges of the opposing finger 307; and the fourth link 312 of the dexterous hand connects the middle segment of the opposing finger 307 to the hand bone frame, with the connection point using screws.

[0044] When grasping the plastic bowl, the retractable end 300 descends to above the bowl, with the four-finger assembly 304 positioned at the inner edge. During grasping, the controller, based on feedback from the visual recognition system regarding the bowl's diameter and orientation, controls the rotation angle of each servo motor 301, ensuring at least two fingers (four-finger assembly 304) contact the inner wall of the bowl and at least one finger (opposite finger 307) contacts the outer wall. The servo motor 301 operates, causing multiple finger joints to bend downwards sequentially via four linkages. The four-finger assembly 304 adheres to the inner wall of the bowl, while the opposite finger 307 adheres to the outer wall. Due to the bowl's curved shape, the end finger joint contacts the bowl wall first. At this point, the first and second transmission springs 303 deform, allowing the four-finger assembly 304 and the opposite finger 307 to further approach the outer contour of the bowl under continuous power output. The first transmission spring 303 and the second transmission spring 311 undergo passive flexible deformation upon contact with the rubber cup, adapting to the contour surface of the rubber cup. By setting the stop angle of the servo joystick 302 on the servo motor 301, it is possible to grasp rubber cups of different shapes. The first transmission spring 303 and the second transmission spring 311 act as a flexible buffer, preventing damage to the rubber cup due to uneven contours caused by residual adhesive on the cup and excessive gripping force.

[0045] Residual adhesive scraping assembly: (a) Structure for driving the scraper end to move like Figure 7 As shown, the horizontal feed motor 401 drives the scraper end movement structure to achieve horizontal feed motion. The horizontal feed motor 401 is connected to the motor shaft 402, and the motor shaft 402 is connected to the center of the drive wheel 403. The scraper end movement structure includes an eccentric wheel (i.e., the drive wheel 403), a slider 404, a first horizontal feed link 405, and a second horizontal feed link 406. The slider 404 is welded to the drive wheel 403 and placed in the groove of the first horizontal feed link 405. The first horizontal feed link 405 is hinged to the second horizontal feed link 406. The fixed shaft 407 is fixed to the traveling mechanism 600 and hinged to the second horizontal feed link 406. The horizontal feed slide bar 408 slides on the traveling mechanism 600. During operation, the position of the scraper end is adjusted according to the position of the scraper blade 410. The position of the scraper end is adjusted by the scraper end movement structure driven by the horizontal feed motor 401, which drives the scraper end to move. When the eccentric wheel 403 rotates, the sliding of the slider 404 in the groove drives the scraper end frame 409 to perform reciprocating linear motion.

[0046] (ii) End of scraping adhesive like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the scraper end includes a scraper frame 409 and a scraper actuator mounted on the scraper frame 409. The motor shaft of the scraper motor 412 is fixed to the first scraper link 413 by welding or other means. The first scraper link 413 is hinged to the second scraper link 414, and the second scraper link 414 is hinged to the third scraper link 415. The third scraper link 415 is fixed to the large scraper gear 416 by a keyway, and the large scraper gear 416 meshes with the small scraper gear 411. The small scraper gear 411 is fixed to the scraper blade 410 by a pin or other means. The entire structure is fixed to the scraper frame 409 by a fixing rod 417. The scraper blade 410 is a polyurethane scraper blade.

[0047] During the scraping process, the horizontal feed motor 401 drives the scraper tip to move to the rightmost end via the horizontal feed slide bar 408. At this point, the scraper blade 410 is positioned inside the glue bowl, and the third scraper linkage 415 is at its left extreme position. Then, the scraper motor 412 drives the entire scraper tip's hinged four-bar linkage to rotate. Specifically, the scraper motor 412 drives the first scraper linkage 413 to swing, which in turn drives the large scraper gear 416 to rotate via the second scraper linkage 414 and the third scraper linkage 415. After being accelerated by the small scraper gear 411, the small scraper gear 411 drives the polyurethane scraper blade 410 to perform an arc-shaped scraping motion on the inner wall of the glue bowl. This causes the third scraper linkage 415 to move to its right extreme position, at which point the scraper blade 410 has scraped the entire glue bowl. Finally, the horizontal feed motor 401 drives the scraper tip to move to the leftmost end via the horizontal feed slide bar 408, scraping the remaining latex into the collection box on the traveling mechanism 600, completing the entire process. To avoid incomplete scraping of the adhesive, the above steps can be repeated multiple times until the inside of the adhesive bowl is completely cleaned.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, as the polyurethane scraper 410 scrapes from the first limit position to the second limit position, the controller simultaneously controls the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 to drive the glue collection end 300 to make a slight lifting motion along the axis of the glue bowl, so that the scraping trajectory of the polyurethane scraper 410 on the inner wall of the glue bowl is spiral-shaped, increasing the coverage area of ​​a single scraping.

[0049] Sequence control of glue collection operation: When the controller is configured to perform the glue collection operation mode, it is controlled sequentially according to the following timing sequence: Step 1: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 moves the glue collection end 300 to directly above the glue bowl. The vision recognition system collects the three-dimensional point cloud data of the glue bowl, and the controller calculates the grasping pose and diameter of the glue bowl based on the three-dimensional point cloud data. Step 2: The controller calculates the target rotation angle of each servo motor 301 according to the aperture size, and drives each finger to open to the corresponding grasping posture of the aperture. Step 3: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 drives the glue collection end 300 to descend, so that each finger makes contact with the glue bowl. The controller monitors the current feedback value of each servo motor 301 in real time. When the current feedback value exceeds the preset threshold, it is determined that the finger has reliably contacted the glue bowl. Step 4: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 drives the glue collection end 300 to rise and flip, pouring the latex in the glue bowl into the glue collection box. Step 5: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 moves the glue collection end 300 to the working area of ​​the excess glue scraping assembly 400, and the controller drives the horizontal feed drive mechanism to send the scraping end frame 409 into the glue bowl. Step 6: The controller drives the scraper motor 412 to rotate forward, so that the polyurethane scraper 410 scrapes from the first limit position to the second limit position on the inner wall of the glue bowl. Then, the controller drives the horizontal feed motor 401 to rotate in the reverse direction, so that the polyurethane scraper 410 moves outward from the bottom of the inner wall of the glue bowl, and removes the scraped excess glue from the glue bowl. Step 7: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 drives the glue collection end 300 to put the cleaned glue bowl back in its original position.

[0050] During step six, if the visual recognition system detects that the area of ​​residual latex adhering to the inner wall of the rubber bowl is greater than a preset threshold, the forward scraping and reverse carrying actions in step six are repeated until the adhering area is less than the preset threshold. The controller is also configured to record the number of times the latex is scraped from each rubber bowl and associate the number of scrapings with the corresponding identification information of the rubber bowl in the controller's memory for evaluating the coagulation characteristics of rubber latex in different areas.

[0051] Rubber tapping operation mode control: In the rubber tapping operation mode, the controller determines the starting coordinates of the current tapping based on the endpoint coordinates of the previous tapping trajectory collected by the visual recognition system, so that the tapping device 200 restarts tapping in a direction offset from the previous tapping at a preset angle, thereby forming a rotational harvesting of tree bark.

[0052] Specifically: After completing the previous tapping stroke, the electronic control unit 701 records the tilt angle and spatial position of the tapping line relative to the bark surface. When rotating the tapping surface for harvesting is required, the electronic control unit 701, according to a preset tapping schedule, controls the floating advancement mechanism 200 to drive the cutting execution mechanism 500 to restart tapping along a direction offset from the previous tapping stroke at a preset angle, thus forming a rotating harvesting of the bark. The preset angle offset specifically includes: when switching between a positive tapping line and a negative tapping line, the tapping line tilt angle is offset by 10~20°; when rotating adjacent tapping lines within the same tapping surface, the offset angle between the two tapping lines is 5~15°. The electronic control unit 701 controls the tapping surface rotation cycle according to the preset tapping schedule, which can be a rotation every tapping stroke, every several tapping strokes, or a rotation based on a time cycle. During tapping face rotation, the electronic control unit 701 simultaneously controls the limiting mechanism 400 to readjust the position of the limiting slider 402 according to the bark thickness of the new tapping face, so that the maximum cutting depth of the tapper is adapted to the bark thickness of the current tapping face. Through the precise control of the electronic control unit 701, this invention can automatically complete the tapping line angle offset, tapping face rotation cycle control, and adaptive adjustment of the limiting mechanism, achieving fully automated multi-face tapping operations.

[0053] Overall machine workflow: The robot's overall movement principle is as follows: At dawn, the end-effector quick-release connector 100 connects to the rubber tapping device 200, and the walking mechanism 600 moves to the side of the rubber tree. The rubber tree fixing mechanism fixes the rubber tapping device 200 to the trunk, and the rubber tapping device performs rubber tapping operations on the rubber tree. At daybreak, the end-effector quick-release connector 100 is replaced and connected to the latex-collecting end 300. The walking mechanism 600 moves to the location of the latex bowl, and the latex-collecting end 300 grasps the latex-collecting bowl. The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 500 moves the latex bowl to the right of the residual latex scraping component 400 to pour out the latex. The residual latex scraping component 400 then scrapes off any remaining latex inside the bowl, and finally, the empty bowl is returned to its original position.

[0054] The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the content described above. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the above embodiments without departing from the technical concept of this invention, and all such modifications and variations should fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A dual-mode robot for tapping and harvesting natural rubber, characterized in that, include: The walking mechanism (600) has a chassis platform and a controller, a vision recognition system and a center of gravity adjustment module disposed on the chassis platform; A multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) has its fixed end mounted on the chassis platform and its working end end equipped with a rotating end seat; The end quick-release connector (100) has a first interface fixedly connected to the rotating end seat, and a second interface detachably connected to either the rubber cutting device (200) or the rubber collecting end (300). The controller is configured to perform rubber tapping and rubber collection operations: In the rubber tapping operation mode, the end quick-release connector (100) is connected to the rubber tapping device (200), and the rubber tapping device (200) forms a tapping trajectory on the rubber tree and collects latex into the rubber bowl; In the glue collection operation mode, the end quick-release connector (100) is connected to the glue collection end (300), and the glue collection end (300) grasps the glue bowl based on the glue bowl posture identified by the vision recognition system and transfers the latex in the glue bowl to the glue collection box on the walking mechanism (600). And an excess adhesive scraping assembly (400) is provided on the chassis platform; The controller is also configured to: in the glue collection mode, drive the residual glue scraping assembly (400) to perform a contour scraping action on the inner wall of the tilted glue bowl, and guide the scraped residual glue to the glue collection box; The glue collection end (300) includes a base, five servo motors (301) mounted on the base, and an underactuated dexterous hand consisting of five fingers, each of which is independently driven by one of the servo motors (301). Each of the fingers is a multi-link serial structure, including a proximal phalanx, a middle phalanx and a distal phalanx. The proximal phalanx is connected to the output shaft of the servo motor (301) through a servo motor rocker arm (302) and a first transmission spring (303). The distal phalanx is connected to the middle phalanx through a second transmission spring (311). When the controller grasps the plastic bowl, it controls the rotation angle of each of the servo motors (301) according to the diameter and posture of the plastic bowl fed back by the vision recognition system, so that at least two of the fingers contact the inner wall side of the plastic bowl and at least one of the fingers contact the outer wall side of the plastic bowl. The first transmission spring (303) and the second transmission spring (311) generate passive flexible deformation after the fingers contact the plastic bowl, so as to adapt to the contour surface of the plastic bowl.

2. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The rubber tapping device (200) includes a rubber tree fixing mechanism and a rubber tapping execution mechanism; The rubber tree fixing mechanism includes a tree clamping cylinder (205), a tree clamping linkage group (206) driven by the tree clamping cylinder (205), and a tree-attaching structure (207) located at the end of the tree clamping linkage group (206). The piston rod extension of the tree clamping cylinder (205) is adjusted in a closed loop by the controller according to the feedback signal of the diameter at breast height of the rubber tree, so that the clamping force of the tree-attaching structure (207) on the trunk is maintained within a preset threshold range. The rubber tapping actuator includes an upper gear guide rail, a lower gear guide rail (204), a rubber tapping screw (203) slidably disposed between the upper gear guide rail and the lower gear guide rail (204), a rubber tapping motor (201) that drives the rubber tapping screw (203) to rotate, and a rubber tapping end assembly mounted on the rubber tapping screw (203). The extension direction of the upper gear guide rail is set at a helical angle with the extension direction of the lower gear guide rail (204). The rubber tapping screw (203) moves synchronously along the upper gear guide rail and the lower gear guide rail (204) under the drive of the rubber tapping motor (201), so that the rubber tapping end assembly makes a spiral upward motion relative to the tree trunk.

3. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The tapping end assembly includes a tapping end frame (208), an upper contour wheel and a lower contour wheel (210) mounted on the tapping end frame (208), an upper pull rope displacement sensor and a lower pull rope displacement sensor (209) respectively linked to the upper contour wheel and the lower contour wheel (210), a cutter drive cylinder (211), a tapping cutter head (212), and a cutter head fixing seat fixedly connected to the piston rod of the cutter drive cylinder (211); The upper contour wheel and the lower contour wheel (210) are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the tree trunk and are each telescopically mounted on the rubber tapping end frame (208) via contour push rods (215). The upper pull rope displacement sensor and the lower pull rope displacement sensor (209) respectively collect the displacement of the upper contour wheel and the lower contour wheel (210) in real time. The controller dynamically adjusts the piston rod extension of the cutter drive cylinder (211) based on the displacement difference between the upper pull rope displacement sensor and the lower pull rope displacement sensor (209) so that the cutting depth between the cutting edge of the rubber tapping head (212) and the tree trunk surface remains constant.

4. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The residual glue scraping assembly (400) includes a horizontal feed drive mechanism installed on the chassis platform, a scraping end frame (409) connected to the output end of the horizontal feed drive mechanism, and a scraping actuator installed on the scraping end frame (409). The horizontal feed drive mechanism includes a horizontal feed motor (401), an eccentric wheel (403) driven by the horizontal feed motor (401), a slider (404) fixed on the eccentric wheel (403), a horizontal feed first link (405) with a groove, and a horizontal feed second link (406) hinged to the horizontal feed first link (405). One end of the horizontal feed second link (406) is hinged to the fixed bracket of the walking mechanism (600). When the eccentric wheel (403) rotates, the slider (404) slides in the groove, driving the scraper end frame (409) to perform reciprocating linear motion. The scraping actuator includes a scraping motor (412), a scraping first link (413) driven by the scraping motor (412), a scraping second link (414) hinged to the scraping first link (413), a scraping third link (415) hinged to the scraping second link (414), a scraping large gear (416) coaxially fixed to the scraping third link (415), a scraping small gear (411) meshing with the scraping large gear (416), and a polyurethane scraping blade (410) fixedly connected to the scraping small gear (411). The controller controls the scraper motor (412) to drive the first scraper link (413) to swing, which in turn drives the scraper gear (416) to rotate through the second scraper link (414) and the third scraper link (415). After being accelerated by the scraper pinion (411), the scraper blade (410) is driven to perform an arc-shaped scraping motion on the inner wall of the glue bowl.

5. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 4, characterized in that: When the controller is configured to execute the glue collection operation mode, it controls the operation sequentially according to the following timing sequence: Step 1: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) moves the glue-collecting end (300) to directly above the glue bowl. The vision recognition system collects the three-dimensional point cloud data of the glue bowl. The controller calculates the grasping pose and diameter of the glue bowl based on the three-dimensional point cloud data. Step 2: The controller calculates the target rotation angle of each of the servo motors (301) according to the aperture size, and drives each of the fingers to open to the grasping posture of the corresponding aperture; Step 3: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) drives the glue-collecting end (300) to descend, so that each of the fingers contacts the glue bowl. The controller monitors the current feedback value of each of the servo motors (301) in real time. When the current feedback value exceeds the preset threshold, it is determined that the finger has reliably contacted the glue bowl. Step 4: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) drives the glue collection end (300) to rise and flip, pouring the latex in the glue bowl into the glue collection box; Step 5: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) drives the glue collection end (300) to move to the working area of ​​the excess glue scraping assembly (400), and the controller drives the horizontal feed drive mechanism to send the scraping end frame (409) into the inside of the glue bowl; Step 6: The controller drives the scraper motor (412) to rotate forward, so that the polyurethane scraper blade (410) scrapes from the first limit position to the second limit position on the inner wall of the glue bowl. Then, the controller drives the horizontal feed motor (401) to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the polyurethane scraper blade (410) moves outward from the bottom of the inner wall of the glue bowl, and removes the scraped excess glue from the glue bowl. Step 7: The multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) drives the glue collection end (300) to put the cleaned glue bowl back in its original position.

6. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to determine the starting coordinates of the current tapping operation based on the endpoint coordinates of the tapping trajectory of the previous tapping operation collected by the visual recognition system in the tapping operation mode, so that the tapping device (200) restarts tapping in a direction offset from the previous tapping operation by a preset angle, so as to form a rotational harvesting of tree bark.

7. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: in step six, during the process of the polyurethane scraper (410) scraping from the first limit position to the second limit position, simultaneously control the multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm (500) to drive the glue collection end (300) to make a slight lifting movement along the axial direction of the glue bowl, so that the scraping trajectory of the polyurethane scraper (410) on the inner wall of the glue bowl is spiral, thereby increasing the coverage area of ​​a single scraping.

8. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The end quick-release connector (100) includes a quick-release housing (103), a quick-release latch (102) disposed inside the quick-release housing (103), a quick-release drive slider (101) for driving the quick-release latch (102) to retract, and a quick-release return spring (106) disposed between the quick-release latch (102) and the quick-release housing (103). The quick-release latch (102) has a wedge-shaped guide surface facing the second interface. When the second interface is inserted into the quick-release housing (103) along the axial direction, the wedge-shaped guide surface is pushed to retract the quick-release latch (102). After the second interface is inserted into place, the quick-release return spring (106) drives the quick-release latch (102) to extend and lock into the lock hole of the second interface. The quick-release drive slider (101) is provided with a manual pressing part. When the manual pressing part is pressed, it drives the quick-release locking tongue (102) to retract to release the second interface.

9. The natural rubber tapping-harvesting dual-mode robot as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: when performing step six, if the visual recognition system detects that the area of ​​residual glue adhering to the inner wall of the glue bowl is greater than a preset threshold, then repeat the forward scraping and reverse carrying actions in step six until the adhering area is less than the preset threshold. The controller is also configured to record the number of times each of the rubber bowls is scraped, and to associate the number of scrapings with the identification information of the corresponding rubber bowls and store them in the controller's memory, for evaluating the coagulation characteristics of rubber latex in different regions.

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