Intelligent tea leaf picking device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of tea leaf picking, in particular to an intelligent tea leaf picking device which comprises a mounting base, a first mechanical arm, a second mechanical arm, a third mechanical arm and a clamping jaw assembly, and the mounting base is detachably connected to a moving device; one end of the first mechanical arm is rotationally connected with the mounting base; and one side of the second mechanical arm is rotationally connected with the first mechanical arm. Through cooperation of the first mechanical arm, the second mechanical arm, the third mechanical arm and the clamping jaw assembly, the clamping jaw assembly can simulate the complex track of manual picking, automatic tea picking can be achieved, the picking efficiency is remarkably improved, manual intervention is reduced, accurate operation can be conducted through the three sections of mechanical arms according to the shape of a tea tree and the distribution condition of tea, and the tea picking efficiency is improved. The clamping jaw assembly is provided with the silica gel pad, the silica gel pad has softness and adaptability, damage of the clamping jaw to the tea can be effectively reduced, the integrity of the tea is protected, and therefore the quality of the tea is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of tea picking technology, and in particular to an intelligent tea picking device. Background Technology

[0002] Tea picking is a crucial step in tea production. Traditional manual picking methods are not only inefficient but also prone to damaging the tea leaves, affecting their quality. Therefore, developing a highly efficient, precise, and automated intelligent tea-picking machine has significant practical value. With the continuous development of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mechanical engineering technologies, intelligent tea-picking machines have become an increasingly important research direction in modern tea production.

[0003] A tea-picking robotic arm from a tea-picking drone, disclosed in CN115777340A, includes a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate, a first arm, a second arm, a picking mechanism, and a collection box. The mounting plate is mounted on the lower part of the drone. The second mounting plate is rotatably positioned below the first mounting plate. Side plates are fixed on both sides of the lower part of the second mounting plate. One end of the first arm is rotatably positioned between the two side plates, and one end of the second arm is rotatably positioned at the end of the first arm away from the side plates, achieving fully automatic picking. Compared to traditional manual picking, this significantly improves efficiency and saves labor costs. However, these tea-picking robotic arms have difficulty picking tea leaves quickly, affecting picking efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem in the existing technology that it is difficult to quickly pick tea leaves, which affects the picking efficiency. It provides an intelligent tea picking device that uses the cooperation of a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a third robotic arm and a gripper assembly. The gripper assembly can simulate the complex trajectory of manual picking, which can realize the automated picking of tea leaves and significantly improve the picking efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an intelligent tea picking device, comprising: a mounting base, a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a third robotic arm, and a gripper assembly. The mounting base is detachably connected to a mobile device. One end of the first robotic arm is rotatably connected to the mounting base. One side of the second robotic arm is rotatably connected to the first robotic arm. One end of the third robotic arm is connected to the second robotic arm, and the other end of the third robotic arm is connected to a gripper connecting seat. The gripper assembly is connected to the gripper connecting seat. A silicone pad is attached to the gripper assembly.

[0006] As a further description of the above technical solution: the gripper assembly includes a rotating component, one side of which is connected to a gripper connecting seat, and the other side of which is connected to an electric telescopic rod. A gripper frame is connected to the electric telescopic rod, and a gripper connected to the telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod is connected to the gripper frame. The gripper is connected to a silicone pad.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution: the silicone pad includes a first pad and a second pad, the first pad is provided with a blade at its end, and the second pad is provided with a groove adapted to the blade at its end.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution: the gripper connector includes a mounting block, a first camera is mounted around the mounting block, a second camera is mounted at the bottom of the mounting block, and a mounting groove is provided on the mounting block.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution: a control box is provided on the mounting base, and the control box contains a composite sensing module, an intelligent control module and an adaptive navigation module.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution: the mounting base is provided with multiple fixing plates in the circumferential direction.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution: servo motors are provided between the first robotic arm, the second robotic arm and the third robotic arm.

[0012] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0013] This invention utilizes a collaborative system of a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a third robotic arm, and a gripper assembly. The gripper assembly can simulate the complex trajectory of manual picking, enabling automated tea harvesting, significantly improving harvesting efficiency, and reducing human intervention. The three robotic arms can perform precise operations based on the shape of the tea tree and the distribution of the tea leaves. The gripper assembly is equipped with a silicone pad, which is soft and adaptable, effectively reducing damage to the tea leaves and protecting their integrity, thereby ensuring the quality of the tea. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent tea picking device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a front view of an intelligent tea picking device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a top view of an intelligent tea-picking device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the silicone pad;

[0018] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the middle gripper connector.

[0019] Legend:

[0020] 1. Mounting base; 2. First robotic arm; 3. Second robotic arm; 4. Third robotic arm; 5. Gripper connector; 6. Gripper assembly; 7. Silicone pad; 8. Control box; 9. Fixing plate; 51. Mounting block; 52. First camera; 53. Second camera; 54. Mounting slot; 61. Rotating component; 62. Electric telescopic rod; 63. Gripper frame; 64. Gripper; 71. First pad; 72. Second pad; 73. Blade; 74. Blade groove; 75. Pressure sensor plate. Detailed Implementation

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

[0022] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "vertical", "up", "down", "horizontal", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0023] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] like Figure 1-5As shown, the intelligent tea picking device of this utility model includes: a mounting base 1, a first robotic arm 2, a second robotic arm 3, a third robotic arm 4, and a gripper assembly 6. The mounting base 1 is detachably connected to the mobile device; one end of the first robotic arm 2 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 1; one side of the second robotic arm 3 is rotatably connected to the first robotic arm 2; one end of the third robotic arm 4 is connected to the second robotic arm 3, and the other end of the third robotic arm 4 is connected to the gripper connecting seat 5; the gripper assembly 6 is connected to the gripper connecting seat 5; a silicone pad 7 is connected to the gripper assembly 6.

[0025] In the technical solution of this utility model, by employing the cooperation of the first robotic arm 2, the second robotic arm 3, the third robotic arm 4, and the gripper assembly 6, the gripper assembly 6 can simulate the complex trajectory of manual picking, thereby realizing automated tea picking, significantly improving picking efficiency, reducing human intervention, and enabling precise operation based on the shape of the tea tree and the distribution of the tea leaves through the three robotic arms. The gripper assembly 6 is equipped with a silicone pad 7, which is soft and adaptable, effectively reducing damage to the tea leaves by the grippers, protecting the integrity of the tea leaves, and thus ensuring the quality of the tea leaves.

[0026] The first robotic arm 2 adopts a hollow carbon fiber arm body with a built-in servo motor driving a harmonic reducer to achieve ±180° horizontal rotation and a maximum torque of 50 N·m, supporting the load-bearing requirements of the subsequent robotic arms. The second robotic arm 3 is equipped with a dual-axis hinge structure, which realizes pitch (0-90°) and yaw (±45°) movements through worm gear transmission, with a movement accuracy of ±0.1mm. The third robotic arm 4 is equipped with a high-sensitivity six-dimensional force sensor at its end to provide real-time feedback on picking resistance data. The surface of the arm body is covered with a flexible anti-scratch coating to avoid damage to branches and leaves when touching tea trees. Each joint uses an integrated servo motor (such as the ECMA series), which integrates an absolute encoder and a temperature monitoring module, supports EtherCAT bus communication, and has a response time of ≤2ms, ensuring the dynamic accuracy of multi-arm coordinated movement.

[0027] Specifically, the mounting base 1 has multiple fixing plates 9 arranged around its perimeter. The mounting base 1 adopts a lightweight aviation aluminum alloy frame, and the bottom integrates an electromagnetic locking mechanism and a shock-absorbing spring assembly to achieve quick docking and stable fixation with mobile devices (such as AGV cars or drones). The multiple fixing plates 9 distributed around its perimeter can be expanded to install auxiliary equipment such as weather sensors and supplementary lights.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the gripper assembly 6 includes a rotating member 61. One side of the rotating member 61 is connected to the gripper connecting seat 5, and the other side of the rotating member 61 is connected to the electric telescopic rod 62. A gripper frame 63 is connected to the electric telescopic rod 62, and a gripper 64 connected to the telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod 62 is connected to the gripper frame 63. The gripper 64 is connected to the silicone pad 7. The rotating member 61 is connected to the gripper connecting seat 5, and its function is to rotate the gripper assembly to a suitable angle so as to accurately grasp the tea leaves. The electric telescopic rod 62 controls the extension and retraction of the gripper frame 63, which can adjust the opening and closing degree of the gripper to adapt to different sizes of tea leaves. The gripper 64 and the silicone pad 7 work together to ensure that the tea leaves are not damaged when gripping them. The silicone pad 7 provides a soft contact surface.

[0029] The rotating component 61 incorporates a miniature planetary gearbox, enabling the gripper 64 to rotate 360° continuously. This, combined with the linear travel (0-50mm) of the electric telescopic rod 62, creates a spiral, progressive harvesting trajectory, simulating manual "twisting" action. The telescopic rod also features a built-in magnetic scale positioning system with a repeatability accuracy of ±0.05mm.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the silicone pad 7 includes a first pad 71 and a second pad 72. The first pad 71 is provided with a blade 73 at its end, and the second pad 72 is provided with a groove 74 adapted to the blade 73 at its end. The first pad 71 and the second pad 72 can be used to hold tea leaves, and the blade 73 and the groove 74 can be used to quickly pick tea leaves in conjunction with the first pad 71 and the second pad 72.

[0031] The first pad 71 and the second pad 72 are made of gradient hardness silicone, and the surface is provided with micro-bump texture to increase the coefficient of friction and prevent the tea leaves from slipping.

[0032] Specifically, the blade 73 is made of ceramic material with a thickness of 0.2mm, and the blade groove 74 has an embedded pressure sensing plate 75. When the clamping force reaches the set value (such as 5N), the cutting action is triggered to ensure that only the stem is cut off and not the blade, with a damage rate of ≤2%.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the gripper connector 5 includes a mounting block 51. A first camera 52 is mounted around the perimeter of the mounting block 51, and a second camera 53 is mounted at the bottom of the mounting block 51. A mounting slot 54 is provided on the mounting block 51. The first camera 52, a wide-angle RGB camera, is used for global scanning of the tea tree canopy, and combined with algorithms, quickly locates the picking area. The second camera 53, a close-range multispectral camera, is mounted at the bottom of the gripper connector 5 to perform texture analysis and maturity assessment of the target buds and leaves. The gripper assembly 6 is installed in the mounting slot 54.

[0034] Multiple first cameras 52 and second cameras 53 are provided to achieve multi-directional scanning, while avoiding the impact on scanning accuracy when one camera is blocked.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a control box 8 is installed on the mounting base 1. The control box 8 contains a composite sensing module, an intelligent control module, and an adaptive navigation module. The composite sensing module integrates millimeter-wave radar, a laser TOF sensor, and an inertial measurement unit to construct a three-dimensional point cloud map of the tea garden and update the obstacle avoidance path of the robotic arm in real time. The intelligent control module uses an improved algorithm and a dynamic window method to fuse path planning and generates the optimal picking path based on the row spacing characteristics of the tea trees. The adaptive navigation module is responsible for the positioning and navigation of the mobile device, enabling the picking equipment to move autonomously in the tea garden, avoid obstacles, find the target tea tree, and adjust its movement speed adaptively. The control box 8 has an embedded processor that runs a lightweight CNN model. The single bud recognition time is ≤30ms, and it supports continuous operation of 100 acres of tea garden per day in offline mode.

[0036] Servo motors are installed between the first robotic arm 2, the second robotic arm 3, and the third robotic arm 4. These servo motors are used to precisely control the movements of each robotic arm, ensuring high precision and high responsiveness.

[0037] Working principle: By employing the cooperation of the first robotic arm 2, the second robotic arm 3, the third robotic arm 4, and the gripper assembly 6, the gripper assembly 6 can simulate the complex trajectory of manual picking, enabling automated tea picking, significantly improving picking efficiency, and reducing human intervention. The three robotic arms can perform precise operations based on the shape of the tea tree and the distribution of the tea leaves. The gripper assembly 6 is equipped with a silicone pad 7, which is soft and adaptable, effectively reducing damage to the tea leaves by the grippers, protecting the integrity of the tea leaves, and thus ensuring the quality of the tea.

[0038] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0039] The preferred embodiments of this utility model disclosed above are merely illustrative of the present utility model. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the utility model to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of this utility model, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize it. This utility model is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. An intelligent tea leaf picking device, characterized in that, include: Mounting base (1), which is detachably connected to the mobile device; The first robotic arm (2) has one end rotatably connected to the mounting base (1); The second robotic arm (3) is rotatably connected to the first robotic arm (2) on one side; The third robotic arm (4) has one end connected to the second robotic arm (3) and the other end connected to the gripper connecting seat (5); A gripper assembly (6) is connected to the gripper connecting seat (5); A silicone pad (7) is connected to the gripper assembly (6), and a blade (73) is provided at the end of the silicone pad (7).

2. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The gripper assembly (6) includes a rotating part (61), one side of which is connected to the gripper connecting seat (5), and the other side of which is connected to the electric telescopic rod (62). A gripper frame (63) is connected to the electric telescopic rod (62), and a gripper (64) connected to the telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod (62) is connected to the gripper frame (63). The gripper (64) is connected to the silicone pad (7).

3. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The silicone pad (7) includes a first pad (71) and a second pad (72). The first pad (71) has a blade (73) at its end, and the second pad (72) has a groove (74) at its end that is adapted to the blade (73).

4. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The gripper connector (5) includes a mounting block (51), a first camera (52) is mounted around the mounting block (51), a second camera (53) is mounted at the bottom of the mounting block (51), and a mounting groove (54) is provided on the mounting block (51).

5. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The mounting base (1) is provided with a control box (8), and the control box (8) is provided with a composite sensing module, an intelligent control module and an adaptive navigation module.

6. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The mounting base (1) is provided with multiple fixing plates (9) in the circumferential direction.

7. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: Servo motors are provided between the first robotic arm (2), the second robotic arm (3), and the third robotic arm (4).

8. The intelligent tea plucking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The first pad (71) and the second pad (72) are made of gradient hardness silicone, and the surfaces of the first pad (71) and the second pad (72) are provided with micro-bump texture.

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