Automatic egg-picking double-station robot

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic egg picking-up double-station robot which comprises a walking mechanism, and a first mechanical arm, a second mechanical arm and a storage container are arranged on the walking mechanism; the picking clamp comprises a transfer part and an egg picking part, the egg picking part comprises a mounting seat and a plurality of rod bodies, the rod bodies are fixed on the mounting seat, and the plurality of rod bodies are sequentially arranged side by side at intervals in the length direction of the mounting seat; the image recognition mechanism comprises a processor, a first image collector and a second image collector, and the first image collector and the second image collector are respectively connected with the processor. The duck eggs are automatically picked up, so that the labor intensity of workers is reduced, and the picking efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of aquaculture equipment technology, and in particular relates to an automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the continuous expansion of poultry farms, the demand for automation in poultry farming is increasing. Regarding the egg-laying characteristics of ducks, in their natural environment, ducks tend to choose concealed nesting sites that are difficult for predators to find (such as grassy areas, bushes, or watersides). This instinct extends to breeding ducks in farms; even when artificially raised, they will still seek similar safe environments to lay eggs. In farms, ducks are trained to develop regular egg-laying habits through methods such as fixed feeding and controlled lighting. For example, setting up fixed nesting locations on the ground allows ducks to gradually adapt to specific locations, thus developing the habit of laying eggs in their chosen nests. Furthermore, after laying eggs, ducks will cover them with rice husks or wood shavings laid in the nest. If the egg-laying environment in the nest undergoes significant changes (such as the rice husks or wood shavings being disturbed), it may cause anxiety in the ducks, even leading to a halt in egg laying, exhibiting the physiological characteristic of "nest recognition." Due to the nest-recognizing and egg-laying characteristics of breeding ducks, it is impossible to adopt the same feeding methods as chickens to achieve automatic egg collection followed by manual egg collection. Manual egg collection requires frequent squatting and bending (note: a worker may squat and bend over more than 1000 times a day), resulting in high labor intensity. Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 216452652 U discloses a tracked intelligent egg-collecting vehicle based on visual SLAM, which can achieve automatic egg collection. However, this solution cannot collect eggs from nests located on the ground. Breeding ducks lay eggs in their nests and then cover them with bedding, making it easy to miss eggs. Therefore, designing a technology to automatically collect duck eggs to reduce labor intensity and improve collection efficiency is the technical problem this application aims to solve. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides an automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot that can automatically pick up duck eggs to reduce the labor intensity of workers and improve the picking efficiency.

[0004] To achieve the above technical objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] In one aspect, this application provides an automated egg-collecting dual-station robot, comprising:

[0006] A walking mechanism, wherein a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, and a storage container are provided on the walking mechanism;

[0007] The picking clamp includes a transfer component and an egg picking component. The egg picking component includes a mounting base and multiple rods. The rods are fixed on the mounting base, and the multiple rods are arranged side by side at intervals along the length of the mounting base.

[0008] An image recognition mechanism, comprising a processor, a first image acquisition unit, and a second image acquisition unit, wherein the first image acquisition unit and the second image acquisition unit are respectively connected to the processor;

[0009] The egg-collecting component is mounted on the mounting end of the first robotic arm via the mounting base, and is configured to scoop up eggs from the nest; the distance between two adjacent rods is less than the size of the egg; the first image acquisition device is mounted on the first robotic arm;

[0010] The transfer component is mounted on the mounting end of the second robotic arm, and the transfer component is configured to pick up the egg from the egg-picking component; the second image acquisition device is mounted on the second robotic arm.

[0011] The processor is configured to control the operation of the egg-collecting component based on the image information acquired by the first image acquisition device;

[0012] The processor is also configured to control the operation of the transfer component based on image information acquired by the second image acquisition device.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The first image acquisition device can automatically identify the location of the laying nest, enabling the egg-collecting component to accurately reach into the corresponding nest and scoop up the eggs. Because the egg-collecting component uses multiple spaced rods to scoop the eggs, during the scooping process, the component can insert into the bedding material of the laying nest and extend under the egg. After the component is lifted, the egg will fall between two adjacent rods, and the bedding material will slide down between them. This reduces excessive changes in the laying nest caused by the bedding material being moved out with the egg, ensuring the breeding ducks are unaware that the nest has been disturbed. The transfer component can automatically pick up and transfer the eggs from the egg-collecting component, requiring no manual intervention. The walking mechanism enables autonomous movement of the equipment, expanding its working range. Compared with existing technologies, this invention achieves full automation of the duck egg collection process, significantly reducing the labor intensity of workers, improving work efficiency, and promoting the healthy and sustainable production of breeding ducks.

[0014] In one embodiment of this application, the rod is an arc-shaped rod with a recessed structure formed on it.

[0015] In one embodiment of this application, the first end of the rod is fixed on the mounting base, and the second end of the rod is tilted upwards.

[0016] In one embodiment of this application, the end face of the second end of the rod is an arc surface; or, the second end of the rod is fitted with a flexible sleeve.

[0017] In one embodiment of this application, the first image acquisition device is configured to acquire image information of the nest to determine the location of the eggs in the nest.

[0018] In one embodiment of this application, the second image acquisition device is configured to acquire image information of the egg-collecting component to determine the position of the egg on the egg-collecting component.

[0019] In one embodiment of this application, the transfer component is a suction cup; or, the transfer component is a gripper.

[0020] In one embodiment of this application, the ends of the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm are respectively provided with rotatable rotary tables, and the rotary tables form the mounting ends.

[0021] In one embodiment of this application, the walking mechanism is an AGV vehicle or an RGV vehicle.

[0022] In one embodiment of this application, the automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot further includes a storage container;

[0023] The storage container is mounted on the walking mechanism and is configured to store eggs picked up from the egg-collecting component by the transfer component. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the first robotic arm and the egg-collecting component in one embodiment of the automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the second robotic arm and the transfer component in one embodiment of the automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot of this application;

[0028] Figure 4This is a reference diagram showing an embodiment of the automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot of this application in use;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an image recognition mechanism.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 1. Walking mechanism; 11. First robotic arm; 12. Second robotic arm; 13. Storage container; 14. Rotary table;

[0032] 2. Pick-up clamp; 21. Egg-picking component; 22. Transfer component;

[0033] 211. Mounting base; 212. Rod body;

[0034] 3. Image recognition mechanism; 31. Processor; 32. First image acquisition unit; 33. Second image acquisition unit. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, various specific examples of processes and materials are provided in this application, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0037] like Figures 1-5 As shown, this embodiment provides an automated egg-collecting dual-station robot, including:

[0038] Walking mechanism 1, wherein a first robotic arm 11, a second robotic arm 12 and a storage container 13 are provided on the walking mechanism 1;

[0039] Picking clamp 2, the picking clamp 2 includes egg picking component 21 and transfer component 22, the egg picking component 21 includes mounting base 211 and multiple rods 212, the rods 212 are fixed on the mounting base 211, and the multiple rods 212 are arranged side by side at intervals along the length direction of the mounting base 211.

[0040] The image recognition mechanism 3 includes a processor 31, a first image acquisition unit 32, and a second image acquisition unit 33, wherein the first image acquisition unit 32 and the second image acquisition unit 33 are respectively connected to the processor 31;

[0041] The egg-collecting component 21 is mounted on the mounting end of the first robotic arm 11 via the mounting base 211. The egg-collecting component 21 is configured to scoop up eggs from the nest. The distance between two adjacent rods 212 is smaller than the size of the egg. The first image acquisition device 32 is mounted on the first robotic arm 11.

[0042] The transfer component 22 is mounted on the mounting end of the second robotic arm 12, and the transfer component 22 is configured to pick up the egg on the egg-picking component 21; the second image acquisition device 33 is mounted on the second robotic arm 12;

[0043] The processor 31 is configured to control the operation of the egg-collecting component 21 based on the image information collected by the first image collector 32.

[0044] The processor 31 is also configured to control the operation of the transfer component 22 based on the image information acquired by the second image acquisition unit 33.

[0045] Specifically, a support platform (unmarked) is provided on the upper part of the walking mechanism 1, and a base is fixedly installed on the support platform to meet the installation requirements of the robotic arm. The first robotic arm 11 and the second robotic arm 12 can adopt a multi-degree-of-freedom structure according to the usage requirements. The degree-of-freedom design of the first robotic arm 11 and the second robotic arm 12 is to meet the requirements that the picking gripper 2 can extend into the laying nest 200 to pick up duck eggs 100 and to sort the picked duck eggs. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0046] The end effector of the first robotic arm 11 is equipped with an egg-collecting component 21, which can extend into the laying nest to scoop up duck eggs from the nest using a rod 212.

[0047] The end effector of the second robotic arm 12 is equipped with a transfer component 22, which can pick out the duck eggs carried on the rod 212.

[0048] The first image acquisition unit 32 in the image recognition mechanism 3 can acquire image information of the egg-laying nest, and the acquired image information is transmitted to the processor 31 for digital image processing to determine the location of the egg-laying nest.

[0049] The second image acquisition unit 33 in the image recognition mechanism 3 can acquire image information of duck eggs on the egg-collecting component 21. The acquired image information is transmitted to the processor 31 for digital image processing to determine the position of the duck eggs on the egg-collecting component 21.

[0050] In actual use, ducks enter the nest to lay eggs. During the egg-laying process, the breeding ducks usually lay the eggs on the bedding. After laying the eggs, the breeding ducks will cover them with the bedding.

[0051] During the process of picking up duck eggs by the automatic egg-collecting robot, after the walking mechanism 1 moves to the egg-laying nest according to the movement path, the first robotic arm 11 adjusts the posture of the first image acquisition device 32 to collect image information of the egg-laying nest.

[0052] The first image acquisition device 32 is configured to acquire image information of the nesting box to determine the position of the eggs in the nest. The processor 31 performs digital image processing based on the image information, and after determining the position of the nesting box's edge, the first robotic arm 11 extends the egg-collecting component 21 into the nesting box. The rod 212 of the egg-collecting component 21 is inserted into the bottom of the bedding material and then lifted upwards. During the lifting of the rod 212, some bedding material and duck eggs on the bedding material are lifted together. The size of the duck eggs is larger than the distance between two adjacent rods 212, so that the duck eggs can be stably supported on the rods 212, while the bedding material will leak through the gaps between the rods 212. In this way, the amount of bedding material removed along with the duck eggs can be reduced, ensuring that the amount of bedding material in the nest can be basically maintained. The bedding material falling between the rods 212 still falls to the bottom of the laying nest, restoring the bedding material. The thickness of the restored bedding material is basically the same as the thickness of the surrounding bedding material, so that the breeding ducks do not feel that the laying nest has been disturbed, thus giving the breeding ducks a sense of security and satisfying the breeding ducks' habit of "recognizing the nest".

[0053] In actual operation, in order to ensure that the padding material lifted by the egg-collecting component 21 can fall smoothly, the first robotic arm 11 can also shake the egg-collecting component 21 left and right to make the padding material fall smoothly.

[0054] After the duck eggs carried on the egg-collecting component 21 are removed from the nest, they can be taken away by the transfer component 22 on the second robotic arm 12. Specifically, the second image acquisition device 33 is configured to acquire image information of the egg-collecting component 21 to determine the position of the eggs on the component 21. The processor 31 performs digital image processing based on the image information, and the second robotic arm 12 adjusts the position of the second image acquisition device 33 to acquire image information of the duck eggs on the egg-collecting component 21. The processor 31 performs digital image processing based on the image information, and after determining the position of the duck eggs on the egg-collecting component 21, the second robotic arm 12 drives the transfer component 22 to remove the duck eggs from the egg-collecting component 21.

[0055] Preferably, the automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot further includes a storage container 13; the storage container 13 is disposed on the walking mechanism 1, and the storage container 13 is configured to store the eggs picked up by the transfer component 22 from the egg-collecting component 21.

[0056] Specifically, the transfer component 22 of the second robotic arm 12 removes the duck eggs from the egg-collecting component 21 and places them into the storage container 13. The storage container 13 can be a conventional egg tray or other structure for storing eggs. The storage container 13 is located within the working range of the second robotic arm 12. After the duck eggs are picked up by the transfer component 22, they are placed into the storage container 13.

[0057] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: the first image acquisition device 32 can automatically identify the location of the laying nest, so that the egg-collecting component 21 can accurately reach into the corresponding laying nest to scoop up the eggs. Since the egg-collecting component 21 uses multiple spaced rods 212 to scoop up the eggs in the laying nest, during the laying process, the egg-collecting component 21 can insert into the bedding material of the laying nest and extend under the eggs. After the egg-collecting component 21 is lifted, the eggs will fall between two adjacent rods 212, and the bedding material will slide down between two adjacent rods 212. In this way, the changes in the laying nest caused by the bedding material in the laying nest being moved out of the laying nest with the eggs can be reduced, so that the breeding ducks do not feel that the laying nest has been disturbed. The transfer component 22 can automatically pick up and transfer the eggs on the egg-collecting component 21, and the whole process does not require manual intervention. Through the setting of the walking mechanism 1, the autonomous movement of the equipment can be realized, expanding the working range of the equipment. Compared with existing technologies, this invention achieves full automation of the duck egg collection process, significantly reducing the labor intensity of workers, improving work efficiency, and promoting the healthy and sustainable production of breeding ducks.

[0058] In one embodiment of this application, the rod 212 is an arc-shaped rod with a recessed structure formed on it.

[0059] Specifically, for the rod 212, in order to effectively pick up duck eggs from the nest, the rod 212 is an arc-shaped rod with a concave structure in the middle. In this way, after the rod 212 is inserted into the bedding and lifted, it ensures that the duck eggs are located in the concave structure of the rod 212, thus preventing the duck eggs from falling off the rod 212.

[0060] In one embodiment, the first end of the rod 212 is fixed to the mounting base 211, and the second end of the rod 212 is tilted upwards.

[0061] Specifically, the first end of the rod 212 is fixedly mounted on the mounting base 211, while the other end of the rod 212 has an upward-curving structure. In practical use, when the rod 212 is inserted into the padding material, the upward-curving end, combined with the movement of the first robotic arm 11, allows the rod 212 to reach into the padding material from the bottom in a bottom-scooping manner, so as to effectively pick up the duck eggs on the padding material.

[0062] In one embodiment of this application, the end face of the second end of the rod 212 is an arc surface; or, the second end of the rod 212 is fitted with a flexible sleeve.

[0063] Specifically, some duck eggs are buried in the bedding material. Therefore, during the process of inserting the rod 212 into the bottom of the bedding material, there is a possibility that the end of the rod 212 will poke into the duck egg. To address this, the second end of the rod 212 is made into an arc surface, or a flexible sleeve is provided on the second end to protect the duck egg.

[0064] Furthermore, the physical manifestation of the transfer component 22 can adopt a conventional structure capable of picking up eggs.

[0065] For example, the transfer component 22 is a suction cup made of soft silicone material, connected to a vacuum pump via an air tube. The vacuum pump is mounted on the support platform of the walking mechanism 1, and the suction cup's adsorption and release are controlled by opening and closing a valve. The specific structural configuration and operation method for using a suction cup to retrieve eggs can refer to existing configurations for egg retrieval using suction cups, and will not be limited or elaborated upon here.

[0066] Alternatively, the transfer component 22 can be a gripper, consisting of two arc-shaped clamping plates. The inner sides of the clamping plates are covered with soft silicone material to prevent damage to the duck eggs during handling. The gripper is opened and closed by a cylinder mounted on the end effector of the second robotic arm 12, which controls the opening and closing of the gripper by opening and closing a control valve. The specific structural configuration and operation method of using a gripper to pick up eggs can refer to existing configurations for picking up eggs with grippers, and will not be limited or elaborated here.

[0067] In one embodiment of this application, the ends of the first robotic arm 11 and the second robotic arm 12 are respectively provided with rotatable rotary tables 14, and the rotary tables 14 form the mounting ends.

[0068] Specifically, the rotary table 14 of the first robotic arm 11 is used to install the egg-collecting component 21, and the rotary table 14 of the first robotic arm 11 drives the egg-collecting component 21 to swing. The rotary table 14 of the second robotic arm 12 is used to install the transfer component 22.

[0069] In one embodiment of this application, the physical manifestation of the walking mechanism 11 can have various structural forms. For example, the walking mechanism 11 can be an AGV vehicle or an RGV vehicle. The specific physical manifestation of the walking mechanism 1 can adopt conventional structural configurations, which are not limited or described in detail here.

[0070] The first robotic arm 11 and the second robotic arm 12 typically include a base, an upper arm, a lower arm, a wrist, and an end effector. Each joint of the first robotic arm 11 and the second robotic arm 12 is equipped with a servo motor. The specific degree of freedom design and structural configuration of the robotic arms can adopt conventional structural configurations, which will not be limited or elaborated here.

[0071] The processor 31 can be a conventional computer used for image recognition, and the first image acquisition unit 32 and the second image acquisition unit 33 can be cameras. The processor 31 performs digital image processing on the image information acquired by the first image acquisition unit 32 and the second image acquisition unit 33. The specific process of digital image processing performed by the processor 31 can use conventional image processing techniques, which will not be limited or described in detail here.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated egg-collecting dual-station robot, characterized in that, include: A walking mechanism, wherein a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, and a storage container are provided on the walking mechanism; The picking clamp includes a transfer component and an egg picking component. The egg picking component includes a mounting base and multiple rods. The rods are fixed on the mounting base, and the multiple rods are arranged side by side at intervals along the length of the mounting base. An image recognition mechanism, comprising a processor, a first image acquisition unit, and a second image acquisition unit, wherein the first image acquisition unit and the second image acquisition unit are respectively connected to the processor; The egg-collecting component is mounted on the mounting end of the first robotic arm via the mounting base, and is configured to scoop up eggs from the nest; the distance between two adjacent rods is less than the size of the egg; the first image acquisition device is mounted on the first robotic arm; The transfer component is mounted on the mounting end of the second robotic arm, and the transfer component is configured to pick up the egg from the egg-picking component; the second image acquisition device is mounted on the second robotic arm. The processor is configured to control the operation of the egg-collecting component based on the image information acquired by the first image acquisition device; The processor is also configured to control the operation of the transfer component based on image information acquired by the second image acquisition device.

2. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rod is an arc-shaped rod with a recessed structure formed on it.

3. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first end of the rod is fixed to the mounting base, and the second end of the rod is tilted upwards.

4. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The end face of the second end of the rod is an arc surface; or, the second end of the rod is fitted with a flexible sleeve.

5. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first image acquisition device is configured to acquire image information of the nest to determine the location of the eggs in the nest.

6. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second image acquisition device is configured to acquire image information of the egg-collecting component to determine the position of the egg on the egg-collecting component.

7. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer component is a suction cup; or, the transfer component is a gripper.

8. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ends of the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm are respectively provided with rotatable rotary tables, which form the mounting ends.

9. The automatic egg-collecting dual-station robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The walking mechanism is an AGV or RGV vehicle.

10. The automated egg-collecting dual-station robot according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, It also includes storage containers; The storage container is mounted on the walking mechanism and is configured to store eggs picked up from the egg-collecting component by the transfer component.

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