Pepper picking robot

Abstract

The application relates to a pepper picking robot, which comprises a moving chassis, a lifting mechanism arranged on the moving chassis, the lifting mechanism comprising a fixed part and a movable part capable of moving relative to the fixed part in the vertical direction, and a mechanical arm installed on the movable part of the lifting mechanism. The pepper picking robot designed in the application realizes wide-range vertical positioning through the independent lifting mechanism and the mechanical arm, so that the system complexity and control difficulty are reduced; the end effector can rotate after clamping the pepper fruit stem, the traditional pulling or shearing mode is replaced by the torsional force to complete separation, the damage to the plant and the fruit stem is reduced, and the picking success rate is improved. In addition, the whole machine layout of the rear lifting mechanism and the front material bin shortens the motion path of picking and unloading, and improves the single operation efficiency of the robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of agricultural automation technology, and in particular to a chili-harvesting robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of modern agriculture, the automation and intelligentization of fruit and vegetable harvesting, a labor-intensive process, has become a research hotspot and development direction in the field of agricultural machinery. Automated harvesting robots, by integrating technologies such as mechanics, control, sensing, and artificial intelligence, aim to replace or assist manual labor in harvesting operations, thereby improving production efficiency, reducing production costs, and ensuring the quality of agricultural products.

[0003] Currently, when automated harvesting robots are applied to specific crops, such as chili peppers, many directly adopt general-purpose six-axis or seven-axis industrial robot arms to maximize movement flexibility. While these robotic arms offer high degrees of freedom, they are structurally complex, heavy, energy-intensive, and expensive. For crops like chili peppers that grow vertically along the plant, using complex robotic arms with high degrees of freedom to achieve large-scale vertical movement not only results in complex control algorithms but also leads to significant performance redundancy and cost waste. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a chili-harvesting robot that achieves low-damage separation.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the chili-harvesting robot designed in this application includes: A mobile chassis; A lifting mechanism is provided on the mobile chassis, the lifting mechanism including a fixed part and a moving part that can move relative to the fixed part in a vertical direction; A robotic arm is mounted on the moving part of the lifting mechanism; An end effector, mounted at the end of the robotic arm, the end effector comprising: A rotary drive mechanism; A clamping mechanism is connected to the output end of the rotary drive mechanism and is used to clamp the stem of the chili pepper; The rotary drive mechanism is configured to drive the clamping mechanism to rotate around a preset axis after the clamping mechanism has clamped the fruit stalk, so as to separate the chili pepper from the plant.

[0006] Preferably, the lifting mechanism is a sliding table module driven by a motor.

[0007] Preferably, the lifting mechanism is located at the rear of the mobile chassis; the mobile chassis is also provided with a hopper for storing the harvested peppers, and the hopper is located in front of the lifting mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, the robotic arm is a four-degree-of-freedom robotic arm.

[0009] Preferably, the rotary drive mechanism includes a micro motor and a turntable linked to the micro motor, and the clamping mechanism is fixed on the turntable.

[0010] Preferably, the end effector is further equipped with an image acquisition device, which is configured to have a field of view that covers the clamping working area of ​​the clamping mechanism.

[0011] Preferably, the mobile chassis includes a frame constructed of aluminum profiles and four wheels mounted on the frame.

[0012] Preferably, the clamping mechanism includes: Two grippers that can rotate about their respective pivots; A drive motor having an output shaft; A drive gear is mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor; and Two driven gears, each driven gear is linked to one of the grippers, and each driven gear meshes with the drive gear; When the drive gear rotates, it simultaneously drives the two driven gears to rotate in opposite directions, thereby causing the two grippers to open and close synchronously.

[0013] Preferably, the gripper has a gripping end, and a V-shaped groove is provided on the inner contact surface of the gripping end, and a spiral anti-slip texture is provided on the surface of the V-shaped groove.

[0014] Preferably, the distal end of the clamping end is provided with a guide bevel, and the guide bevels on the two clamping jaws together form a guide channel.

[0015] The chili-harvesting robot designed in this application achieves wide-range vertical positioning through an independent lifting mechanism that works in conjunction with the robotic arm. This simplified structure reduces system complexity and control difficulty. Its end effector can rotate after gripping the chili stem, using torsional force to replace traditional pulling or shearing methods for separation. This reduces damage to the plant and stem, increasing the harvesting success rate. Furthermore, the rear-mounted lifting mechanism and front-mounted hopper shorten the harvesting and unloading path, improving the robot's efficiency per operation. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chili-harvesting robot provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0017] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the gripper structure provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0018] The components include: mobile chassis 10, lifting mechanism 20, fixed part 21, moving part 22, robotic arm 30, end effector 40, rotary drive mechanism 41, clamping mechanism 42, hopper 60, turntable 411, image acquisition device 50, frame 11, wheel 12, gripper 421, output shaft 422, clamping end 421a, V-groove 421b, spiral anti-slip texture 421c, and guide bevel 421d. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0020] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 This embodiment provides a chili-harvesting robot, the structure of which and its working principle are described below.

[0021] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the chili-picking robot described in this embodiment has an overall architecture including a mobile chassis 10, a lifting mechanism 20 mounted on the mobile chassis 10, a robotic arm 30 mounted on the lifting mechanism 20, and an end effector 40 located at the end of the robotic arm 30.

[0022] Specifically, the mobile chassis 10 serves as the platform for the entire robot's movement. In this embodiment, the mobile chassis 10 preferably includes a frame 11 constructed from aluminum profiles and four wheels 12 mounted on the frame 11. In this embodiment, the aluminum profile frame 11 has the advantages of being lightweight, high-strength, easy to assemble and modify, while the wheels 12 provide the robot with the ability to move within field ridges.

[0023] To achieve an efficient workflow, the overall layout of the robot has been optimized in this embodiment. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the lifting mechanism 20 is located at the rear of the mobile chassis 10, and a hopper 60 for storing harvested peppers is also provided on the mobile chassis 10, with the hopper 60 occupying the main space in the front of the mobile chassis 10. This asymmetrical layout of rear-mounted lifting and front-mounted hopper ensures that the working range of the robotic arm 30 is mainly concentrated in front and to the side of the robot, without interfering with the movement of the hopper 60. At the same time, the harvested peppers can be placed into the front hopper 60 via the shortest path, effectively shortening the cycle time of a single harvest and improving overall work efficiency.

[0024] The lifting mechanism 20 provides a wide range of vertical movement for the robotic arm 30. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 20 is preferably a motor-driven slide module, which includes a fixed part 21 and a moving part 22 that can move vertically relative to the fixed part 21. The fixed part 21 is rigidly connected to the frame 11 of the movable chassis 10, while the moving part 22 can slide up and down along the guide rail of the fixed part 21 under drive. In this way, by decoupling the vertical movement to the dedicated lifting mechanism 20, the robotic arm 30 does not need to achieve height changes through complex multi-joint linkages, thus allowing the use of a simpler and lower-cost robotic arm.

[0025] In some embodiments, the robotic arm 30 is preferably a four-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, which is mounted on the motion part 22 of the lifting mechanism 20 and is responsible for performing precise positioning actions such as extension, rotation and pitch within a specific height plane.

[0026] The end effector 40 is the component that clamps and separates the chili peppers. To achieve high-precision end-effector guidance, in this embodiment, an image acquisition device 50, such as a USB camera, is also installed on the end effector 40. This image acquisition device 50 is configured to continuously cover the clamping working area of ​​the clamping mechanism 42 below, forming a hand-eye integrated structure. This structure can provide close-range, unobstructed high-definition images when the robotic arm approaches the target, thereby enabling precise secondary alignment and effectively improving harvesting accuracy. In this embodiment, the image recognition of mature chili peppers can employ existing mature visual recognition solutions, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0027] Specifically, the end effector 40 includes a rotary drive mechanism 41 and a clamping mechanism 42. The rotary drive mechanism 41 preferably includes a micro motor and a turntable 411 linked to the micro motor. The clamping mechanism 42 is fixed to the turntable 411. Its working principle is as follows: after the clamping mechanism 42 stably clamps the chili pepper stem, the micro motor starts, driving the turntable 411 and the entire clamping mechanism 42 to rotate around a preset axis, typically the axis of the stem. By applying this torsional load, the stem can be torsionally broken with relatively little force, thus separating the chili pepper from the plant. Compared to traditional methods of forceful pulling or cutting, this method greatly reduces damage to the plant branches, ensures the integrity of the stem, and improves harvesting quality and success rate.

[0028] To achieve the above-mentioned clamping and rotation function, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the clamping mechanism 42 includes two grippers 421 rotatable about their respective pivots and a drive motor. The drive motor has an output shaft 422, a drive gear, and two driven gears. The drive gear is mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor. Each driven gear is linked to one of the grippers, and each driven gear meshes with the drive gear. When the drive gear rotates, it simultaneously drives the two driven gears to rotate in opposite directions, thereby causing the two grippers 421 to open and close synchronously. The structure is simple and reliable.

[0029] Furthermore, in order to transmit sufficient torque during rotation without slippage, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, each gripper 421 has a gripping end 421a. A V-groove 421b is provided on the inner contact surface of this gripping end 421a. This V-groove 421b allows for automatic centering and stable three-point gripping of fruit stems of different diameters when the grippers are closed. More importantly, a spiral anti-slip texture 421c is also provided on the surface of the V-groove 421b. When the grippers clamp, these anti-slip textures 421c, made of flexible material, generate significant static friction and even microscopic mechanical engagement with the surface of the fruit stem, ensuring that torque is transmitted to the fruit stem without loss when the rotary drive mechanism 41 drives the rotation, preventing slippage. Furthermore, to improve the robot's fault tolerance during alignment, a guide bevel 421d is provided at the distal end of the gripping end 421a. When the grippers are open, the guide bevels 421d on the two grippers 421 together form a funnel-shaped guide channel, smoothly guiding the approaching fruit stem to the gripping center.

[0030] The chili-harvesting robot provided in this application embodiment achieves wide-range vertical positioning with a simplified structure by setting up an independent lifting mechanism to work in conjunction with the robotic arm, reducing system complexity and control difficulty. Its end effector can rotate after gripping the chili stem, using torsional force to complete the separation instead of the traditional pulling or shearing method. This reduces damage to the plant and stem, and improves the harvesting success rate. In addition, the overall layout of the lifting mechanism at the rear and the hopper at the front shortens the movement path for harvesting and unloading, improving the robot's efficiency per operation.

[0031] In the description of this application, 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 application 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 application.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" 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 application according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A chili-harvesting robot, characterized in that, include: A mobile chassis; A lifting mechanism is provided on the mobile chassis, the lifting mechanism including a fixed part and a moving part that can move relative to the fixed part in a vertical direction; A robotic arm is mounted on the moving part of the lifting mechanism; An end effector, mounted at the end of the robotic arm, the end effector comprising: A rotary drive mechanism; A clamping mechanism is connected to the output end of the rotary drive mechanism and is used to clamp the stem of the chili pepper; The rotary drive mechanism is configured to drive the clamping mechanism to rotate around a preset axis after the clamping mechanism has clamped the fruit stalk, so as to separate the chili pepper from the plant.

2. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism is a sliding table module driven by a motor.

3. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism is located at the rear of the mobile chassis; the mobile chassis is also equipped with a hopper for storing harvested chili peppers, and the hopper is located in front of the lifting mechanism.

4. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm is a four-degree-of-freedom robotic arm.

5. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary drive mechanism includes a micro motor and a turntable linked to the micro motor, and the clamping mechanism is fixed on the turntable.

6. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end effector is also equipped with an image acquisition device, which is configured to have a field of view that covers the clamping working area of ​​the clamping mechanism.

7. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mobile chassis includes a frame constructed of aluminum profiles and four wheels mounted on the frame.

8. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism includes: Two grippers that can rotate about their respective pivots; A drive motor having an output shaft; A drive gear is mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor; and Two driven gears, each driven gear is linked to one of the grippers, and each driven gear meshes with the drive gear; When the drive gear rotates, it simultaneously drives the two driven gears to rotate in opposite directions, thereby causing the two grippers to open and close synchronously.

9. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The gripper has a gripping end, and a V-shaped groove is provided on the inner contact surface of the gripping end. A spiral anti-slip texture is provided on the surface of the V-shaped groove.

10. The chili-harvesting robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distal end of the clamping end is provided with a guide bevel, and the guide bevels on the two clamping jaws together form a guide channel.

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