Fruit / vegetable harvesting device

Abstract

To provide a fruit / vegetable harvesting device which can efficiently harvest a plurality of fruits / vegetables while suppressing a damage and deformation etc.SOLUTION: A passage of a fruit and vegetable is formed inside a cylindrical cylinder 10. An annular part 20 connected to the passage of the cylinder 10 at a tip end side of a hose as an air suction passage extends toward an inside of the passage from an inner peripheral face of the cylinder 10. A through hole penetrating from a tip end side to a rear end side is formed on an inner side of the annular part 20. A plurality of projections 15 project toward an inside of the passage at a tip end side from a position at which the annular part 20 is provided. A rotation drive part 30 moves the fruit and vegetable to an inside of the passage by rotating the projection part 15 into contact with the fruit and vegetable. The annular part 20 deforms upon contact of the fruit and vegetable that has moved to the rear end side to expand the through hole. The annular part 20 recovers the deformed shape to shrink the through hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fruit and vegetable harvesting device used to harvest fruit and vegetables. [Background technology]

[0002] Harvesting of various fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, is still often done manually. Therefore, it is desirable to establish a useful technique for improving the harvesting efficiency of fruits and vegetables.

[0003] For example, the fruit harvesting end effector described in Patent Document 1 hooks and tears off the pedicels of fruit taken into a U-shaped metal fitting while the pedicel holder holds down the pedicel of the fruit. Furthermore, the harvesting robot described in Patent Document 2 plucks the fruit by twisting and pulling the harvesting ring as it pushes up along the side of the fruit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-207288 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-036821 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is difficult to improve harvesting efficiency when fruits and vegetables are picked by bringing a member into contact with the fruit and vegetables. In addition, there is a high possibility that the fruit and vegetables will be damaged or deformed when picked with a member.

[0006] The inventors of the present invention believed that harvesting fruits and vegetables using the suction force of gas could improve harvesting efficiency and reduce damage, etc. However, after repeated trials and careful consideration, the inventors found that if the suction force of gas is too weak, the fruits and vegetables cannot be properly sucked in, potentially reducing harvesting accuracy. Furthermore, if the suction force of gas is too strong, although harvesting efficiency improves, damage and deformation of the fruits and vegetables may occur due to collisions with objects in the suction path, etc. Because fruits and vegetables vary in shape, size, hardness, etc., it is difficult to uniquely determine the appropriate suction force. Therefore, a technology is desired that can efficiently harvest multiple fruits and vegetables with individual differences in shape, etc. while reducing damage and deformation, etc.

[0007] A typical object of the present disclosure is to provide a fruit and vegetable harvesting device that can efficiently harvest multiple fruits and vegetables while suppressing damage, deformation, and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A typical embodiment of the present disclosure provides a fruit and vegetable harvesting device that is a tubular member having a passage formed therein for passing fruit and vegetables toward the rear end, and the passage is connected to the tip end of a hose that serves as a gas suction path, thereby guiding fruit and vegetables that have passed through the passage to the hose; an annular portion that extends from the inner surface of the tubular portion toward the inside of the passage path and forms a through hole on the inside that passes through from the tip end to the rear end; a plurality of protrusions that protrude toward the inside of the passage path, further tip than the position where the annular portion is installed; and a rotation drive unit that rotates at least the plurality of protrusions around an imaginary axis extending in a direction along the passage path, wherein the rotation drive unit rotates the protrusions to bring them into contact with fruit and vegetables, thereby moving the fruit and vegetables toward the inside of the passage path, and the annular portion deforms toward the rear end when it comes into contact with fruit and vegetables moving toward the rear end, thereby enlarging the through hole and restoring its deformed shape to shrink the through hole.

[0009] According to the fruit and vegetable harvesting device of the present disclosure, multiple fruit and vegetable items can be efficiently harvested while preventing damage, deformation, and the like from occurring. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the fruit and vegetable harvesting device 1 as seen from diagonally above to the right. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the take-in mechanism 2 seen from diagonally above to the right. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the take-in mechanism 2 (viewed from the direction along the imaginary axis). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 1 is a front view of the annular portion 20 (viewed from a direction along an imaginary axis). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hose 7 taken along a cross section intersecting the path. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <Summary> The fruit and vegetable harvesting device exemplified in the present disclosure includes a tubular portion, an annular portion, multiple protrusions, and a rotation drive unit. The tubular portion is a cylindrical member. A passageway is formed inside the tubular portion to allow fruit and vegetables to pass toward the rear end. The passageway in the tubular portion is connected to the tip end of a hose, which serves as a gas suction path, so that the tubular portion guides fruit and vegetables that have passed through the passageway to the hose. The annular portion extends from the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion toward the inside of the passageway. A through-hole is formed inside the annular portion, penetrating from the tip end to the rear end. The multiple protrusions protrude toward the inside of the passageway, further toward the tip end than the position where the annular portion is installed. The rotation drive unit rotates at least the multiple protrusions around an imaginary axis extending in a direction along the passageway. The rotation drive unit rotates the protrusions to contact the fruit and vegetables, thereby moving the fruit and vegetables toward the inside of the passageway. The annular portion deforms toward the rear end when it comes into contact with the fruit and vegetables moving toward the rear end, thereby enlarging the through-hole. The annular portion restores its deformed shape, thereby reducing the size of the through hole.

[0012] In the fruit and vegetable harvesting device exemplified in the present disclosure, first, fruit and vegetables that have entered the outer side of the passageway are moved toward the inside of the passageway by the rotating protrusion. Furthermore, when fruit and vegetables are not in contact with the annular portion, the through-holes formed inside the annular portion are in a contracted state, and the gas suction pressure at the through-holes is higher than when the through-holes are enlarged. Therefore, the high suction pressure makes it easier for the fruit and vegetables to move further inward. As a result, many fruit and vegetables are sucked in (torn off) by the suction force, pass through the through-holes toward the rear end, and are guided into the hose. Even if fruit and vegetables come into contact with the annular portion due to various factors, the annular portion temporarily deforms toward the rear end, enlarging the through-holes, allowing the fruit and vegetables to smoothly pass through the through-holes toward the rear end. After the fruit and vegetables pass through the through-holes, the restoring force of the annular portion causes the through-holes to contract, and the suction pressure near the through-holes increases again. Therefore, the fruit and vegetable harvesting device of the present disclosure can efficiently harvest multiple fruit and vegetables while preventing damage, deformation, and the like.

[0013] The configuration of the multiple protrusions can be selected as appropriate. For example, the multiple protrusions may be fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion closer to the tip than the position where the annular portion is installed, and may protrude toward the inside of the passage path. The rotation drive unit may rotate the multiple protrusions provided on the cylindrical portion by rotating the cylindrical portion around a virtual axis. Alternatively, the multiple protrusions may be provided separately from the cylindrical portion. In this case, the rotation drive unit may rotate the multiple protrusions separately from the cylindrical portion, or may rotate the cylindrical portion and the multiple protrusions together.

[0014] Each of the plurality of protrusions may have an inclined portion that inclines in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation about the virtual axis as it approaches the inside of the passageway. In this case, as the protrusion rotates about the axis, fruits and vegetables that come into contact with the inclined portion of the protrusion are appropriately pushed toward the center by the inclined portion, which results in more appropriate harvesting of the fruits and vegetables.

[0015] The shape of the inclined portion is not limited to a straight line, but may be an arc or a partial ring, etc. For example, the shape of the protrusion when viewed from the direction along the virtual axis may be a triangle, a semicircle, etc.

[0016] Furthermore, it is desirable that the protrusion have a certain degree of rigidity at least against forces applied in the rotational direction. In this case, the rotating protrusion can move the fruit or vegetable toward the inside of the passageway without excessive deformation caused by contact with the fruit or vegetable. For example, the protrusion itself may have rigidity. Furthermore, the protrusion may have rigidity against forces applied in the rotational direction, while being formed so that the rear end side is deformable. In this case, deformation of the protrusion toward the rear end side expands the area in which the fruit or vegetable can move rearward of the protrusion, making it less likely that the fruit or vegetable will become clogged near the protrusion.

[0017] The protrusions may be arranged rotationally symmetrically about the imaginary axis when viewed from the direction along the imaginary axis. In this case, regardless of the position from which the fruit or vegetable enters the passageway, the fruit or vegetable will tend to move stably toward the inside of the passageway, thereby facilitating more appropriate harvesting of the fruit or vegetable.

[0018] In the embodiment described below, two protrusions are arranged at positions that are two-fold rotationally symmetric. However, n (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 3) protrusions may be arranged at positions that are n-fold rotationally symmetric. In other words, the number of protrusions is not limited to two. Furthermore, even if multiple protrusions are not arranged in rotational symmetry, it is possible for the protrusions to move the fruits and vegetables toward the inside of the passage path. Furthermore, even if there is only one protrusion, it is possible for the protrusion to move the fruits and vegetables toward the inside of the passage path.

[0019] The fruit and vegetable harvesting device may further include an annular cover member that surrounds and covers the circumferential outside of the multiple protrusions. For example, the center of the passageway (e.g., the virtual axis that serves as the center of rotation of the multiple protrusions) may not be accurately positioned relative to the fruit and vegetable to be harvested, causing the fruit and vegetable to deviate from the center of the passageway. Also, in the process of bringing a tube or the like closer to the fruit and vegetable to be harvested, the position of the fruit and vegetable may deviate from the center of the passageway. Even in such cases, as long as the fruit and vegetable is positioned inside the cover member, the rotating protrusions will move the fruit and vegetable appropriately toward the inside of the passageway. This makes it easier to harvest the fruit and vegetable more appropriately.

[0020] The cover member may rotate together with the plurality of protrusions. For example, the cover member may have a plurality of protrusions provided on its inner circumferential surface. The rotation drive unit may rotate the cover member having the plurality of protrusions, thereby rotating the plurality of protrusions.

[0021] The cover member may also constitute a part of the tubular portion. For example, an annular portion at the tip end of the tubular portion may function as the cover member. The multiple protrusions may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion (for example, the inner peripheral surface of a cover member that is part of the tubular portion). The rotation drive unit may rotate the multiple protrusions by rotating the tubular portion that has the multiple protrusions.

[0022] However, even when the multiple protrusions are rotated without rotating the cover member, the provision of the cover member makes it easier to properly harvest fruits and vegetables located inside the cover member. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device may further include an outer periphery cover that covers the circumferential outer periphery of the rotating member. In this case, branches, leaves, etc. are less likely to come into contact with the outside of the rotating member (the rotating tubular portion in the embodiment described below). This reduces the possibility of unnecessary damage to branches, leaves, etc., or of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested being pulled and moved.

[0023] The annular portion may be formed of at least one of silicone and rubber, which have flexibility and shape recovery. In this case, even if the fruit or vegetable comes into contact with the annular portion, the fruit or vegetable is less likely to be damaged or deformed. Furthermore, when the fruit or vegetable moves away from the annular portion, the annular portion properly restores its shape, making it easier for the through-holes to shrink. This makes it easier for the fruit or vegetable to be harvested properly. However, it is also possible to form the annular portion from a material other than silicon or rubber and provide the annular portion with deformability and shape recovery properties. For example, the annular portion may be formed from urethane or the like.

[0024] The annular portion may have multiple notches extending radially outward from the inner end forming the through hole. In this case, multiple movable pieces are arranged in a ring shape around the through hole in the annular portion. Therefore, when fruit or vegetables moving toward the rear end come into contact with at least one of the movable pieces, the movable piece deforms toward the rear end, allowing the fruit or vegetables to pass properly toward the rear end. Furthermore, when the fruit or vegetables move away from the movable piece, the movable piece restores its shape properly, reducing the through hole. This makes it easier to harvest the fruit or vegetables properly.

[0025] The fruit and vegetable harvesting device may further include a hose and a speed reduction unit. As described above, the hose is connected to the passage inside the tubular portion. The speed reduction unit extends inward from the inner circumferential surface of the hose without blocking the passage inside the hose. The speed reduction unit contacts the fruit and vegetables passing through the hose, thereby reducing the speed at which the fruit and vegetables pass through the hose. In this case, the speed reduction unit reduces the speed at which the fruit and vegetables pass through the hose, thereby appropriately reducing the possibility of damage, deformation, etc. occurring to the fruit and vegetables passing through the hose. Furthermore, because the speed reduction unit does not block the passage inside the hose, the speed reduction unit also prevents a reduction in the suction pressure of the gas in the tubular portion. This makes it easier to harvest the fruit and vegetables more appropriately.

[0026] A suction pressure generating unit that generates a gas suction pressure may be provided at a position on the hose different from the tip connected to the tubular portion. In this case, the suction pressure generated by the suction pressure generating unit allows the fruit and vegetables to be harvested appropriately.

[0027] The speed reduction section may be made of a flexible material (e.g., at least one of silicone, rubber, and urethane). In this case, even if the fruit or vegetable comes into contact with the speed reduction section, the fruit or vegetable is less likely to be damaged or deformed. The specific structure and number of speed reduction sections may be selected as appropriate. For example, the speed reduction section may be a substantially annular member extending inward from the inner circumferential surface of the hose. A through hole may be formed inside the speed reduction section. Multiple movable pieces may be arranged annularly around the through hole in the speed reduction section. Also, a space may be provided between adjacent movable pieces. In this case, the suction pressure is less likely to increase even if a speed reduction section is provided. Therefore, the speed reduction section can reduce the passing speed of the fruit or vegetable by using the movable pieces while suppressing an increase in the passing speed of the fruit or vegetable due to the suction pressure.

[0028] The specific method for providing the velocity reduction section on the hose can also be selected as appropriate. For example, when connecting the ends of multiple hoses, the velocity reduction section may be provided at the connection portion of the multiple hoses. In this case, the velocity reduction section can be easily and appropriately provided on the hoses while connecting the multiple hoses.

[0029] The fruit and vegetable harvesting device may further include a robot arm, a camera unit, and a control unit. The robot arm includes an arm unit. The robot arm holds a take-in mechanism including at least a tubular portion, an annular portion, and multiple protrusions on the arm unit. The robot arm moves the take-in mechanism held on the arm unit by driving the arm unit. The camera unit takes images. The control unit may recognize the position of the fruit and vegetable to be harvested based on the image taken by the camera unit, and move the take-in mechanism to the position of the recognized fruit and vegetable by controlling the drive of the robot arm based on the recognized position of the fruit and vegetable. In this case, the take-in mechanism automatically moves to the position of the fruit and vegetable to be harvested without the operator having to move the position of the take-in mechanism themselves. Therefore, the fruit and vegetable are properly harvested while minimizing an increase in the operator's workload. The location where the photographing unit is installed is not particularly limited as long as it is a location where the photographing unit can photograph the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. For example, the photographing unit may be installed near the position where the robot arm is supported, or near the take-in mechanism.

[0030] The location where the photographing unit is installed is not particularly limited as long as it is a location where the photographing unit can photograph the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. For example, the photographing unit may be installed near the position where the robot arm is supported, or near the take-in mechanism.

[0031] The photographing unit may include a three-dimensional camera capable of measuring the distance to the subject. In this case, the control unit can easily and appropriately recognize the position of the fruit or vegetable to be harvested based on the distance measured by the three-dimensional camera. This makes it easier to harvest the fruit or vegetable more appropriately.

[0032] The photographing unit may be capable of photographing a color image. The control unit may identify the fruits and vegetables to be harvested from one or more fruits and vegetables shown in the color image based on the color image photographed by the photographing unit. In this case, even if multiple fruits and vegetables are shown in the color image, the fruits and vegetables to be harvested are appropriately identified based on the color image. This makes it easier to harvest the fruits and vegetables appropriately. However, it is also possible to identify the fruits and vegetables to be harvested based on monochrome images, etc.

[0033] A specific method for identifying fruits and vegetables to be harvested based on an image can be selected as appropriate. For example, a mathematical model trained by a machine learning algorithm may be used so that an image is input and an identification result of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested is output. The control unit may input an image captured by the imaging unit into the mathematical model to obtain an identification result output by the mathematical model. In this case, the fruits and vegetables to be harvested can be more accurately and appropriately identified.

[0034] In this disclosure, a case has been exemplified in which a robotic arm moves the take-in mechanism to the vicinity of the fruits and vegetables. However, the configuration for moving the take-in mechanism may be changed. For example, the operator may move the take-in mechanism to the vicinity of the fruits and vegetables. In other words, a take-in mechanism excluding a robotic arm may be used as a fruit and vegetable harvesting device. Even in this case, use of the take-in mechanism exemplified in this disclosure makes it easier to properly harvest the fruits and vegetables.

[0035] Furthermore, other components may be added to the harvesting mechanism exemplified in this disclosure before harvesting the fruits and vegetables. For example, a component (such as a cutter) for making it easier to pluck the fruits and vegetables from the branches may be added near the multiple protrusions. In this case, even fruits and vegetables that are difficult to pluck from the branches can be more easily harvested properly.

[0036] <Embodiment> (Schematic configuration) A typical embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, with reference to FIG. 1, an example of the configuration of a fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described in outline. As an example, the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is used to harvest a plurality of tomatoes (e.g., cherry tomatoes). However, at least a portion of the techniques exemplified in this disclosure can also be applied to fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatuses that harvest fruits and vegetables other than tomatoes.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1 , the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a take-in mechanism 2, a robot arm 3, a base 4, a camera unit 5, a control unit 6, a hose 7, and a suction pressure generator 8. When the take-in mechanism 2 approaches the fruit and vegetable to be harvested, it takes the fruit and vegetable into an internal passageway, picks them, and guides them to the hose 7. The robot arm 3 holds the take-in mechanism 2 and moves it. The base 4 supports the robot arm 3. The camera unit 5 takes images. As an example, in this embodiment, the camera unit 5 is installed at a predetermined position on the base 4. However, the installation position of the camera unit 5 can be changed as needed. For example, the camera unit 5 may be installed on a base unit 9 of the take-in mechanism 2, which will be described later. The control unit 6 controls the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1. The hose 7 provides a path for moving the fruit and vegetable guided from the take-in mechanism 2 to a harvest collection position. The suction pressure generator 8 is connected to the hose 7 and generates suction pressure within the hose 7 by creating a negative air pressure within the hose 7. That is, the hose 7 also functions as a suction path for the gas sucked by the suction pressure generating unit 8. Each unit will be described in detail below.

[0038] (Capture mechanism) The take-in mechanism 2 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. In FIG. 2, the upper side of the page is the upper side of the take-in mechanism 2, the lower side is the lower side of the take-in mechanism 2, the lower left side is the front side (tip side) of the take-in mechanism 2, the upper right side is the rear side (rear end side) of the take-in mechanism 2, the upper left side is the left side of the take-in mechanism 2, and the lower right side is the side of the take-in mechanism. Therefore, in the front view of FIG. 3, the upper side is the upper side of the take-in mechanism 2, the lower side is the lower side of the take-in mechanism 2, the left side is the left side of the take-in mechanism 2, and the right side is the right side of the take-in mechanism 2. In addition, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the upper side is the upper side of the take-in mechanism 2, the lower side is the lower side of the take-in mechanism 2, the left side is the front side (tip side) of the take-in mechanism 2, and the right side is the rear side (rear end side) of the take-in mechanism 2.

[0039] 2 to 4, the take-in mechanism 2 of the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a base portion 9, a tubular portion 10, an annular portion 20, a plurality of protrusions 15 (15A, 15B), and a rotation drive unit 30. The base portion 9 holds the tubular portion 10, the annular portion 20, the plurality of protrusions 15, and the rotation drive unit 30. In this embodiment, the base portion 9 is attached to an arm portion 50 of the robot arm 3 (see FIG. 1), so that the take-in mechanism 2 is held by the arm portion 50.

[0040] The tubular portion 10 is a tubular member. As an example, the tubular portion 10 of this embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A passage is formed inside the tubular portion 10 to allow the fruit or vegetable to pass from the front end to the rear end. As shown in FIG. 4 , the passage inside the tubular portion 10 is connected to the front end of a hose 7, which serves as a gas suction passage. As a result, the fruit or vegetable that has passed through the passage inside the tubular portion 10 is guided to the hose 7.

[0041] The annular portion 20 extends from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 10 toward the inside of the passage path. In other words, the annular portion 20 extends from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 10 in a direction approaching a virtual axis O (see FIGS. 2 and 4 ), which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 3 , a through-hole 21 is formed inside the annular portion 20, penetrating from the front end to the rear end. When the annular portion 20 comes into contact with fruit or vegetable moving toward the rear end along the passage path inside the cylindrical portion 10, the annular portion 20 deforms toward the rear end. As the annular portion 20 deforms toward the rear end, the size of the through-hole 21 expands. Furthermore, when the fruit or vegetable that was in contact with the annular portion 20 separates, the shape of the annular portion 20 returns to its original shape before the fruit or vegetable came into contact. As the shape of the annular portion 20 returns to its original shape, the size of the through-hole 21 shrinks, returning to the size before the fruit or vegetable came into contact.

[0042] As described above, when the fruit or vegetable is not in contact with the annular portion 20, the through-holes 21 formed inside the annular portion 20 are in a contracted state, and therefore the suction pressure of the gas through the through-holes 21 is higher than when the through-holes 21 are enlarged. Therefore, the high suction pressure near the through-holes 21 makes it easier for the fruit or vegetable to move inward. As a result, many of the fruit or vegetable are drawn in (torn off) by the suction force, pass through the through-holes 21 toward the rear end, and are guided to the hose 7. Even if the fruit or vegetable comes into contact with the annular portion 20 due to various factors, the annular portion 20 temporarily deforms toward the rear end, enlarging the through-holes 21, allowing the fruit or vegetable to smoothly pass through the through-holes 21 toward the rear end. After the fruit or vegetable passes through the through-holes 21, the restoring force of the annular portion 20 causes the through-holes 21 to contract, and the suction pressure near the through-holes 21 rises again. This makes it easier for multiple fruit or vegetable to be properly harvested.

[0043] In this embodiment, the annular portion 20 is made of at least one of silicone and rubber, which are flexible and have shape-restoring properties. Therefore, even if fruit or vegetables come into contact with the annular portion 20, the fruit or vegetables are less likely to be damaged or deformed. Furthermore, when the fruit or vegetables move away from the annular portion 20, the shape of the annular portion 20 is properly restored, making it easier for the through-holes 21 to shrink. This makes it easier for the fruit or vegetables to be harvested more appropriately.

[0044] In this embodiment, the annular portion 20 is made of silicon. Even if silicon is ingested into the human body, it is unlikely to have any adverse effects. Therefore, the safety of harvested fruits and vegetables can be more easily ensured.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a front view of the annular portion 20 of this embodiment, as viewed from the tip side. As shown in FIG. 5, the annular portion 20 of this embodiment has multiple notches 22 extending radially outward from the inner annular end portion that forms the through-hole 21. As a result, multiple movable pieces 23 are arranged in a ring shape around the through-hole 21 in the annular portion 20. The movable pieces 23 are flexible and shape-restoring. When fruit or vegetables moving toward the rear end of the passageway inside the tubular portion 10 come into contact with the movable pieces 23, the movable pieces 23 appropriately deform toward the rear end, enlarging the through-hole 21. This allows the fruit or vegetables to pass properly toward the rear end. Because the movable pieces 23 are flexible, even if the fruit or vegetables come into contact with the movable pieces, they are unlikely to be damaged or deformed. Furthermore, when the fruit or vegetables move away from the movable pieces 23, the movable pieces 23 appropriately restore their shape, reducing the size of the through-hole 21. This makes it easier to properly harvest multiple fruit or vegetables.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the multiple protrusions 15 (two protrusions 15A and 15B in this embodiment) are provided on the intake mechanism 2 closer to the tip than the position where the annular portion 20 is installed. The multiple protrusions 15 protrude toward the inside of the passage formed inside the tubular portion 10 (in a direction approaching an imaginary axis O, which will be described later). The rotation drive unit 30 rotates at least the multiple protrusions 15 around an imaginary axis O (see FIGS. 2 and 3) extending in a direction along the passage. In this embodiment, the central axis of the tubular portion 10, which is cylindrical, coincides with the imaginary axis O. The rotation drive unit 30 rotates the multiple protrusions 15 to bring them into contact with the fruit or vegetable, thereby moving the fruit or vegetable inside the rotation path of the tubular portion 10.

[0047] In other words, fruits and vegetables that enter the outer side of the passage path of the tubular portion 10 are pushed by the rotating protrusion 15 and move toward the inner side of the passage path (in the direction toward the imaginary axis O in this embodiment). Furthermore, the inner side of the passage path is closer to the through-hole 21 of the annular portion 20 than the outer side of the passage path. As described above, the suction pressure of the gas near the through-hole 21 of the annular portion 20 tends to be high. Therefore, many fruits and vegetables move toward the inner side of the passage path and tend to pass through the through-hole 21 toward the rear end. Furthermore, as described above, even if the fruits and vegetables come into contact with the annular portion 20, the fruits and vegetables will smoothly pass through the through-hole 21 toward the rear end. Therefore, the intake mechanism 2 of this embodiment can efficiently harvest multiple fruits and vegetables while suppressing damage, deformation, and the like.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , each of the multiple protrusions 15 has an inclined portion 16 that inclines in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the protrusion 15 about the imaginary axis O (the direction of the arrow R in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) as it approaches the inside (toward the imaginary axis O) of the passage path of the tubular portion 10. In this embodiment, the inclined portion 16A is formed on the protrusion 15A, and the inclined portion 16B is formed on the protrusion 15B. Therefore, as the protrusion 15 rotates about the imaginary axis O, the fruit or vegetable that comes into contact with the inclined portion 16 of the protrusion 15 is appropriately pushed toward the inside of the passage path by the inclined portion 16. As a result, the fruit or vegetable can more easily pass through the through-hole 21 of the annular portion 20 appropriately.

[0049] In this embodiment, the shape of the protrusion 15 when viewed from the direction along the virtual axis O is triangular. However, the shape of the protrusion 15 is not limited to triangular, and may be semicircular, etc. In other words, the shape of the inclined portion 16 is not limited to linear, and may be arc-shaped, partially annular, etc.

[0050] The protrusion 15 has a certain degree of rigidity at least against a force applied in the rotation direction. Therefore, even if the fruit or vegetable comes into contact with the rotating protrusion 15, the protrusion 15 can move the fruit or vegetable toward the inside of the passage path without excessive deformation. As an example, the entire protrusion 15 of this embodiment has rigidity. However, the configuration of the protrusion 15 can also be changed. For example, the protrusion 15 may be formed so that it does not deform against a force applied in the rotation direction but is deformable toward its rear end. In this case, deformation of the protrusion 15 toward its rear end expands the area in which the fruit or vegetable can move toward the rear end of the protrusion 15.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3 , the multiple protrusions 15 in this embodiment are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the virtual axis O when viewed from the direction along the virtual axis O (the front direction). Therefore, no matter from which position the fruit or vegetable enters the passageway inside the tube portion 10, the multiple protrusions 15 arranged rotationally symmetrically facilitate stable movement of the fruit or vegetable toward the inside of the passageway. This makes it easier for the fruit or vegetable to be harvested more appropriately. In this embodiment, two protrusions 15 are arranged at positions that are two-fold rotationally symmetric. However, n (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 3) protrusions 15 may be arranged at positions that are n-fold rotationally symmetric. In other words, the number of protrusions 15 is not limited to two.

[0052] 2 to 4, the intake mechanism 2 of this embodiment includes an annular cover member 11 that surrounds and covers the circumferential outside of the multiple protrusions 15. As a result, even if the position of the fruit or vegetable is shifted with respect to the imaginary axis O, as long as the fruit or vegetable is positioned inside the cover member 11, the rotating protrusions 15 will move the fruit or vegetable appropriately to the inside of the passage path.

[0053] In this embodiment, the cover member 11 constitutes a part of the tubular portion 10. More specifically, in this embodiment, an annular portion at the tip end of the tubular portion 10 functions as the cover member 11. The multiple protrusions are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 10 (in this embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the cover member 11, which is a part of the tubular portion 10). The tubular portion 10 is held by the base portion 9 in a rotatable state. The rotation drive unit 30 rotates the tubular portion 10 (cover member 11), which has multiple protrusions 15, thereby rotating the multiple protrusions 15.

[0054] Although not shown in the drawings, the intake mechanism 2 of this embodiment is provided with an outer periphery cover that covers the circumferential outer periphery of the rotating member, the tubular part 10. This reduces the possibility that branches, leaves, etc. will come into contact with the outside of the rotating tubular part 10 and be damaged, or that the fruits and vegetables to be harvested will be pulled and moved.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the rotation drive unit 30 of this embodiment includes a pulley 31, a belt 32, and a motor 33 (see FIG. 4). The pulley 31 is held so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to an imaginary axis O, which is the rotation center of the protrusion 15. The motor 33 rotates the pulley 31. The belt 32 is stretched between the outer periphery of the pulley 31 and the outer periphery of the tubular portion 10. Therefore, when the pulley 31 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 33, the rotational force of the pulley 31 is transmitted to the tubular portion 10 via the belt 32, causing the tubular portion 10 to rotate about the imaginary axis O. As a result, the multiple protrusions 15 provided on the tubular portion 10 also rotate about the imaginary axis O.

[0056] However, it is also possible to change the configuration for rotating the multiple protrusions 15. For example, a gear or the like may be used instead of the pulley 31 and the belt 32, so that the driving force of the motor 33 is transmitted to the multiple protrusions 15. Also, the multiple protrusions 15 may be formed separately from the tubular portion 10. In this case, the rotation drive unit 30 only needs to have a mechanism for rotating at least the multiple protrusions 15.

[0057] (hose) The configuration of the hose 7 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. The hose 7 of this embodiment is flexible. Therefore, even if the position of the take-in mechanism 2 to which the tip of the hose 7 is connected moves, the tip of the hose 7 follows the movement of the take-in mechanism 2. Therefore, the fruits and vegetables taken in by the take-in mechanism 2 are properly harvested through the hose 7.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6 , a speed reduction section 70 is provided inside the hose 7 of this embodiment. The speed reduction section 70 extends inward from the inner circumferential surface of the hose 7 without blocking the path inside the hose 7. The speed reduction section 70 comes into contact with the fruits and vegetables passing through the hose 7, thereby reducing the speed at which the fruits and vegetables pass through the hose 7. As a result, the likelihood of damage, deformation, etc. occurring to the fruits and vegetables passing through the hose 7 is appropriately reduced. Furthermore, because the speed reduction section 70 does not block the path inside the hose 7, the speed reduction section 70 also prevents a reduction in the suction pressure of the gas in the tubular portion 10. This makes it easier to harvest the fruits and vegetables more appropriately.

[0059] The speed reduction section 70 of this embodiment is made of a flexible material (silicon in this embodiment). Therefore, even if fruits and vegetables come into contact with the speed reduction section 70, the fruits and vegetables are unlikely to be damaged or deformed. Furthermore, even if silicone is ingested into the human body, it is unlikely to have any adverse effects on the human body. Therefore, the safety of the harvested fruits and vegetables is easily ensured.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 6 , the speed reduction section 70 of this embodiment is a substantially annular member extending inward from the inner circumferential surface of the hose 7. A through hole 71 is formed inside the speed reduction section 70, so the path within the hose 7 is not blocked by the speed reduction section 70. A plurality of movable pieces 73 are arranged in a ring shape around the through hole 71 in the speed reduction section 70. Therefore, the speed of the fruits and vegetables passing through the hose 7 is appropriately reduced by the movable pieces 73, and the movable pieces 73 are unlikely to cause damage to the fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, a space is provided between adjacent movable pieces 73. Therefore, even if the speed reduction section 70 is provided, the suction pressure near the through hole 71 is unlikely to increase. This prevents the increase in the passing speed of the fruits and vegetables near the through hole 71.

[0061] (Robot arm) An example of a robot arm 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As described above, the robot arm 3 holds the take-in mechanism 2 and moves the held take-in mechanism 2. As an example, the robot arm 3 of this embodiment includes an arm unit 50 having a plurality of joints J1 to J3. The take-in mechanism 2 is held by the arm unit 50. The robot arm 3 can move the position of the take-in mechanism 2 held by the arm unit 50 by driving the arm unit 50 via the joints J1 to J3. However, it is also possible to employ an arm unit that is driven by a mechanism other than a joint.

[0062] The arm unit 50 is fixed to a base 4. The base 4 is provided with an arm movement unit 41 that moves the arm unit 50 in a direction parallel to the installation surface. When the arm movement unit 41 is driven, the entire arm unit 50 moves on the installation surface. The configuration of the arm movement unit 41 can be selected as appropriate. For example, the arm movement unit 41 may include wheels and a motor that rotates the wheels. Alternatively, a belt conveyor or the like may function as the arm movement unit.

[0063] (Control unit) The control unit 6 controls the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1. As an example, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a "PC") is used as the control unit 6 in this embodiment. However, a device other than a PC (for example, at least one of a server, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc.) may also be used as the control unit 6. Furthermore, the control units of multiple devices may work together to function as a control unit that controls the fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus 1.

[0064] The control unit 6 includes a CPU (controller) that performs various control processes and a storage device (NVM). The control unit 6 is connected to the robot arm 3, the imaging unit 5, and the like via at least one of wired communication, wireless communication, and a network. The control unit 6 is also connected to an operation unit and a display unit. The operation unit is operated by an operator (user, etc.) to input various instructions. The operation unit may be, for example, at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like. The display unit displays various images. It goes without saying that an operation unit and a display unit included in the control unit may be used instead of an operation unit and a display unit externally connected to the control unit 6.

[0065] The control unit 6 recognizes the position of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested based on the image captured by the imaging unit 5. The control unit 6 controls the drive of the robot arm 3 based on the recognized position of the fruits and vegetables, thereby moving the capture mechanism 2 to the position of the recognized fruits and vegetables. Therefore, even if the worker does not move the position of the capture mechanism 2 himself, the capture mechanism 2 automatically moves to the position of the fruits and vegetables to be harvested. Therefore, the fruits and vegetables can be properly harvested while minimizing an increase in the worker's labor hours.

[0066] In this embodiment, the photographing unit 5 is a three-dimensional camera capable of measuring the distance to the subject. The control unit 6 acquires the distance between the fruit or vegetable to be harvested and the three-dimensional camera, as measured by the three-dimensional camera. Based on the acquired distance, the control unit 6 can easily and appropriately recognize the position of the fruit or vegetable to be harvested.

[0067] Furthermore, the photographing unit 5 of this embodiment is capable of photographing color images. Based on the color image photographed by the photographing unit 5, the control unit 6 identifies the fruits and vegetables to be harvested from one or more fruits and vegetables shown in the color image. Therefore, even if multiple fruits and vegetables are shown in the color image, the fruits and vegetables to be harvested can be appropriately identified based on the color image.

[0068] In this embodiment, a mathematical model trained by a machine learning algorithm is used to input an image (a color image in this embodiment) and output a result of identifying the fruits and vegetables to be harvested (for example, a result of identifying the fruits and vegetables to be harvested from one or more fruits and vegetables shown in the image). The control unit 6 inputs an image captured by the imaging unit 5 into the mathematical model, thereby obtaining the identification result output by the mathematical model. This makes it easier to appropriately identify the fruits and vegetables to be harvested with higher accuracy.

[0069] The techniques disclosed in the above embodiments are merely examples. Therefore, it is possible to modify the techniques exemplified in the above embodiments. For example, it is possible to implement only a part of the techniques exemplified in the above embodiments. Specifically, in the above embodiments, an example is given in which the robot arm 3 moves the take-in mechanism 2 to the vicinity of the fruits and vegetables. However, it is also possible to modify the configuration for moving the take-in mechanism 2. For example, the operator may himself move the take-in mechanism 2 to the vicinity of the fruits and vegetables. In other words, the take-in mechanism 2, etc., excluding the robot arm 3, may be used as a fruit and vegetable harvesting device. Furthermore, it is also possible to add other configurations to at least a part of the configurations exemplified in the above embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Fruit and vegetable harvesting equipment 2. Capture mechanism 3. Robotic Arm 5. Filming Department 6 Control Unit 7 Hose 8. Suction pressure generating unit 10 Cylinder part 11 Cover member 15A,15B Protrusion 16A,16B Slope section 20 Annular section 21 Through hole 22 Cut 23 Movable piece 30 Rotation drive unit 50 Arm section 70 Speed reduction section O Virtual axis

Claims

1. a cylindrical member having a passage formed inside for passing the fruit and vegetables to a rear end side, the passage being connected to a front end side of a hose that serves as a gas suction path, thereby guiding the fruit and vegetables that have passed through the passage to the hose; an annular portion extending from an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion toward the inside of the passage path and forming a through hole on the inside thereof that penetrates from a front end side to a rear end side; a plurality of protruding portions protruding toward the inside of the passage path on a tip side of a position where the annular portion is provided; a rotation drive unit that rotates at least the plurality of protrusions around a virtual axis that extends in a direction along the passage path; Equipped with The rotation drive unit is The protruding portion is rotated to contact the fruit or vegetable, thereby moving the fruit or vegetable to the inside of the passage path; The annular portion is When the through hole is brought into contact with the fruit or vegetable moving toward the rear end side, the through hole is deformed toward the rear end side, and A fruit and vegetable harvesting device characterized in that the through-hole is reduced in size by restoring the deformed shape.

2. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, A fruit and vegetable harvesting device characterized in that each of the multiple protrusions has an inclined portion that slopes in a direction opposite to the rotation direction around the virtual axis as it approaches the inside of the passage path.

3. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, The fruit and vegetable harvesting device is characterized in that the plurality of protrusions are arranged rotationally symmetrically about the imaginary axis when viewed from a direction along the imaginary axis.

4. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, The fruit and vegetable harvesting device further comprises an annular cover member that surrounds and covers the circumferential outside of the plurality of protrusions.

5. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, The fruit and vegetable harvesting device is characterized in that the annular portion is formed from at least one of silicone and rubber, which have flexibility and shape recovery properties.

6. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, A fruit and vegetable harvesting device, characterized in that the annular portion has a plurality of notches formed therein, extending radially outward from an inner end portion that forms the through hole.

7. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, The hose; A fruit and vegetable harvesting device characterized by having a speed reduction section that extends inward from the inner surface of the hose without blocking the path within the hose and contacts the fruit and vegetables passing through the hose, thereby reducing the speed at which the fruit and vegetables pass through the hose.

8. 2. The fruit and vegetable harvesting device according to claim 1, a robot arm including an arm portion, the arm portion holding a take-in mechanism including the tubular portion, the annular portion, and the plurality of protrusions, and driving the arm portion to move the take-in mechanism; an imaging unit that captures an image; a control unit that controls the fruit and vegetable harvesting device; Furthermore, The control unit This fruit and vegetable harvesting device is characterized by recognizing the position of the fruit and vegetable to be harvested based on the image captured by the photographing unit, and controlling the drive of the robot arm based on the recognized position of the fruit and vegetable, thereby moving the capture mechanism to the recognized position of the fruit and vegetable.

9. 9. The fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus according to claim 8, The fruit and vegetable harvesting device is characterized in that the photographing unit includes a three-dimensional camera capable of measuring the distance to the subject.

10. 9. The fruit and vegetable harvesting apparatus according to claim 8, the imaging unit is capable of capturing color images, The control unit is configured to identify the fruits and vegetables to be harvested from one or more fruits and vegetables shown in the color image captured by the photographing unit based on the color image.

Images