Payload for collecting fruits and pruning in row crops, particularly for vineyards

Abstract

Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings located along row crops; said device comprising: n robotic manipulators (101), where n>=l; each robotic manipulator (101) being equipped with at least a shear (102), a hopper (103) and a video camera (104); - n pairs of vertical rods (105); each pair of rods (105) being hinged at their ends with two horizontal axes (106) by at least four bushings (107); each of said bushings (107) being provided with a sliding electric actuator; - n pantographs (108) connected to said n pairs of vertical rods (105); n rotation joints (109) connected with said n robotic manipulators (101) and with said n pantographs (108); - n high flow pipes (110) connected to said hoppers (103) and used to convey said fruits and prunings towards at least one collection box (111); means for extending said n pantographs (108) and means for translating said n pantographs (108) along said n pairs of vertical rods (105); a control unit.

Description

[0001] Payload for collecting fruits and pruning in row crops , particularly for vineyards

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of agriculture and particularly concerns a device for the automated collection of fruits and / or pruning . Said device being made in the form of a payload that can be conveniently installed on board rovers , agricultural tractors and the like and being usable in the field of row crops ; by way of example and not limitation to automatically carry out grape collecting and pruning operations in the vineyard .

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Historically, many agricultural processes in the agricultural sector were carried out manually, but thanks to technological development there has been the progressive introduction of increasingly advanced tools , machinery and equipped agricultural tractors , and more recently the use of drones and robotic solutions . However, there are several processes that , due to environmental di f ficulties or complexity of execution, still today must be carried out mainly manually or in any case with a signi ficant incidence of human intervention at least in terms of quality control and / or refinement of operations . A typical example is provided by the collection and pruning of fruit as in the case of the vineyard where there are obviously means of facilitation ( for example tractors for transport rather than shakers to facilitate the detachment of the fruits ) but still requiring a signi ficant human presence both for monitoring operations and to ensure the quality of the procedures applied and of the fruits collected . For example , there are several fields in which shakers cannot be used due to damage caused to the fruit , to the plant , or to the products derived; there is also the case of products such as fine wines wherein the selection and accurate sorting of the collected fruits is essential in order to guarantee an excellent quality of the derived products. In addition, there are applications wherein the precision and accuracy of the operations to be carried out completely excludes the use of mechanized solutions. This is the case for some plants in which pruning plays such a crucial role in terms of productivity that it is still carried out entirely manually. Even the most innovative and modern solutions based on drones and commercial rovers (possibly equipped with robotic actuators and used both individually and in groups) make it possible at most to perform only simple work such as brushcutting or soil work (plowing, fertilising etc.) . Typical examples of these solutions are, for example, the following rovers: www . naio- technologies . com , www . vitibot . f r , www . sab i- agri . com, www . saia-agrobotics . com, www . agrobot . com / e-series, www . tevel-tech . com, www. autoagri .no, www.mdbsrl.com, www . tracmow . com and others whose operations are almost always and only semi-automatic, i.e. requiring remote monitoring, often local, i.e. needing to cover the possibility of a personal emergency intervention.

[0006] Ultimately, there are no known commercial solutions relating to tools that allow collecting and pruning in a fully automated and high quality manner in traditionally difficult application fields such as row crops (for example, the winemaking sector) . In terms of patents, numerous attempts at rovers or simply robotic tools that can be used to collect fruit are actually known, such as W02018015416, W02016090012, WO2016055552,

[0007] US2016073584, CN115589849, W02022038057 , CN108207317.

[0008] In this sector there are also some verticalisations purely dedicated to viticulture and in particular specific means used for the collection of bunches of grapes such as patents WO2005122746, W02012126610 , and finally robotic means and systems for automatic pruning as in patents W02019090754, W02020193904, WO2021258411.

[0009] The aforementioned solutions, both commercial and patent, have individual limitations: they perform simple activities, such as soil cleaning, and almost never include precision manipulation activities on the plant . Where manipulation is present it is often associated with poor precision in execution ( e . g . shakers ) . On the contrary, solutions that provide for precise manipulation of the environment , generally through the use of robotic arms , are highly speciali zed and do not allow the execution of multiple macro-activities (pruning / collecting / storage ) with the same means or instrument . In addition, the existing high-precision systems have very high execution times , incompatible with use in a real agricultural and winemaking environment . It follows that some of the existing solutions only cut the fruit or branch and do not deal with their collection and containment . Some are fast but damage the fruit and plant and do not allow automatic selection of fruits for quality and si ze . Others are precise and high quality but very slow and do not allow selection by type . In general , there is a problem that unites all the aforementioned solutions , namely : the slowness and poor quality / precision o f the cutting and collecting process and the impossibility of selecting and storing the collected fruit , which signi ficantly limits or even prevents the use of these systems in high-value sectors such as winemaking .

[0010] Disclosure of the invention

[0011] This patent aims to overcome the aforementioned critical issues by implementing a system for automated collection of fruits and prunings , particularly but not exclusively for vineyards . The main purpose of the proposed invention is therefore to create a system that allows pruning and fruits collecting operations to be carried out along preferably row crops . Said processing being carried out in a fast manner, with said term meaning not only the performance of the individual cutting and collecting operations but more generally the amount of product processed simultaneously . A further purpose of the proposed invention is to create a flexible system, that is , in the form of a payload that can be used both on rovers and robotic vehicles and on traditional agricultural vehicles such as tractors and similar ; said use and said means can also be used in a coordinated and collaborative manner ( for example fleets of picker vehicles ) . Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a collecting and pruning device that makes it possible to operate in a precise and selective manner without causing damage to the treated fruits and plants . A further obj ect of this patent is to provide an automated collecting and pruning device that allows fruit and pruning waste to be collected and transported but which further allows these to be classi fied and selected and separated i f necessary on the basis of quality and / or si ze criteria .

[0012] In an advantageous implementation of the invention, the proposed system achieves the aforementioned obj ectives by means of a payload subsystem for fruits collecting and pruning particularly but not exclusively for vineyards ; said payload subsystem being installable on rovers and / or functionally equivalent mobile systems including agricultural tractors and similar, capable of moving along the rows acting progressively on multiple work areas of LxD si ze ( as explained below) . Said payload allows the aforementioned means to be used to prune vineyards and / or collect fruits grown along the rows . Said payload comprising the following main elements : a support structure or frame comprising two hori zontal flow axes (upper and lower ) of length L placed at a fixed distance D and on which they are constrained to hori zontally translate 2n vertical support rods (where n is a natural number with n>=l ) ; said 2n vertical support rods being provided with means to independently translate along said hori zontal flow axes and assume as a whole all the positions ( abscissa ) of collection included within the space LxD identi fied by said hori zontal axes and vertical rods ; n robotic manipulator devices ; each manipulator being equipped with at least one mechani zed shear and an underlying hopper for collecting and conveying cut elements

[0013] ( fruits and / or prunings ) ; each manipulator being connected to the high flow pipes that allow the cut elements to be transported inside a collection and containment box ; said at least one mechani zed shear and said hopper being remotely pilotable and controllable ; said manipulators being connected to two of said 2n vertical support rods by means of a pantograph element and four bushings that allow the manipulator to slide vertically . Said manipulators and corresponding pantographs being remotely pilotable and said pantograph being able to extend and shorten to approach each manipulator independently to the row and particularly at the point of intervention of said at least one shear ; each manipulator is independent and works without occupying the working area of the adj acent manipulators ; the shear and the collection hopper that make up the manipulator move integrally and can be rotated along the 3 main axes XYZ through electric actuated rotary mechanisms ; the shear and the collection hopper can be opened to di f ferent degrees (preferably but not necessarily from 0 to 200 ° ) and independently of each other to allow both the collection and pruning phases ; n cameras installed on each of said n manipulators and used to take images relating to the area of intervention of each manipulator ; said images being sent remotely to an expert system for context analysis and automatic payload piloting; said piloting comprising the control of each of said n manipulators with shear and hopper and the control of their positioning, i . e . intervening on the translation, rotation and pantograph elements that allow each manipulator to be given 6 degrees of freedom; n high flow pipes connected to said n hoppers and used to convey the cut elements ( fruits or prunings ) towards at least one containment box ; said at least one containment box being able to be divided into several compartments (up to n) in order to allow the sorting with automatic selection and separation of all the cut elements collected by the n manipulators ; said automatic sorting being by way of example but not limitation remotely piloted based on criteria of si ze and / or quality of the cut element .

[0014] Through the coordinated use of the aforementioned main elements , the payload device that is the obj ect of the invention is then installed on a mobile vehicle ( rover or agricultural tractor ) ; said vehicle being possibly characteri zed by semi-automatic guidance or automatic guidance and conducted along the rows and each of the n manipulators moves independently approaching the element to be cut ( fruit or pruning) and conveyed into the collection box .

[0015] Thanks to the operational independence of the n manipulators and their ability to move and position themselves with extreme precision within the aforementioned LxD work area and thanks to the possibility ( extending and shortening) of approaching each manipulator independently and with maximum flexibility due to the six degrees of freedom) , the payload operates quickly and precisely . Additionally, the shear with hopper and the collection tube are guided by means of a video camera and a remote expert system, allowing them to be cut and collected with the utmost care , that is , optimising the execution of the interventions and minimi zing damage to plants and fruits and also allowing their automatic selection and sorting during processing .

[0016] Brief description of the accompanying drawings

[0017] Further characteristics and advantages of the proposed technical solution will appear more evident in the following description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment shown by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying three drawing plates , in which : - Figs. 1, 2, 3 show the invention in two-dimensional frontal, lateral and vertical views, clearly showing the main constituent components;

[0018] - Figs. 4, 5 show examples of the invention in axonometric view, in different operating circumstances (in activity Fig. 4 and at rest Fig. 5) .

[0019] - Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 show in detail the views of a manipulator for collecting crops and prunings according to the invention and particularly its movement and positioning system;

[0020] - Figs. 11 and 12 show an implementation form of the manipulator, clearly showing the means of movement and rotation of the manipulator itself;

[0021] - Figs. 13, 14, 15 show examples of operation of the manipulator and particularly the opening and closing of the cutting system with shear and collection with conveying of the cut elements.

[0022] It should be noted that the figures attached to the present patent application illustrate only one possible embodiment of the system, in order to better understand the advantages and features of the patent described.

[0023] These embodiments are therefore to be understood as purely illustrative and supportive of the present description without limitation of the inventive concept and above all of the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims.

[0024] Optimal method for implementing the invention

[0025] With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the object of the proposed invention is shown in front, side and top view, clearly showing all the main construction elements. In particular, the invention (100) is composed of n robotic manipulators (101) where n is a natural number with n>=l; each manipulator being provided with means to move independently; said manipulators (101) being used to cut and collect elements (fruits, prunings) and convey them by means of high flow pipes (110) towards a containment and sorting box (111) .

[0026] Said n manipulators (101) are arranged parallel to each other so as to cover a certain area of intervention. The manipulators (101) are supported by pairs of parallel rods (105) that move on a fixed structure that delimits the intervention area. This fixed structure and the parallel axes (105) support a pantograph (108) for extending the manipulators (101) and allow them to be moved along LxD. The manipulators (101) in turn are composed of two levers in the side walls connected by four connecting rods in the fulcrums that allow their movement in a direction perpendicular to the pantograph (108) . The pantograph lever (108) is fixed on four j oints / bushings (113) on the two flow rods (105) and consists of four levers connected to the four bushings (113) on four rotation fulcrums. On the last connecting rod relative to the outermost and farthest fulcrum / constraint of the pantograph (108) a rotation joint (109) is positioned to which the shear (102) , the video camera (104) , the hopper (103) , the high flow pipe (110) and the actuating mechanisms that allow the opening and closing of the shear (102) and hopper (103) are integrally connected. The shear (102) is composed of two blades that can be opened and closed at different angles and used for pruning and cutting the fruit. The camera (104) is positioned on top of the lever and raised to a position of maximum visibility of the target. The hopper (103) is composed of two parts (103a) , (103b) that can be opened and closed at different angles regardless of the position of the shear (102) and will house the fruit in the cutting phase before entering the high flow pipe (110) . The high flow pipe (110) moves integrally with the specific hopper (103) and connects it to a compartment (Illa) of the containment box (111) allowing it to be collected with selection. The compartments (Illa) of the containment box (111) are connected through each high flow pipe (110) connected in turn to each hopper (103) forming part of each manipulator (101) . The pantograph (108) and the containment collection box (111) are coupled to the structure of the rover or agricultural vehicle through specific coupling points that allow them to be firmly positioned and easily removed for the maintenance and remodulation phases of the payload. With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, two examples / operating configurations of the payload device (100) according to the invention are shown. In particular, the device (100) is shown with aligned manipulators (101) typically in a starting / resting configuration as shown in Fig. 5 and, further, in a typically operating configuration shown instead in Fig. 4. In particular, Fig. 4 shows how the device (100) is used in everyday use, wherein each manipulator (101) (guided through a local or remote expert system that analyses the images provided by the camera) is capable of positioning itself (vertical, horizontal translation and approaching the row) , orienting itself (rotating and tilting) and activating its own cutting and conveying means, i.e. shears (102) with pipe (110) and "hopper" terminal (103) ; all of this takes place independently, autonomously and optimally. With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly to Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 a manipulator (101) is shown in detail and particularly the elements that make it possible to translate horizontally, vertically and approach the row are shown.

[0027] The manipulator is connected to two vertical rods (105) through four joints (113) that allow vertical movement thereof. For each joint (113) there is a wheel with contact ring / toothed wheel and the relative ring nut / guide counterpart installed along the movement rod (105) or other flow system controlled in position. Each joint (113) is equipped with an electric actuator that allows it to be controlled in position independently of the others. By correctly and synchronously actuating the four actuators, it is possible to vary the vertical position of the manipulator (101) , that is, to apply an equal displacement on all four joints (113) . In addition, it is possible to vary the distance of the manipulator (101) from the plant with the pantograph (108) by moving the joints (113) towards or away from each other.

[0028] The same wheel-actuator mechanism or position-controlled flow is present on the upper and lower joints / bushings (107) that allow the horizontal flow of the manipulator (101) along the horizontal rods (106) that frame the pantographs (108) . A centralized control system controls the actuators for the horizontal control of the different manipulators (101) , knowing the position of each one, coordinates the movements to avoid collisions between the different manipulators (101) . It is also possible to install one or more limit sensors on the j oints / bushings (107) to identify any unforeseen collisions between two adjacent manipulators and avoid damage to the system.

[0029] With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly to Figs. 11 and 12, the system that allows the optimal approach and positioning of the robotic manipulator (101) is illustrated in detail. In particular, it can be seen how the movement of the manipulator (101) is guaranteed by the variation of the relative position of the vertical movement joints (113) , which bring the manipulator (101) closer to the target.

[0030] There is also a rotation joint (109) consisting of a three- axis spherical wrist joint, also electrically actuated, which allows the control of the orientation of the manipulator (101) , allowing the cutting and collecting of fruits at different angles .

[0031] With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly to Figs. 13, 14, and 15 the system that allows the collection and conveying of the fruit is shown in detail, and in particular the opening mechanisms of the terminal with shears (102) and relative hopper (103) for conveying the cut elements towards the high flow collection tube (110) . The shears (102) consist of two blades, controllable through the actuation of a system of gears and reducers that allows them to be opened and closed upon receipt of a control signal . The hopper ( 103 ) is also composed of two twin parts ( 103a ) , ( 103b ) which have the possibility of detaching or closing like a shell around the fruit . The opening and closing of the hopper ( 103 ) is controlled by a dedicated motor and gear system independent of the cutting system .

[0032] Industrial applicability

[0033] The advantages of the invention according to the proposed patent are mani fold and evident both in terms of reliability, functionality and conservation of the environment . Speci fically designed for wine agriculture , this system greatly improves the management of vineyards and the quality of the crop collected . Installed on an agricultural vehicle ( such as a tractor ) , or on an autonomous rover, it assists and / or replaces the operator in pruning and collecting operations , guaranteeing performance comparable or superior to manual performance as to quality and speed, but with greater safety and lower operating costs .

[0034] This innovative system eliminates the need for direct manual interventions on the grapes and the plant , drastically reducing human labour, the risk of inj ury and, above all , the ef ficiency of the agricultural crop management process . It also includes functionality for classi fying and cataloguing the collection on site , based on the weight , si ze and quality of the fruit . This allows to minimi ze downstream collecting operations , eliminating the need for dedicated facilities and optimising the transport of the collected crop that can directly reach its final destination . Both are factors with an obvious high impact for the benefit of both the environment and humans .

[0035] Integrated cameras allow constant analysis of the state of health of plants and fruit , improving conservation over time and reducing negative impacts on agricultural crops . The presence of multiple independent manipulators ensures high system reliability and operational continuity . In the event of a manipulator failure , operations can continue with minimal impact on work ef fectiveness .

[0036] In addition, the speciali zation of the manipulators facilitates the collection of di f ferent types of grapes in the same vineyard, avoiding cross-contamination, both chemical and biological . The continuous monitoring of fered by the cameras supports targeted interventions and minimi zes the use of chemical treatments , with signi ficant benefits for the environment . The high modularity of the solution allows the system to be specialised for the di f ferent methods and types of collection and pruning, respecting the various regulations governing the production of wines with a controlled and guaranteed designation of origin for each type of vineyard . The arti ficial intelligence predictive algorithms used will allow the system to specialise over time to the vineyard being used, optimising its speci fic performance and enabling all the adaptive and ef ficiency capabilities of the wine and vineyard production and management process .

[0037] The solution is entirely electric and compatible with the concepts of reducing the use of fossil fuels . The characteristics listed give the solution an impressive sustainability profile but also a high-level of appeal that can be shared by a wide audience such as the winemaking market . The modularity and autonomy of the system make it possible to implement other activities such as spreading substances , defoliation before collecting, green containment and earth moving near the plant , with modi fications of the same system . While the invention is susceptible to various modi fications and alternative constructions , some preferred embodiments have been shown in the drawings and disclosed in detail .

[0038] It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the speci fic illustrated embodiment but , on the contrary, the aim is to cover all the modi fications , alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims .

[0039] The use of "for example" , "etc . " , "or" indicates non-exclusive alternatives without limitation, unless otherwise indicated . The use of "includes" means "includes , but not limited to" unless otherwise indicated .

[0040] In particular, the invention can be reali zed with technical equivalents , with supplementary materials or solutions suitable for the purpose and the application scope . Conformation, number and dimensions of the constituent parts may vary in a way suitable for the purposes and speci fic uses of the payload ( di f ferent types of fruit in rows , di f ferent methods and pruning systems . . . ) , but always consistent with the solution proposed and illustrated in this patent .

[0041] By way of example and not limitation, it is noted that the geometric shapes of the parts involved may be varied and, furthermore , the speci fic shape and some functionality of the system may also be varied : the general arrangement may in fact be revis ited without departing from the scope of the claimed model .

[0042] By way of example , some examples of alternative changes that may integrate and characteri ze the system are cited :

[0043] Additional lighting elements that can be used to carry out operations at night and ensure 24-hour operation Proximity sensors and / or Lidar to support the optical system for the identi fication and location of targets Pressuri zed / aspirated pipe replacing the high flow collection tube Replacement of rotation elements with kinematics and equivalent solutions at the functional level ;

[0044] Rotating elements on the manipulator to perform cleaning activities on the fruit or branch before collecting or pruning;

[0045] Circular saw and / or other cutting element replacing blades / shear ; High flow rollers and / or devices in the pipes between the manipulator and the containment box ;

[0046] Soft and / or other coatings on the manipulator, pipe and box to ensure that the fruit maintains its quality during collection and transport ;

[0047] Di fferent types of coupling and movement between the pantograph and the structure of the means of transport , by considering tilting and modi fiable solutions of structure to allow a better adherence of the system to the plant ;

[0048] Possibility of accommodating di f ferent types of manipulator to perform further macro-activities such as spreading substances , defoliation before collecting, green containment and earth moving near the plant ;

[0049] Possibility of accommodating di f ferent types of containment boxes for collected crops and pruning to perform further macro-activities such as spreading substances by containing liquid tanks , defoliation before collecting, green containment and earth moving near the plant ;

[0050] Ability of the system to be able to replace the pipe box and manipulator independently according to the use ; Linear motor and other kinematic solutions for the operations of moving the manipulator away / towards the pantograph and the plant .

[0051] In any case , the aforementioned and necessary additional modi fications or implementations to the system and the underlying facilities , including adj ustments and dimensioning appropriate to the individual installation, will be deducible by a suitably trained person skilled in the art without going beyond the scope of protection of the claimed patent .

[0052] Finally, the applicant reserves the exclusive right even to partial executions of the proposed invention .

Claims

Claims1. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings located along row crops; said device comprising:- n robotic manipulators (101) , where n>=l; each robotic manipulator (101) being equipped with at least a shear (102) , a hopper (103) and a video camera (104) ;- n pairs of vertical rods (105) ; each pair of rods (105) being hinged at their ends with two horizontal axes (106) by at least four bushings (107) ; each of said bushings (107) being provided with a sliding electric actuator;- n pantographs (108) connected to said n pairs of vertical rods (105) ;- n rotation joints (109) connected with said n robotic manipulators (101) and with said n pantographs (108) ;- n high flow pipes (110) connected to said hoppers (103) and used to convey said fruits and prunings towards at least one collection box (111) ;- means for extending said n pantographs (108) and means for translating said n pantographs (108) along said n pairs of vertical rods (105) ;- a control unit.

2. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said means for extending said n pantographs (108) and said means for translating said n pantographs (108) along said n pairs of vertical rods (105) comprise at least four joints (113) connected to each pair of vertical rods (105) ; said joints (113) being provided with a sliding electric actuator.

3. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said hopper (103) is composed of twovertical portions (103a) , (103b) that can be opened at a chosen angle by means of an electric actuator.

4. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said rotation joints (109) comprise an electrically actuated three-axis spherical wrist joint.

5. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said at least one shear (102) is controlled by an electric actuator.

6. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said collection box (111) comprises at least one compartment (Illa) ; said at least one compartment (Illa) being connected to at least one of said n high flow pipes (110) .

7. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said control unit is piloted through an expert system that analyses the images provided by said n cameras (104) .

8. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 wherein said control unit is provided with means of communication and remote control.

9. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 further comprising connection means with robotic rovers, agricultural tractors and drones.

10. Device (100) for collecting fruits and prunings according to Claim 1 further comprising lighting means, suction means and proximity sensors.

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