Fruit-Picking End Effector With Gentle Multi-Fruit Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fruit-picking robots face challenges in efficiently detaching fruits from plants without causing damage, particularly due to variations in fruit size, and often result in fruit damage during collection and transfer to a collecting box.
Innovation Solution
A fruit-picking robot with an end effector featuring a distal portion for detachment, a storage bay with a discharge port along its length, and a pivotable fruit support member that allows multiple fruits to be collected and discharged gently, minimizing contact and damage through controlled discharge mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional single-fruit storage approach is used, then the end effector structure is simple, but the productivity is low due to frequent returns to the plant
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector is divided into distinct functional segments: a picking tool at the distal end for detaching fruit, a storage bay in the intermediate portion for holding multiple fruits, and a discharge mechanism at the proximal end for releasing fruits. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function efficiently, enabling multiple fruits to be collected in one trip to the plant while maintaining operational simplicity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage bay is designed with an elongate shape extending along the longitudinal axis of the end effector, transforming the traditional single-fruit storage concept into a multi-fruit linear arrangement. This dimensional extension allows multiple fruits to be accommodated along the length of the effector, increasing productivity without significantly increasing the radial footprint or overall complexity of the device.
2Ease of manufacture
If fruits are discharged by dropping from height, then the discharge mechanism is simple, but the fruit is damaged during fall
Solution Approach 1:
A fruit support member acts as an intermediary element between the storage bay and the collecting box. This support member provides a controlled discharge path that guides fruits out of the storage bay and onto the collecting box surface, preventing direct high-impact dropping. The support member can be configured to release fruits gently, minimizing damage while maintaining a relatively simple discharge mechanism structure.
3Quantity of substance
If the storage bay is small, then the end effector is compact, but multiple fruits cannot be accommodated simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The storage bay utilizes the longitudinal dimension of the end effector to accommodate multiple fruits in a linear arrangement rather than expanding the radial or vertical dimensions. By extending the storage capacity along the length of the effector, the design increases the number of fruits that can be held simultaneously while keeping the overall volume increase minimal and maintaining a compact profile suitable for robot manipulation.
4Speed
If the discharge port is open, then fruit discharge is fast, but fruit-to-fruit contact causes damage
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge mechanism is segmented into controlled release points along the fruit support member rather than a single open discharge port. This segmentation allows fruits to be discharged individually or in small groups at controlled locations, preventing mass discharge that would cause fruit-to-fruit contact and damage, while still maintaining acceptable discharge speed for efficient operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An end effector (22) for a fruit picking robot has a distal portion comprising tools for seizing and detaching a fruit (3) from its mother plant, a proximal portion comprising an interface for mounting the end effector (22) to a robot arm, and a storage bay (30) for picked fruit (3). The storage bay (30) is elongate in a longitudinal direction and has a discharge port (40) extending along the full length of the storage bay (30) in the longitudinal direction (24). A fruit support member (37) has a longitudinally extending edge (39) which delimits the discharge port (40).