Plant Material Sorting Robot with Direct Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sorting plant material units, such as seedlings or sprouts, often result in damage due to multiple transfers and inefficient handling, which is undesirable in horticultural and agricultural applications where minimizing transfers and handling time is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize dedicated trays with a two-dimensional array of cells for efficient sorting by assigning classification values based on image analysis, allowing direct transfer of plant material units with minimal physical contact, and employing a robot with gripping elements to pick up and place units with minimal movement, optimizing tray arrangement and supply lines for reduced damage and increased throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple transfers are used to sort plant material units, then sorting capability is improved, but plant material damage increases and handling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the sorting process into two distinct stages: (1) imaging and classification of plant material units in their original container, and (2) selective removal and placement of classified units. This segmentation allows the sorting decision to be made without physical handling, reducing damage while maintaining sorting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary imaging system that captures images of plant material units to determine their classification. This intermediary enables sorting decisions to be made remotely without direct physical contact, thereby reducing plant material damage while maintaining efficient sorting.
2Productivity
If multiple transfers are used to sort plant material units, then sorting capability is improved, but handling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary imaging and classification of plant material units before any physical removal or transfer. By pre-determining the classification status through imaging, the system eliminates the need for multiple transfer operations, thereby reducing handling time while maintaining sorting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical transfer operations with an imaging-based classification system. Instead of physically handling and sorting units through multiple transfers, the system uses optical imaging to identify and classify units, then uses a single transfer operation to move only the classified units, significantly reducing handling time.
3Speed
If bulk transfer methods are used, then transfer speed is improved, but plant material damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating each plant material unit individually through imaging to determine its specific classification status. This allows selective handling of only the units that require transfer, rather than bulk transfer of all units, thereby reducing damage while maintaining efficient transfer speed for the necessary units.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for sorting plant material units (101), such as seedlings. The plant material units are arranged in a supply tray and distributed over a plurality of further trays, each further tray being dedicated to plant material units with a specific classification value assigned to it. In the method, first, the supply tray (105) is provided. An image of the plant material units in the supply tray is obtained, and on the basis of the obtained image, a classification value is assigned to each of the plant material units. Finally, the plant material units are sorted on the basis of the assigned classification value by transferring plant material units with the same assigned classification value by means of a robot directly from the supply tray to the corresponding further tray.