Plum Picking Robot With Binocular Vision and Integrated Grading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plum picking remains labor-intensive, inefficient, and prone to fruit damage due to variations in ripening periods and the need for manual sorting, leading to high costs and compromised yield and quality.
Innovation Solution
A plum picking and grading robot equipped with a base supporting mechanism, grading and screening mechanism, picking robotic arm, end execution mechanism, and visual identification system, which includes binocular cameras and mechanisms for precise fruit identification and sorting, ensuring efficient and damage-free picking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual selective picking is used, then fruit quality can be maintained, but labor intensity is high and picking efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical picking system with an automated robotic system equipped with visual identification (binocular cameras) and automated grading mechanisms. The robot uses computer vision to identify ripe plums and automatically picks and grades them, eliminating manual labor while maintaining quality standards through automated detection and selection criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system performs self-service by autonomously identifying, picking, and grading plums without human intervention. The visual identification system automatically detects fruit quality, the picking mechanism autonomously harvests selected plums, and the grading mechanism self-sorts fruits by quality, creating a fully automated self-sufficient picking system.
2Productivity
If existing plum picking robots are used, then labor costs are reduced, but structural complexity increases and fruit damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system integrates multiple functions into a single platform: visual identification for ripeness detection, automated picking for harvest, and grading for quality sorting. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate picking and sorting operations, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high picking efficiency and preventing fruit damage through careful handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the picking and grading operations into a single integrated robotic system. The visual identification system, picking mechanism, and grading mechanism work together as one unified system, combining previously separate functions into a coordinated automated process that reduces structural complexity compared to multiple separate systems.
3Productivity
If existing plum picking robots are used, then picking speed improves, but fruit damage increases due to tissue delicacy
Solution Approach 1:
The visual identification system performs preliminary detection and identification of ripe plums before the picking action occurs. The system pre-locates target fruits, assesses their quality and position, and plans the picking trajectory in advance, enabling fast yet precise picking that avoids damage to delicate fruit tissue through pre-coordinated gentle handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The binocular camera system provides real-time visual feedback on fruit position, orientation, and quality during the picking process. This feedback enables the robotic system to adjust its picking trajectory and force in real-time, maintaining high speed while preventing damage through continuous monitoring and adaptive control of the picking action.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a plum picking and grading robot. The plum picking and grading robot includes a base supporting mechanism, a collecting box body, a grading and screening mechanism, a picking robotic arm, an end execution mechanism, a storage mechanism, and a visual identification system, where the collecting box body is disposed at a front end of the base supporting mechanism, and includes a sound fruit collecting box and a defective fruit collecting box; the grading and screening mechanism and the picking robotic arm are separately disposed on an end surface of the base supporting mechanism, and the end execution mechanism is disposed on an end that is of the picking robotic arm and that is away from the base supporting mechanism; the storage mechanism is disposed on the end surface of the base supporting mechanism; and the visual identification system includes one positioning binocular camera and two identifying binocular cameras.