Robotic Crop Cart Dispatch for Predictive Harvest Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual harvesting of crops like table grapes, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and berry fruits is labor-intensive, with pickers spending significant time walking to and from collection points instead of harvesting, thereby increasing operational costs and reducing productivity.
Innovation Solution
A robotic vehicle system that delivers empty containers to pickers and transports full containers to collection points, aided by instrumented picker carts that signal when service from a robot is required, and a field computer that predicts pickers' operations and schedules vehicle movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pickers manually transport harvested crop to collection points, then they can complete the harvesting process, but they spend significant time walking instead of harvesting
Solution Approach 1:
A robotic vehicle acts as an intermediary between the picker and the collection point. The robot transports full containers from the picker to the collection point, eliminating the need for the picker to manually carry the crop. This mediator (robot) handles the transportation task, allowing the picker to focus solely on harvesting.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the picker to receive automatic service from the robotic vehicle. The field computer monitors container fill status and automatically dispatches robots when needed, without requiring the picker to actively request service. The picker simply continues harvesting while the system autonomously manages transportation logistics.
2Productivity
If pickers carry harvested crop to collection points, then the harvesting process is completed, but operational costs increase due to labor intensity
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic vehicle serves multiple functions: it transports full containers from pickers to collection points, delivers empty containers to pickers, and navigates autonomously through the field. This multi-functional robot replaces multiple manual tasks (carrying, transporting, delivering), reducing overall system complexity despite the sophistication of individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system (picker carrying containers) with an automated robotic system. The robot uses sensors, navigation modules, and automated loading mechanisms to perform tasks that previously required human physical effort, thereby reducing labor intensity while maintaining harvesting output.
3Productivity
If robotic vehicles are deployed to transport crop, then picker productivity increases, but the system requires complex coordination and scheduling
Solution Approach 1:
The field computer continuously receives feedback from pickers (container fill status, location) and the robotic vehicles (position, capacity, status). Based on this real-time feedback, the system dynamically adjusts vehicle dispatch decisions, optimizing the coordination between multiple robots and pickers without requiring complex manual scheduling.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, apparatus and method are provided for robotically assisting the harvest of a crop. Instrumented picker carts include sensors for detecting amounts of harvested crop (e.g., fill ratios) of containers carried by the carts, communication modules for communicating their locations and detected crop amounts to a field computer, and components for signaling for robotic service. The field computer predicts when a cart that requests service will have a full container and where it will be located at that time, then decides whether to approve the request. If the request is approved, a robot is assigned and is given (or generates) a path to the cart's predicted location, and begins moving toward the location so as to arrive near (and preferably before) the predicted time. Robots include means for moving (e.g., wheels, motors, steering components, power sources), navigation modules, computing components for controlling their movement, and communication modules.