Robotic Harvesting of Tomato Clusters Using Image-Guided Arm Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural technologies lack a technique for automatically executing harvesting work on a target group including a plurality of targets, such as clusters of tomatoes, leading to high labor costs and inefficiencies in large-scale farming.

Innovation Solution

An agricultural work apparatus equipped with an arm apparatus, imaging apparatus, target position estimation unit, and hand apparatus control unit that enables automated harvesting of multiple targets by estimating their position and controlling the arm and hand units to perform agricultural work efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual harvesting tactics are used, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor costs are high and productivity is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveharvesting efficiencyVSAvoidautomation level

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses its own imaging apparatus to detect target groups, estimates positions autonomously, and controls its arm and hand apparatuses to perform harvesting work automatically, enabling the system to serve itself without human intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical harvesting with an automated system that uses imaging apparatus for detection, computer vision algorithms for position estimation, and robotic arm apparatus with hand apparatus for execution, substituting human labor with an integrated automated mechanical system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional automated harvesting is used for single targets, then automation is achieved, but it cannot handle target groups including multiple targets

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapability to handle target groupsVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the complex task of harvesting multiple targets by first detecting target groups as whole units, then estimating positions of individual targets within each group, and finally controlling the hand apparatus to harvest each target sequentially based on their relative positions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The arm apparatus and hand apparatus are designed with universal functionality to handle various types of targets and target group configurations, allowing the same system to adapt to different harvesting scenarios without requiring separate specialized equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4721549A1Agricultural work apparatus, agricultural work method, and program

Publication Date: 2026.04.08 INAHO INC

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AI summary

An agricultural work apparatus includes an arm apparatus having a hand apparatus that performs agricultural work on a target group including a plurality of targets, an imaging apparatus that images the target group, a target position estimation unit that estimates a position of the target group based on image information obtained by the imaging apparatus imaging the target group, an arm apparatus control unit that moves the arm apparatus relative to the target group based on the estimated position, and a hand apparatus control unit that controls the hand apparatus to perform agricultural work on the target group at the position based on the estimated position. This makes it possible to provide a technique for automatically executing agricultural work on the target group including the plurality of targets.