Snap-off Harvesting Gripper Stem Separation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The snap-off harvesting gripper faces challenges in determining whether fruits are successfully separated from their stems during the harvesting process, leading to potential harvesting failures or low efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves identifying the position and orientation of the fruit using images, gripping the fruit, monitoring the acting force to determine the connection status between the fruit and its stem, and rotating the fruit to bend and separate the stem effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the snap-off gripper bends the fruit stem to separate the fruit, then the axial tension required is reduced and fruit damage is minimized, but it becomes difficult to determine whether the fruit has been successfully separated from the stem
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs force sensors to monitor the acting force during the bending process, providing real-time feedback on the connection status between fruit and stem. When the force changes indicate separation has occurred, the system automatically stops the bending action, ensuring successful separation while preventing fruit damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical separation methods with a controlled bending mechanism that uses force sensing and feedback control. This substitution allows for precise monitoring of the separation process through force measurements, solving the detection difficulty while maintaining low fruit damage.
2Reliability
If the snap-off gripper applies sufficient force to separate the fruit stem, then harvesting effectiveness is improved, but the harvesting time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The force monitoring system provides real-time feedback on the connection status, allowing the gripper to stop bending as soon as separation is detected. This feedback control ensures reliable separation while minimizing the time required, thereby improving harvesting efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the force changes that naturally occur during the bending process as indicators of separation. By monitoring these self-generated force signals, the system can autonomously determine when separation is complete and stop the process, eliminating the need for additional detection mechanisms and reducing overall harvesting time.
3Reliability
If the snap-off gripper continues rotating after fruit stem separation, then complete separation is ensured, but harvesting time is prolonged and fruit damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The force sensors continuously monitor the acting force during rotation, providing immediate feedback when the force pattern indicates successful separation. The control system uses this feedback to stop the rotation precisely at the moment of separation, ensuring complete separation while preventing prolonged rotation that would waste time and damage the fruit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces blind mechanical rotation with a sensor-based control system that monitors force changes. This substitution allows the system to detect separation through force measurements and automatically stop the rotation, ensuring complete separation while minimizing the time and risk of damage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures accurate separation of fruits from their stems, enhances harvesting efficiency, and prevents prolonged harvesting times and fruit damage.
Implementation Method 1
controlling the snap-off harvesting gripper to rotate the fruit to be harvested according to the connection status between the fruit stem and the fruit to be harvested, thus bending the fruit stem until the fruit stem is separated from the fruit to be harvested
Data Source
AI summary
This patent describes a method and apparatus for harvesting fruits using a snap-off harvesting gripper. The method includes the following steps: identifying the pose of a target fruit according to an image perception; controlling the gripper to grip the target according to the pose; monitoring an acting force of the gripper acted on the fruit to be harvested, determining a connection status between the target's stem and the target fruit according to the acting force, and controlling the gripper to rotate the target fruit according to the connection status. The snap-off harvesting apparatus includes a multi-axis adjusting device, a gripping device, sensor assemblies and a control device. The apparatus features tension sensors for real-time force monitoring and a parallel finger mechanism using pulleys and ropes for adaptive gripping. The apparatus's first joint can rotate the fruit to break the stem without requiring arm movement, enhancing efficiency.