Universal Tool Carrier Locking for Fast Agricultural Tool Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic gantries face challenges in efficiently changing agricultural tools and managing complex tool carriers, leading to inefficiencies and increased weight and complexity, particularly in market gardening applications.
Innovation Solution
A robotic gantry tool holder system with a motorized carriage and a tool holder body featuring a locking slide mechanism, slide configuration selector, and identification sensors, allowing for easy and automated tool exchange, without the need for ground-based rails, and ensuring universal compatibility with various tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic gantry system is designed to perform multiple field operations (planting, cultivating, spraying, harvesting), then the system's versatility and adaptability improve, but the device complexity increases due to the need for multiple specialized tools and end effectors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal tool carrier assembly that can perform multiple field operations through a single integrated platform. The tool carrier includes a standardized mounting interface and interchangeable end effectors that enable the robotic gantry to execute planting, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting operations without requiring separate specialized systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the tool carrier into modular components including a base assembly, interchangeable end effectors, and standardized mounting mechanisms. This segmentation allows individual tools to be attached or detached as needed, enabling the system to adapt to different field operations while maintaining a simple core platform structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If the robotic gantry system uses fixed specialized end effectors for specific operations, then the manufacturing precision for each operation can be optimized, but the loss of time increases due to manual reconfiguration between different field operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic tool carrier system where end effectors can be quickly exchanged or reconfigured during field operations. The standardized mounting interface and actuation mechanisms enable rapid tool changes without requiring manual disassembly and reassembly, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while significantly reducing reconfiguration time between different agricultural operations.
3Productivity
If multiple specialized tools are integrated into the robotic gantry system, then the productivity improves by eliminating manual reconfiguration, but the device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures the tool carrier with standardized mounting interfaces and attachment mechanisms that enable rapid tool exchange. This preliminary design of the modular architecture allows the system to maintain high productivity through automated tool changes while avoiding the complexity of permanently integrating multiple specialized tools, as tools can be attached only when needed for specific operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural robotic gantry system (10), which comprises at least one motorised carriage (12) provided with a tool carrier (20) for implementing a tool (30) relative to a culture surface (RM). The tool holder (20) has a coupling plate (21A) for coupling to the carriage (12) and a tool-holder body (22). The tool (30) has a tool plate (33) connected to a functional element of the tool (31). The tool-holder body (22) and the tool plate (33) are arranged to releasably couple the tool (30) to the tool holder (20) by a locking interface (35) engaging with a locking slide (26) under the action of a selector (28) for configuring the slide between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration of the tool (30) with the tool holder (20).