Vacuum End Effector for Robotic Fruit Harvesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fruit harvesting methods, relying on manual labor or mechanical grippers, are inefficient and costly due to high labor requirements, risk of fruit damage, and inaccuracies in positioning, which lead to reduced output and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum-based harvesting system that uses a rotating end effector with flexible projections or electrodes to detach fruit at an angle relative to the abscission axis, minimizing physical contact and allowing for positional inaccuracies while effectively plucking fruit without damaging it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual labor is used for fruit harvesting, then the fruit can be plucked with care and minimal damage, but the labor costs are high and productivity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical picking with a vacuum-based system that uses atmospheric pressure to detach fruit. The vacuum end effector creates a pressure differential that pulls fruit from the tree without mechanical contact, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining fruit integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses vacuum (negative pressure) to achieve fruit detachment. The vacuum system creates a pressure differential between the inside and outside of the end effector, generating a pulling force that detaches fruit at the abscission layer without mechanical contact or damage.
2Productivity
If mechanical grippers are used for harvesting, then productivity increases, but positioning accuracy requirements are high and fruit damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical grippers that require precise positioning with a vacuum-based system. The vacuum field extends beyond the physical boundary of the end effector, allowing fruit detachment without requiring the same level of positioning precision as mechanical contact-based systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of interaction from mechanical contact force to pressure differential. This parameter change allows the system to tolerate greater positioning variations while still achieving effective fruit detachment, as the vacuum field can act on fruit within a larger spatial envelope.
3Extent of automation
If mechanical grippers are used, then automation is achieved, but the complexity of the system and risk of fruit damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical gripper mechanisms with a simpler vacuum-based system. Instead of multiple actuators, sensors, and control mechanisms required for precise mechanical positioning and gripping, the system uses a vacuum source and flexible end effector that passively adapts to fruit position.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a flexible end effector made of elastic material that can deform and adapt to the position of the fruit. This flexibility eliminates the need for precise positioning mechanisms and complex control systems, as the flexible membrane naturally conforms to the fruit's location within the vacuum field.
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
The vacuum-based system increases harvesting efficiency by reducing labor costs, minimizing fruit damage, and tolerating positional inaccuracies, thereby enhancing the speed and accuracy of fruit plucking while preserving the integrity of the fruit and the tree's future crop.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum subsystem providing a negative pressure within the end effector to detach the fruit from the tree
Implementation Method 2
create a pressure differential that pulls the fruit off the tree at an angle
Implementation Method 3
The end effector may include electro-adhesive elements, such as a plurality of electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
A fruit harvesting system includes a vacuum generating subsystem and an end effector connected to the vacuum generating subsystem. The end effector has a first tube having a first diameter, and a second tube having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter so the second tube fits inside the first tube. A fruit harvesting system includes a vacuum generating subsystem, a tube connected to the vacuum generating subsystem and at least one structure coupled to an inside of the tube. A fruit harvesting system includes a vacuum generating subsystem, a first tube connected to the vacuum generating subsystem, and a second tube coupled to the first tube, the second tube having a tubular portion coupled to the first tube in an orientation other than parallel, the second tube having openings on opposite sides of the first tube.