Vertical Grow Tower Harvesting With Multi-Robot Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Challenges exist with the harvesting of certain plants and crop types in vertical growth architectures due to growth, size, and fruiting characteristics, necessitating improved apparatus and methods for efficient plant harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A harvesting system comprising a grow line with vertically oriented towers, platforms, and robots or harvesting tools, including robotic end effectors, designed to harvest plants or fruits from vertically grown crops, utilizing movable platforms and support columns to ensure comprehensive coverage and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If vertical growth architecture is used to reduce land area, then space utilization is improved, but harvesting becomes more difficult due to plant growth characteristics and size
Solution Approach 1:
The harvesting system is divided into multiple independent robotic units, each equipped with specialized end effectors. Each robot can independently harvest specific zones of the vertical grow towers, allowing the complex harvesting task to be segmented into manageable portions that can be performed efficiently in the vertical architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from horizontal harvesting operations to vertical dimension operations by deploying robotic arms that can extend and maneuver in three-dimensional space around the vertical grow towers. This enables harvesting access to plants at various heights without requiring additional horizontal land area
2Reliability
If multiple robots are deployed on platforms to harvest different regions, then harvesting completeness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple robotic units are designed with universal capabilities to perform the same harvesting functions on different vertical grow towers. Each robot can adapt to harvest various plant types and zones, allowing the system to maintain high completeness through redundancy while managing complexity through standardization of robotic components
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses identical or similar robotic units replicated across multiple platforms. This copying approach ensures harvesting completeness through multiple units working in parallel while managing complexity by using standardized, proven designs rather than customizing each robot for specific tasks
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to apparatuses for plant harvesting. More specifically, apparatuses for harvesting vertically grown fruit (620), plants, or vegetables are described herein. In one embodiment a harvesting system includes a grow line (100, 102) and one or more grow towers (150) coupled to and moveable along the grow line (100, 102). A plurality of platforms (306) are disposed adjacent to the grow towers (150) and include one or more robots (302) disposed on the platforms (306). Embodiments of the disclosure also provide for harvesting tools (600), such as robot (203, 302, 508) end effectors (304) for harvesting one or more types of produce.