Automated Crop Harvesting Vehicle with Vision-Guided Stem Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual labor is often required for harvesting fruits and vegetables like truss tomatoes and grapes, which can lead to damage and inefficiency, while industrialized growing allows for some automation but not a fully automated process.
Innovation Solution
A method and vehicle system that uses a vision system to identify ripe produce, gripping mechanisms to handle stems, and a cutting station to automate the harvesting of fruits and vegetables in bunches or clusters, allowing for fully automatic harvesting without manual labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual labor is used for harvesting, then fruits and vegetables can be handled carefully without damage, but harvesting efficiency is low and labor costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The harvesting system is divided into separate functional modules: a vision system for identification, gripping means for handling, and cutting means for separation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together as an integrated automated system, resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting station acts as an intermediary between the gripping means and the fruit/vegetable. Instead of directly removing fruits by hand (manual labor) or using complex mechanical arms, the system uses a specialized cutting station that cleanly separates the stem, enabling efficient automated harvesting while maintaining plant health and minimizing damage.
2Productivity
If automated cutting means are used, then harvesting speed increases, but there is a risk of damaging the main stem and affecting plant health
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting means is designed to apply force and make cuts only at the specific location of the side stem, while the gripping means holds the main stem securely at a different location. This localized action ensures that the cutting operation does not damage the main stem or surrounding healthy tissue, maintaining plant reliability while achieving high harvesting speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping means secures the main stem in a fixed position before the cutting operation begins. This pre-positioning and stabilization of the stem prevents unintended movement or damage during the cutting process, ensuring that the automated high-speed cutting does not compromise plant health or stem integrity.
3Device complexity
If the cutting station processes all stems uniformly, then the harvesting process is simplified, but non-fruit carrying stems are unnecessarily removed
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system performs preliminary identification and classification of stems before they reach the cutting station. It detects whether a stem carries fruits or vegetables and activates the cutting means only for fruit-bearing stems. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary removal of non-fruit carrying stems while maintaining a simple automated processing workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system provides real-time feedback to the control unit about the presence and characteristics of fruits/vegetables on each stem. Based on this feedback, the control unit selectively activates or deactivates the cutting means, ensuring that only appropriate stems are processed. This feedback mechanism eliminates waste while keeping the overall process simple and automated.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is directed to a method for harvesting fruits and vegetables in particular fruits and vegetables in bunches or clusters such as truss tomatoes, grapes and the like. Furthermore, the invention is also directed to a collection vehicle (1) on which vehicle the implements for automatically carrying out the method are arranged. The invention therefore provides a novel method for harvesting fruits or vegetables, in particular fruits or vegetables in bunches or clusters, such as truss tomatoes, grapes and the like where the method comprises the following steps : a) placing a collection vehicle (1) adjacent a fruit bearing plant along a row of fruit bearing plants; b) activating a vision system (40); c) activating a first gripping means (5) arranged below a cutting station for gripping a fruit bearing stem (10); d) activating a second gripping means (6) arranged above the cutting station; e) adjusting the stem into a substantially vertical position, by moving the first and second gripping means in the horizontal plane; f) simultaneously retracting the first and second gripping means towards the vehicle, whereby the stem enters a cutting station (20); g) the second gripping means releases the stem (10); h) if the vision system has been de-activated it is re-activated, and the cutting station is moved upwards until the vision system detects a side stem carrying a bunch of fruits; i) cutter means in the cutting station are activated for cutting the side stem; j) the cutter station is advanced upwards along the stem for cutting of non-fruit carrying stems; k) the cutter station opens the vertical slit, and the gripping means releases the stem back to the stems position in the row; l) the collection vehicle advances to the next fruit bearing plant.