JPH0430717A - Fruit harvester for sensing bag and catching and harvesting fruit - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a fruit harvesting machine that detects a bag and captures and harvests fruit, and can be used for harvesting apples and the like.

[Prior art]

In conventional fruit harvesting machines of this type, for example.

As shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-65725, a plurality of work ranges are set in advance in front of a work hand that captures fruits and vegetables, and fruits and vegetables within one work range are set in advance. an image processing means for determining the positioning direction; and a hunt guiding means for guiding the working hand in the direction in which the fruit and vegetable are located based on the information of the image processing means;
and a working range changing means for changing the imaging field of the imaging means to the next working range when there are no fruits and vegetables within the working range imaged by the imaging means based on the information of the image processing means. There is one related to a guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting machine.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

If a fruit is to be detected by an imaging means based on its color, the fruit needs to have a color that can be distinguished from background leaves, trunks, branches, etc.

When using this kind of conventional imaging means to identify fruits based on color and guide the harvesting hand based on the image information,
The defect was that accurate guidance was not possible, often resulting in empty harvest.

On the other hand, fruits are generally bagged to protect them from pests and diseases.

Therefore, in this invention, the bag to be hung on the fruit is devised so that the bag has a color tone different from the color of the background made of trees, leaves, etc., and the fruit to be harvested is recognized by the imaging means installed in the harvester. The aim is to be able to accurately transmit the position of the fruit as image information to the control device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention takes the following technical measures. That is, a harvesting link device 5 having an imaging means 3 and a fruit harvesting hunt 4 at its tip is provided on a chassis 2 having a traveling device 1, and the harvesting link device 5 guides the fruit harvesting hunt 4 in the direction of the fruit. The imaging means 3 is configured to send the bag 8 as an imaging signal to the control device 9 when there is a bag 8 covered with fruit within its imaging range. A harvesting link device 5 consisting of an arm 6 and a joint 7 moves simultaneously based on a control signal from a control device 9 to detect a bag configured to allow the fruit harvesting hand 4 to approach the fruit covered with a bag 8. This is a fruit harvesting machine that captures and harvests fruits.

[Action/Effect]

First, in the configuration of the embodiment, the bag 8 is colored red and placed over the fruit in the early stages of growth, and the fruit is grown while being sufficiently fertilized.

Then, when it is the right time to harvest the fruit, the operator operates a fruit harvesting machine and begins harvesting.

At that time, the fruit harvesting machine starts harvesting work by extending each arm 6 of the harvesting link device 5 to about the height of the fruit on the tree and moving the traveling device 1 forward while actively moving.

Then, the fruit on the tree is detected by the image sensor 1 which is the imaging means 3 attached to the upper front part of the harvesting link device 5.
0, the image sensor 10 captures the image.

At this time, since the color of the bag 8 placed over the fruit is different from that of the background, the position of the fruit (bag) can be imaged relatively easily.

In this way, the image sensor 10 transmits the captured image to the control device 9 as an image signal.

Next, the control device 9 calculates the distance to the fruit harvest hunting hunt 4 and the fruit, and is equipped for each joint 7.
1 as a signal.

Then, each arm 6 approaches the fruit while expanding and contracting in the vertical direction and moving in the front-back direction due to the rotation of the joint, and moves in a plane centered on the vertical axis of the upper part of the harvesting link device 5. Rotation is added to bring the fruit harvesting hand 4 closer to the fruit.

The fruit harvesting hand 4 inserts and locks the hook 13 into the locking hole 12 of the bag 8 hung on the fruit, and in this state, the knife 14 protrudes to cut and harvest the fruit.

In this way, the fruit harvesting hand device 4 picks up the fruit from the
After one unit, the arm 6 reaches the upper carrier 15 by the simultaneous movement of the joints 7 and releases the fruit therein.

As described above, according to the present invention, the bag that is used to protect the growing fruit from pests and diseases is colored in a different tone from the background color, and when the harvesting time comes, The image sensor recognizes this bag placed over the fruit and can accurately detect the fruit position 16.

Like Seirai, it has the characteristic that it is possible to control fruit harvesting hunts by accurately distinguishing fruits without confusing them with background trees or leaves.

〔Example〕

The chassis 1 has a traveling device 1 equipped with an instant-acting motor 16, and is configured to be able to move forward and backward by rotating the instant-acting motor 16 in reverse.

Note that this instant-acting motor 16 is configured to be controlled based on information from a direction sensor 26.

The harvesting link device 5 is attached to a mounting frame 1 provided on the chassis 2.
7, the first arm 6a, the second arm 6b, and the third arm 6C
1, the electric motor 11a, and the fourth arm 6d respectively.
They are pivotally connected via llb, llc, Lid, lie, llf, and 11g to form a joint portion 7.

Note that the electric motor lid is configured to be driven with a vertical axis as a rotation axis.

And each of these electric motors 11a, llb, 11c
, lid, lie, llf, and l1g are configured to be able to rotate in forward and reverse directions in response to signals from a control device 9, which will be described later, and can control each arm 6.

In addition, each joint 7 is configured to include either a potentiometer 27 or an encoder 28 together with the electric motor 11 described above to send the operating amount to the control device 9.

The fruit harvesting hand 4 is configured to have an image sensor 10 as an imaging means 3 on the upper part to take an image of the front, a knife 14 is provided nearby, and a hook 13 is attached below the knife 14. It is a proximity sensor.

The image sensor 10 is configured to take an image of an object that has come within the imaging range according to its color and send it to the control device 9 as an image signal.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carrier 15 has a structure in which a bottom plate 19 is provided vertically and qfably within the surrounding frame 18 and is supported by an elevating link 20. The lower part of the elevating link 2'0 is screwed onto a screw shaft 21 connected to an elevating motor 22, so that the bottom plate 19 is lowered depending on the amount of fruit thrown in. The fall prevention device 23 is
A fall prevention plate 25 supported by an operating link 24 below can be grounded.

That is, the fall prevention plate 25 is configured to be able to touch the ground in order to ensure the stability of the vehicle body 2 when the harvesting link device 5 having the fruit harvesting hand 4 at its tip rises.

Next, the bag 8 has been conventionally used to cover fruits in the early stages of growth, and is colored, for example, red, so that it can be distinguished from the background when imaged by the image sensor 10 at the appropriate harvest time.

The bag 8 has a structure in which a spring material is used in the upper opening part so that when it is attached to the fruit, it can be attached by spring pressure, and a locking hole 12 is provided in the side part.

The image sensor 10 may be configured with a filter to block natural light so that only the light reflected by the strobe can be recognized, which is convenient for detecting the position of the locking hole 12 of the bag 8. ).

Furthermore, if the image sensor 10 is equipped with two filters and a slit-shaped light emitting mechanism, it becomes possible to recognize the three-dimensional shape of the object to be imaged.

In other words, if you use a configuration that uses slit light, when the slit light hits the object to be imaged, it will be divided into flat parts and spherical (three-dimensional) parts.
The difference between the leaves and the fruit becomes easy to distinguish between the leaves and the fruit.

Next, we will explain the harvesting work.

First, during the bagging operation in the early stage of fruit growth, the above-mentioned red colored bag 8 is placed over the fruit to cultivate the fruit.

Once the fruit has grown and reached the appropriate time for harvesting, the harvesting process begins, which will be explained below.

The chassis 2 drives the Ii[I+momo-16 to transmit power to the traveling device 1, and moves forward in the orchard.

At this time, the harvesting link device 5 uses the joints of each arm 6 to adjust the height of the image sensor 10 provided in the upper fruit harvesting hunt 4 to the fruit level according to the control signal from the control device 9. 7 is activated and ascends north.

In this manner, the image sensor 10 advances while capturing the target position on the screen, and when it picks up an image of the bag 8 on the fruit, it sends it to the control device 9 as an image signal.

This image signal is used by the image sensor 10 to distinguish the red color of the colored bag from the background color and recognize it as described above, thereby indirectly determining the position of the fruit.

In this way, when the position of the fruit is recognized by the control device 9, the control device 9 calculates the distance between the fruit and the fruit harvesting hand 4 and sends a control signal to each of the electric motors 118 to 11g. emanate.

Accordingly, each arm 6a to lid.

The angle is changed and rotated in a plane by the electric motor lid to bring the fruit harvesting hand 4 closer to the fruit.

When the fruit harvesting hand 4 approaches the fruit at a predetermined distance in this way, an image operation using strobe light is performed to detect the locking hole (O-ring) 12 as shown in the flowchart.

Then, the fruit harvesting hand 4 approaches the locking hole (O-ring) 12 based on a control signal from the control device 9.

Then, at the same time as the hook 13 is inserted into the locking hole 12 of the bag 8, the knife 14 protrudes to cut the fruit stalk and hold the fruit in the hand 4.

In this way, once the fruit is cut, it is carried downward while being held and stored in the carrier 15.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a partially sectional side view, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the control configuration, Fig. 3 is a broach yard for control operation, and Fig. The figure is an operational diagram, FIG. 5 is an operational diagram of another embodiment, and FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view. Explanation of symbols 2...Car chassis 4...Fruit harvesting hand 6...Arm 6b...Second arm 6d...Fourth arm 8...Bag 10...Image sensor 11a... Electric motor 11c...Electric motor lie...Electric motor 11g...Electric motor 13...Hook 15...Carrier 17...Mounting frame 1...Travel device 3...Imaging means 5...Harvesting Link device 6a...First arm 6c...Third arm 7...Joint portion 9...Control device 11...Electric motor 11b...Electric motor lid...Electric motor 11f... Electric motor 12...Latching hole 14...Knife 16...Electric motor 24, 26, Surrounding frame elevating link Elevating motor operation link direction sensor/encoder 19, Bottoming hole 21, Spiral shaft 23, - Overturning Prevention bag; t 25 - Fall prevention plate 27... Potentiometer

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A harvesting link device 5 having an imaging means 3 and a fruit harvesting hand 4 at the tip thereof is provided on the chassis 2 having the traveling device 1, and the harvesting link device 5 directs the fruit harvesting hand 4 in the direction of the fruit. It is composed of a plurality of arms 6 that can be guided and a joint part 7, and the imaging means 3 is configured to send the bag 8 as an imaging signal to the control device 9 when there is a bag 8 covered with fruit within its imaging range, The harvesting link device 5 consisting of the arm 6 and the joint portion 7 rotates based on a control signal from the control device 9 to detect a bag configured to allow the fruit harvesting hand 4 to approach the fruit covered with the bag 8. Fruit harvesting machine that captures and harvests fruits