JP2608998B2 - Fruit and vegetable harvester guidance device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hand provided with a vacuum pad for adsorbing an object to be harvested in a state in which the vacuum pad can be changed in direction relative to a main body and is urged to return to a set direction, and the main body of the vacuum pad. Detecting means for detecting the orientation with respect to the section, imaging means for imaging the harvest target, a specific color area corresponding to the color of the harvest target by processing information of the imaging means, and brightness within the specific color area Image processing means for obtaining a highlight area where is larger than the set value;
Approaching the harvest target based on the information of the image processing means
In the direction the of the vacuum pad on the basis of the information of the detecting means if it can not adsorb the harvesting target the vacuum pad and its approach to reach the highlight region is changed orientation from the setting direction to The present invention relates to a fruit and vegetable harvester guidance device provided with a control means for correcting the position of the hand and re-approaching the hand .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the above-mentioned approach, when the vacuum pad contacts an object to be harvested such as fruit, if there is an error in the guiding direction, the pad contacts the edge of the vacuum pad. Will be done. Therefore, by detecting an error in the guiding direction based on the information and correcting the position of the hand, the guiding direction in the re-approach can be corrected.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art, the re-guidance can be started immediately without performing the re-imaging process or the like in the re-approach, so that the efficiency of the harvesting operation can be improved. However, when a part of the harvest target is shielded by leaves, etc., even if the guiding direction is accurate, the leaves may be in the way, and the harvest target may not be properly adsorbed. There was no fear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and to provide a fruit and vegetable harvesting machine guidance device capable of reliably harvesting a target to be harvested without lowering the efficiency of the harvesting operation.

[0004]

In order to achieve this object, the feature of the guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvester according to the present invention is that if the target to be harvested cannot be adsorbed by the re-approach, the imaging means is re-started. Based on imaging information, the image processing means calculates a position shift of the highlight area with respect to a center or a center of gravity of the specific color area in a specific direction,
The control means moves the hand in a specific direction of the specific color area.
The highlight region is located at the center or center of gravity of
The configuration is such that the highlight area is approached again from a direction deviated to the opposite side to the direction of the positional deviation .

[0005]

[Function] When the target to be harvested is not shielded by leaves or the like, the vacuum pad corresponds to the target to be harvested in the captured image.
Harvest by approaching the highlight area of a specific color area
Get closer to subject. And with that approach
If the vacuum pad cannot be sucked, an error in the guiding direction is detected from the direction of the vacuum pad , and the vacuum pad is
It is considered that the harvest can be accurately performed by correcting the hand position in the direction in which the direction has been changed from the beginning and causing the hand to approach again. On the other hand, when a part of the harvest target is shielded by leaves or the like, it is necessary to perform harvesting operation while avoiding the leaves or the like. By the way, when a part is shielded by a leaf or the like, the highlight area is shifted in a certain direction such as a leaf or the like from the center or the center of gravity of the specific color area in the specific direction. Therefore, if the harvest target cannot be adsorbed by the re-approach, the hand moves in the specific direction of the specific color area.
The highlight area is positioned with respect to the center or center of gravity
It is possible to perform the harvesting operation without being disturbed like leaves by approaches from a direction offset to the side opposite to the direction indicated by location shift.

[0006]

According to the present invention, an error in the guiding direction is detected from the direction of the vacuum pad, and the approach is performed again. Further, only when the target to be harvested cannot be adsorbed by the re-approach, the harvesting operation is performed while avoiding the leaves based on the re-imaging information. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a fruit and vegetable harvesting machine guidance device that can reliably harvest the target to be harvested while minimizing the decrease in the efficiency of the harvesting operation.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a guidance device for a fruit harvester will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 6, a boom 2 is attached to a vehicle body V having a pair of left and right running wheels 1 at the front and rear so as to be able to move up and down and swing. An auxiliary boom 3 is provided at the tip of the boom 2 in a horizontal direction. A work manipulator 4, which is swingably driven and has a fruit harvesting hand H, is attached to the tip of the auxiliary boom 3. In the figure,
Reference numeral 5 denotes a hydraulic cylinder for lifting and lowering the boom, 6 denotes a hydraulic cylinder for turning the boom, and 7 denotes a hydraulic cylinder for swinging the auxiliary boom.

The working manipulator 4 comprises an articulated telescopic arm 8 and a hand H attached to the distal end of the telescopic arm 8. The telescopic arm 8 is turned around the vertical axis Y by the electric motor 9a, rocked around the horizontal axis X by the electric motor 9b, and further expanded and contracted by the electric motor 9c. It is configured as follows.

The hand H will be described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a vacuum pad 10 for adsorbing a fruit F to be harvested and a suction port 10a of the vacuum pad 10 are provided at the tip of the hand H. A capturing unit case 12 for covering the adsorbed fruit F, and the capturing unit case 12
A handle cutting device 13 is provided for cutting the handle portion of the fruit F taken therein while vertically sandwiching the handle portion.

The vacuum pad 10 will be described in more detail. The vacuum pad 10 is formed in a bellows shape, and is attached to the ventilation pipe 11 as a main body so as to be able to change its direction and to be biased to return forward. ing.
Also, three air cylinders 21 and three proximity switches S4, which are respectively connected to the suction port 10a at the distal end portion via wires 22, are attached to the ventilation pipe 11. The air cylinders 21 and the proximity switches S4 are alternately arranged on the same circumference every 60 degrees. Also, the suction port 10a
The protrusions 10b are respectively located at positions facing the proximity switch S4.
Are provided, and the proximity switch S4 detects the protrusions 10b, respectively, so that the retreating movement of the suction port 10a with respect to the ventilation pipe 11 is separately detected. That is, the proximity switch S4 corresponds to a detection unit that detects the direction of the vacuum pad 10 with respect to the ventilation pipe 11. By moving the three air cylinders 21 at the same time, the suction pipe 10a with the suction port 10a facing forward is formed.
You can leave. The direction of the vacuum pad 10 with respect to the ventilation pipe 11 can be changed by retreating one or two air cylinders 21 and extending the other air cylinders 21. In the figure, S1 is a color image sensor as an imaging means for imaging a fruit F located in a direction to which the work hand H is directed, and S2 is a work hand H approaching the work target fruit F within a set distance. A reflection-type proximity sensor utilizing infrared light for detecting that the two sensors S1 and S2
Is provided inside the vacuum pad 10 so as not to hinder the approach and fruit harvesting.
Reference numeral 15 denotes an illuminating device for illuminating the front side of the working hand H with a set amount of light in synchronization with the imaging process of the image sensor S1, and a so-called strobe light emitting device is generally used. .

The catching case 12 has a base end portion 12a which is slidably movable in the front-rear direction of the hand and which is externally supported on the ventilation pipe 11, and an upper cover 12 which is fixed to an upper portion on the tip side.
b, and a lower cover 12c similarly fastened to the lower part on the tip side
Consists of Until the vacuum pad 10 adsorbs the fruit F, it is retracted to the rear side of the hand so as not to hinder the approach, and after the vacuum pad 10 adsorbs the fruit F, it covers the adsorbed fruit F. The hand is designed to protrude forward. A shutter 25 is provided on the lower rear side of the lower cover 12c, and can be opened and closed by an air cylinder 23 for opening and closing. Also, a resin lever 24 that can swing around the axis of the horizontal axis.
And a proximity switch S5 for detecting the swing of the lever 24.
Are provided in the shutter 25. The lever 24 is made of metal only at the lower portion so as to urge it to return to the standing posture, and swings to the lying posture by falling the fruit F having the handle cut onto the shutter 25. The proximity switch S5 is turned on when the lever 24 is in the lying posture. Thus, cutting of the handle of the fruit F can be detected.

The handle cutting device 13 includes a clipper-shaped blade 13a for cutting the handle of the fruit F, and a handle support member 13b for pressing and supporting the handle of the fruit F from below on the blade 13a.

Although not described in detail, the hand H includes various pneumatic actuators for harvesting operation, such as an actuator for moving the catching unit case 12 out and back and an actuator for driving the handle cutting device 13. And a negative pressure sensor S3 for detecting that the fruit F is adsorbed to the vacuum pad 10, a sensor for detecting the retracting position of the capturing unit case 12,
In addition, various sensors such as a sensor for detecting the driving state of the handle cutting device 13 are provided.

To explain the procedure of harvesting fruits,
The work hand H is positioned at a preset approach start position in a state in which the capture unit case 12 is retracted to the hand rear side and the suction port 10a of the vacuum pad 10 projects forward from the capture unit case 12, In addition, the image sensor S is directed toward the direction in which the fruit F to be harvested is located.
At 1, an imaging process is performed. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (A) and (B), based on the captured image information to the image processing information, the specific color area F1 corresponding to the color of the fruit F, brightness in the specific color region F1 A highlight area F2 whose value is larger than a set value and a center of gravity W2 of the highlight area F2 are obtained. The hand H approaches the center of gravity W2 of the highlight area F2. After the approach direction is determined, the electric motors 9a, 9b, 9c are operated so that the working hand H moves linearly toward the determined approach direction, and the proximity sensor S2 detects the fruit F. The vacuum pad 1
0 is sucked to adsorb the fruit F to be harvested, and the catching unit case 12 is protruded so that the fruit F
After taking in, the handle will be cut and harvested.
However, if the negative pressure sensor S3 does not operate while the hand H is moved forward by the set distance at which the proximity sensor S2 operates after the proximity sensor S2 is operated, it is determined that the harvest has failed, and the set distance is determined. From the position where it is retracted to the near side,
Based on the detection information of the proximity switch S4, the position of the hand H is corrected by a predetermined distance in the direction in which the direction of the vacuum pad 10 has been changed from the front direction, and the approach is made again.
Further, when the fruit F cannot be sucked by the approach and the change in the direction of the vacuum pad 10 from the front cannot be detected, and when the fruit F cannot be sucked by the re-approach, the set distance is retracted to the near side. from the position, and re-imaging, on the basis of the imaging information, but to approach again to modify the approach direction. Adding described approach direction correction, as shown in FIG. 5 (C), calculated as the centroid W1 of specific color area F1, and the center of gravity W2 for the highlight area F2, the center of gravity of the specific color area F1 W1
In contrast, if there is a position shift at the center of gravity W2 of the highlight area F2, the approach deviated to the opposite side to the position shift is used as the approach.

Next, a description will be given of a control configuration for determining the approach order of the fruit F and guiding the hand H toward the fruit F based on detection information such as captured image information by the image sensor S1. As shown in FIG.
A control device 16 using a microcomputer is provided,
In the control device 16, the sensors S1, S2, S3,
S4 and S5 are connected. And the control device 16
The air cylinder 21, the hydraulic cylinders 5, and the hydraulic cylinders 5, based on information set and stored in advance and various types of input information.
It is configured to control the operation of the electric motors 6 and 7 and the electric motors 9a, 9b and 9c. That is, using the control device 16, the information of the image sensor S1 is processed and the identification is performed.
In addition to obtaining the color area F1 and the highlight area F2,
The overlapping of the specific color area F1 based on the re-imaging information
Finding the displacement of the highlight area F2 with respect to the center W1
Image processing means 100 for controlling
Using the information of the image processing means 100
The vacuum pad 10 so as to approach the fruit F.
Approach to the illuminated area F2 and its approach
If the fruit F cannot be adsorbed by the switch, the information of the proximity switch S4
The vacuum pad 10 is set to the set direction (forward
Correct the position of the hand H in the direction whose direction has changed from
And re-approach,
When the fruit F cannot be adsorbed, the hand H is moved to the specific color area.
Highlight area for center of gravity W1 in specific direction of F1
If the area F2 is displaced to the opposite side to the direction of misalignment
Control means 101 is configured to approach the highlight area F2 again from the opposite side.

Next, the operation of the control device 16 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. First, the hand H is set at a preset approach start position, an image pickup process is performed with all the air cylinders 21 retired, and the picked-up image information is image-processed. That is, the specific color area F1 of the fruit F in the image, the highlight area F2,
The center of gravity W1 of the specific color area F1 and the center of gravity W2 of the highlight area F2 are obtained. Then, based on the size of the highlight area F2, the approach direction of the hand H is determined and the telescopic arm 8 is extended so as to move the hand H toward the direction in which the center of gravity W2 is located, albeit the largest. Will be. At this time, all the air cylinders 21 are operated to protrude. After starting the extension of the telescopic arm 8,
Based on the information of the proximity sensor S2, it is determined whether or not the hand H has approached the harvest target fruit F to the near side of the set distance, and as the hand H approaches within the set distance, the extension of the telescopic arm 8 is extended. The speed is switched to a low speed, and the suction operation of the vacuum pad 10 is started.
The hand H is moved to the fruit side until 3 is turned on.
When the negative pressure sensor S3 is turned ON to detect fruit adsorption,
The extension arm 8 is stopped, and the harvesting operation is started. However, if the negative pressure sensor S3 does not operate during the set distance movement after the proximity sensor S2 is turned ON, it is determined that the harvest has failed. At this time, the proximity switch S4
If at least one of the two has been turned ON, the hand H is temporarily returned to the position where the proximity sensor S2 has been turned ON, and the position of the hand H is corrected and approached again as described above. Further, when none of the proximity switches S4 is turned ON, and when the fruit F cannot be harvested by re-approaching, re-imaging processing is performed from the position where the set distance is retracted to the near side, and Ask for the gap. Then, approach again from the direction deviated to the opposite side to the positional deviation. When the fruit can be harvested, the work hand H is returned to the approach start position and the fruit F is discharged in a state in which the fruit F with the handle cut in the capturing unit case 12 is held. After discharging the harvested fruit F, it is determined whether or not the work is completed.
If the work is not completed, the work hand H is reset to the approach start position to perform the imaging process, and the approach order for the remaining fruits F is determined, and the work hand H is directed toward the determined approach direction. Is repeated.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a guidance device of a fruit harvesting work machine has been exemplified. However, the present invention is directed to various fruit vegetables such as a harvester for vegetables such as tomatoes. The specific configuration of each part such as the specific configuration of the hand H can be variously changed. In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the attached drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control configuration.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control operation;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a control operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a control operation.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of image processing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a harvester.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a main part of the hand.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a main part of the hand.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vacuum pad 11 Main part 100 Image processing means 101 Control means S1 Imaging means S4 Detecting means H Hand F1 Specific color area F2 Highlight area W1 Central part or center of gravity

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Hiroshi Suzuki 64, Ishizukita-cho, Sakai-shi, Osaka Kubota Sakai Works Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-88916 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 88917 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hand (H) having a vacuum pad (10) for adsorbing an object to be harvested in a state in which the direction of the vacuum pad (10) can be freely changed with respect to a main body (11) and returned to a set direction.
And the main body (1) of the vacuum pad (10).
1) a detecting unit (S4) for detecting an orientation, an imaging unit (S1) for imaging the harvest target, and a specific color region corresponding to the color of the harvest target by processing information of the imaging unit (S1). (F1) and a highlight area (F2) in which the brightness is larger than a set value in the specific color area (F1).
Image processing means (100) for obtaining the following, and approaching the harvest target based on information of the image processing means (100)
As described above, when the vacuum pad (10) approaches the highlight area (F2) and the harvest target cannot be absorbed by the approach, the detection means (S
4) The hand (H) moves in a direction in which the vacuum pad (10) has changed its direction from a set direction based on the information of (4).
Control means (10) for correcting the position of
1) is a guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvester, wherein when the harvesting target cannot be adsorbed by the re-approach, the image processing means based on the re-imaging information of the imaging means (S1). (100) obtains a position shift of the highlight area (F2) with respect to a center or a center of gravity (W1) of the specific color area (F1) in a specific direction, and the control means (101) controls the hand (H) to Specific color area (F
With respect to the center or center of gravity (W1) in the specific direction of 1)
From the direction in which the highlight area (F2) is displaced to the opposite side to the direction in which the highlight area (F2) is misaligned.
A guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvester that is configured to make approach 2) again.