JPS59106217A - Robot hand for 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 The present invention relates to a robot hand for fruit harvesting that is installed in a fruit harvesting device, such as the one already proposed by the present applicant 73X in Japanese Patent Application No. 1987+/yOOCO/.

This type of robot hand is moved toward the fruit by computer control based on the coordinates of the fruit to be harvested, which are measured using a distance measuring device, for example, but control based only on such coordinates is not enough. It is almost impossible to always accurately take the fruit into the hand. Therefore, first, the robot hand is brought close to the target fruit using control based on the above coordinates, and
After that, while sensing the target fruit itself, Han F
Correct the position of.

It is appropriate to adopt a stepwise control means.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fruit harvesting robot hand suitable for performing such stepwise position control.

In order to achieve the above object, the robot hand for fruit harvesting according to the present invention includes a plurality of contact sensors arranged around the fruit inlet of the cylindrical fruit trap at equal or approximately equal intervals, In addition, each sensing section is mounted so as to exert a directed force in front of the inlet.

The effects achieved by this characteristic configuration are as follows. That is.

(Support) T?
! 'Since a plurality of contact sensors for fruit detection are arranged in a state where they are evenly spaced, it is possible to reliably detect the fruit that comes into contact with any part of the fruit inlet, and therefore,
There is an advantage that the approach precision required in the first stage robot arm position control based on the coordinates of the fruit is alleviated, and U) the ON/O of the plurality of contact sensors is reduced.
Since it is possible to determine in which direction the fruit is positioned relative to the inlet from the combination of FF states, the second stage of robot arm position control can be performed reliably and in each prefecture. Both of these effects17) (a) Therefore, although the sensor configuration is very simple, it is extremely suitable for performing the stepwise control described above.

In addition, so as to cover the front of the plurality of contact sensors,
It is even more preferable to arrange a single ring-shaped member that can move 18 times after the pruning and is biased forward, since this will prevent the sensor from damaging the target fruit.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, the fruit harvesting device @ on the male side of the tree has a flexible arm +11 housed in a movable main body (not shown), and a fruit harvesting robot attached to the tip of this arm (1). A hand (2) is attached to the hand (2), and a fruit conveyance chute (3) for conveying fruits to a storage section (not shown) is connected to the hand (2).

This robot hand (2) will be explained based on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. (4) is a cylindrical fruit catching part, and the arm ( In step 1), the fruit to be picked is introduced into the fruit through the introduction port (5) and captured. (6)... A microsinch which is a force and contact sensor installed around the fruit inlet (5) of the fruit trapping part (4), and this microswitch (
6)...They are arranged in a cross direction around the inlet (5) of the fruit trapping part (4) with their operating protrusions (7) facing forward.

(8) is a ring-shaped plate, which is engaged with the support column (9) and attached to the capture part (4).

This column (9) is biased by a spring (lO) so as to protrude forward, and it biases the front of the ring-shaped plate N81f and allows the plate (8) to move in the front-rear direction. It is composed of

1ll) A cutter for H tenon cutting, (12
a).

(12b) A light emitting body and a light receiving body that constitute the photoelectric sensor (121).

The fruit harvesting hand is constructed as described above, and when harvesting fruit, the hand (2) is moved to introduce the fruit into the fruit trapping part (4). At that time, the microswitch ( The fruit is introduced into the trapping part (4) from the introduction port (5) while correcting the position based on the signal from the fruit receiving section 6). That is, when the fruit comes into contact with the plate (8), the plate (
When a part of the microswitch (8) sinks, press the operating protrusion (7) of the microswitch (6) on that side and release the microswitch (6).
) is turned ON.

If the fruit power (plate (8) hits the middle part of the two microswitches +61 and f61, the microswitches fa and fil on both sides will turn on, so the four microswitches arranged in the cross direction )・・
8 directions can be detected. And the micro switch (
61--The hand is moved in the direction detected by the signal from the outside to capture the fruit. When the fruit starts to enter the trapping part (4), a temporary photoelectric sensor (1) is activated.
When the optical path of 21 is blocked and the tenon reaches the position of the photoelectric sensor f'-1121, the optical path of the photoelectric sensor 1121 is opened again, so the cutter (11) is activated to cut the tenon and harvest the fruit. The thus harvested fruits are transported to a storage section (not shown) by a transport chute (3).

As shown in FIG. 3, the cutter (11) has a pair of blade members L151 and ++5, each of which has a blade ++3trr on the inside of a substantially semicircular member, and a gear υshaon formed at its base end.
) are rotatably attached to the catching part (4) so as to face each other about the central axis of the gears f+41, ++4).

Then, the gear L+41 at each base end engages one rack gear aη that is interlocked with the HFi miniaturized cylinder turtle, and cross-rotates each other by the driving force of the air cylinder to cut the tenon.

4A and 4B show a sensor structure for hand guidance according to another embodiment, in which a wire-like ring θ (to) is used in place of the ring-shaped plate (8), and the above-mentioned Instead of the microswitch (6), the lower end of the strut (l!11) that suspends the ring (I81) is configured as the contact part of the switch.

Fig. 5a), (mouth 1i) is another embodiment in which the ring member is not used and the par is connected to the operating protrusion of the non-directional switch by a spring (21), and the hand ( 2)
The direction of the fruit is detected by rotating the hand around the axis of the hand.

In addition, a contact sensor such as a micro sinch has a capturing part (4
) are not limited to the cross direction of the inlet (5), but any number may be provided at equal intervals.

4. Brief explanation of the drawings, 1. The drawings show an embodiment of the robot hand for fruit harvesting according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hand portion of the fruit harvesting device, and FIG. A vertical cross-sectional view, FIG. 3 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the hand, and FIG. 4 a).

(B) is a plan view and a partial vertical cross-sectional view of another embodiment hand, and FIGS. It is.

(4)... Fruit catching section, (5)... Fruit inlet, (6)... Contact sensor, (7)... Sensing section, (8)...... Ring-shaped member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] ■ A plurality of contact sensors (6) are arranged around the fruit inlet (51) of the cylindrical fruit trap (4) at equal or almost equal intervals, and each sensing portion A robot hand for fruit harvesting, characterized in that (7) is attached so as to face forward of the introduction port. ■ Each sensing part (7) of the plurality of contact sensors (6)
The robot hand according to claim 0, characterized in that a ring-shaped member (8) movable back and forth and biased forward is disposed in front of the robot hand. .