NL2026342B1

NL2026342B1 - End-effector for crop harvest ingand crop harvesting system

Info

Publication number: NL2026342B1
Application number: NL2026342A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Furukawa Fumitaka; Ishikawa Koichi; Mori Toshikazu; Machida Takaaki; Hasegawa Takaomi; Arihara Hiromu; Kamiya Hina; Aoki Yoshimasa; Handa Gou; Kitamura Kiyoshi; Sakakibara Daigo; Iwatake Kouya; Matsuno Tsutomu; Inokawa Kazuya
Original assignee: Denso Corp
Priority date: 2019-09-06
Filing date: 2020-08-26
Publication date: 2022-04-29
Also published as: JP2021040490A; NL2026342B9; IL276927A

Abstract

An end-effector (1) is configured to cut a fruit stem (93) from a harvesting target (91) hanging from a main stem (92). The end-effector (1) includes a first member (10), a second member (20), and a motion mechanism (30). The first member (10) has a cutter (2). The motion mechanism (30) is configured to move the second member (20) relative to the first member (10). At least one of the first member (10) and the second member (20) is formed in an annular shape including the cutter (2) and defines a passage portion (3) inside the annular shape to allow the harvesting target (91) to pass through the passage portion (3). The motion mechanism (30) is configured to cut the fruit stem (93) in the passage portion (3) by moving the second member (20) relative to the first member (10) to reduce an opening area of the passage portion (3) and sandwiching the fruit stem (93) between the second member (20) and the cutter (2).

Description

END-EFFECTOR FOR CROP HARVESTING AND CROP HARVESTING SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an end-effector for harvesting a crop hanging from a main stem or a branch and also relates to a crop harvesting system.

BACKGROUND In recent years, in order to realize automating agriculture, an end-effector and a crop harvesting system for automatically harvesting a crop have been proposed. For example, an end-effector has a scissors-shaped cutter disposed at a tip end of a robot arm (see, for example, JP 2019-037214 A). By cutting a fruit stem with the end-effector, a fruit is separated from a main stem or a branch and collected. However, when a fruit stem is cut using a cutter, the end-effector is brought close to the fruit stem and the cutter may come into contact with the main stem or the branch and cause a damage to the main stem or the branch. Further, the main stem or the branch may be cut off. Such cutting of a main stem or a branch would cause various diseases of plants. In severe cases, the plants die, resulting in reduced yields.

SUMMARY The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and one objective of the present disclosure is to provide an end-effector for harvesting crops that can be safely collected while avoiding damages to a main stem or a branch during harvesting. Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a crop harvesting system having the end-effector.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, an end-effector for crop harvesting is configured to cut a fruit stem from a harvesting target hanging from a main stem or a branch. The end-effector includes: a first member that has a cutter to cut the fruit stem; a second member that is configured to be movable relative to the first member; and a motion mechanism that is configured to move the second member relative to the first member. At least one of the first member and the second member is formed in an annular shape including the cutter. The at least one of the first member and the second member defines a passage portion inside the annular -1-

shape to allow the harvesting target to pass through the passage portion. The motion mechanism is configured to cut the fruit stem that is inserted into the passage portion by moving the second member relative to the first member to reduce an opening area of the passage portion and sandwiching the fruit stem between the second member and the cutter. Here, it is assumed that the fruit stem is cut by a scissor-type end-effector. When the scissor-type end-effector is moved to a position where a main stem or a branch can be cut, the scissor-type end-effector has to approach the main stem or the branch at a right angle to an extending direction of the fruit stem and the branch. At this time, when the scissor-type end-effector is moved, a tip of the cutter may contact the main stem or the branch, and thus may cause a damage to the main stem or the branch. On the contrary, according to the one aspect, the end-effector can be moved to a position where the end-effector can cut a main stem or a branch of the harvesting target hanging from the main stem by having the entire harvesting target pass through the passage portion from a tip end of the harvesting target. That is, for a harvesting target that hangs from the main stem, such as a cherry tomato, it is possible to move the end-effector to a position where the main stem or branch can be cut by having the entire bunch of the harvesting target pass through the passage portion from a lower side of the harvesting target. Furthermore, since the moving member covers the cutter, the main stem can be prevented from coming into contact with the cutter. As a result, the cutter can be prevented from damaging the main stem or branches, and the harvesting target can be safely harvested.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The disclosure, together with additional objectives, features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one example of an end-effector for crop harvesting according to a first embodiment in a state where a moving member is pulled out. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment in a state where a cover member is removed -2-

from the end-effector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment taken along line X3-X3 in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment when viewed in the direction along arrow X4 in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment taken along line X5-X5 in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment taken along line X6-X6 in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment taken along line X7-X7 in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is an expanded view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment when viewed in the direction along arrow X8 in FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is an expanded view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment when viewed in the direction along arrow X9 in FIG. 3. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment in a state where the moving member is retracted.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment in a state where a cover member is removed from the end-effector shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment taken along line X12-X12 in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is an expanded view showing the end-effector for crop harvesting according to the first embodiment when viewed in the direction along arrow X13 in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing a crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of visual information acquired by a visual device in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment. -3-

FIG. 16 is a diagram conceptually showing the crop harvesting system where each position is specified by a position specifying section in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a control during a harvesting operation executed by the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 1).

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 2).

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 3).

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 4).

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 5).

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 6).

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the “4 -

first embodiment (part 7).

FIG. 25 is an expanded view showing a part of arrow X25 in FIG. 24 of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is executed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 8).

FIG. 27 is an expanded view showing a part of arrow X27 in FIG. 26 of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is executed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 9).

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a movement mode and an operation mode of the end-effector for crop harvesting at each time point when the harvesting operation is performed in the crop harvesting system according to the first embodiment (part 10).

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing an example of a control of a harvesting operation executed by the crop harvesting system according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 31 is a diagram conceptually showing the crop harvesting system where each position is specified by a position specifying section and thereafter each position is corrected by a correcting process in the crop harvesting system according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a plan view showing an example of an end-effector for crop harvesting according to a third embodiment in a state where a moving member is pulled out.

FIG. 33 is a plan view showing an example of an end-effector for crop harvesting according to a fourth embodiment when a moving member is pulled -5.

out.

FIG. 34 is a plan view showing an example of an end-effector for crop harvesting according to a fifth embodiment with a cover member removed when a gripping member is moving forward.

FIG. 35 is a plan view showing an example of an end-effector for crop harvesting according to a fifth embodiment with a cover member removed when a gripping member is moving backward.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, multiple embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. (First embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 29. <Structure of an end-effector for crop harvesting> First, the configuration of the end-effector 1 for crop harvesting will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. The end-effector 1 for crop harvesting of the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the “end-effector 1”) is an effector for harvesting fruits and vegetables, as harvesting targets, such as tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or eggplants that grow while hanging from a main stem. Further, the end-effector 1 can be used for harvesting fruit trees, as harvesting targets, such as apples, pears, and grapes, which grow while hanging from a branch of a tree. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, etc., the end-effector 1 is configured to have a shape elongated in one direction as a whole and includes cutters 2, a base member 10, a moving member 20, a motion mechanism 30, and a gripping mechanism 40. In the present embodiment, the cutters 2 are disposed in the base member 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the base member 10 serves as a first member having the cutters 2 for cutting a fruit stem. The moving member 20 is movable relative to the base member 10 along the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the moving member 20 serves as a second member that is movable relative to the first member, i.e., the base member 10. -6-

In the following description, a direction in the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1 (that is, the moving direction of the moving member 20) in which the moving member 20 moves to separate away from the base member 10 is defined as a front side of the end-effector 1 or a forward direction of the moving member 20.

Further, the opposite direction, that is, a direction in which the moving member 20 moves to approach the base member 10 is defined as a rear side of the end-effector 1 or a backward direction of the moving member 20. Further, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1 in FIG. 1 is defined as a width direction of the end-effector 1. Further, a direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the end-effector 1 in FIG. 3 is defined as a thickness direction of the end-effector 1.

The base member 10 is a base for the moving member 20, the motion mechanism 30, and the gripping mechanism 40 and includes holding members 11 and 12, a cover member 13, a connecting member 14, and an attaching member

15. The holding members 11 and 12 are arranged spaced away from each other in the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1. In the present embodiment, the holding member 11 disposed on the front side has a so-called T-shaped cross section, as shown in FIG. 5. The front holding member 11 has sliding grooves 111 and a spring support 112. A plurality of, for example, three sliding grooves 111 are formed by being recessed from the cover member 13 and extend in the front-rear direction. The spring support 112 has a function of supporting one end of an elastic member 42 which will be described later. In the present embodiment, the spring support 112 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape protruding forward from a front surface of the front holding member 11. Further, the rear holding member 12 is formed in a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cover member 13 is formed in a plate shape as a whole. The cover member 13 is located on one side of the holding member 11 and 12 in the thickness direction of the end-effector 1. The cover member 13 covers at least a part of or the entire of the one side of the end-effector 1 in the thickness direction. The cover member 13 is fixed to the holding members 11 and 12 by fastening members such as bolts (not shown). Thereby, the cover member 13 connects the front holding member 11 and the rear holding member 12. A rear side of the cover member 13 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is elongated in -7-

the front-rear direction of the end-effector 1. A front side of the cover member 13 is formed in a trapezoidal shape whose width widens toward the front side. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover member 13 has a recess 131 and guides

132. The recess 131 is formed by recessing toward the rear side from a front edge of the cover member 13 to be a rectangular shape. In the present embodiment, the recess 131 extends in the width direction across the center of the cover member 13 (that is, the center of the end-effector 1 in the width direction). The recess 131 is formed in the front end portion of the cover member 13 over at least half of the front end in the width direction (in this embodiment, formed over substantially the entire area of the front end in the width direction). As shown in FIG. 1, the guides 132 are formed on both sides in the width direction at the front end portion of the cover member 13 (that is, both end sides of the recess 131). The guides 132 are inclined to expand in the width direction of the cover member 13 from the rear side to the front side of the end-effector 1. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting member 14 is formed, for example, in a rectangular plate shape that is elongated in the front-rear direction as a whole. The connecting member 14 is located on the other side of the holding members 11 and 12 in the thickness direction of the end-effector 1, that is, on a side opposite to the cover member 13. The connecting member 14 covers at least a part of or the entire part of the other side of the end-effector 1 in the thickness direction. The connecting member 14 is fixed to the holding members 11 and 12 by fastening members such as bolts (not shown). Thereby, the connecting member 14 connects the front holding member 11 and the rear holding member 12. The attaching member 15 is a member that attaches the end-effector 1 to a robot arm 52 described later. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the attaching member 15 is formed, for example, in a shape by bending a plate member. The attaching member 15 is fixed to the connecting member 14 by a fastening member such as a bolt (not shown). The attaching member 15 extends from the connecting member 14 to one side of the end-effector 1 in the width direction. The attaching member 15 has a plurality of through holes 151 through which fastening members such as bolts pass. The end-effector 1 is attached to the robot arm 52 by inserting fastening members such as bolts through the through holes 151 of the attaching member 15 into bolt holes of the robot arm 52. -8-

The base member 10 detachably fixes the cutters 2 for cutting a fruit stem. That is, each of the cutters 2 is detachably fixed to the base member 10. In the present embodiment, each of the cutters 2 is formed, for example, in a plate shape and is attached to the base member 10 in a posture in which its tip faces the front side. The cutters 2 are interposed between the front holding member 11 and the cover member 13, as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the cutters 2 interposed between the front holding member 11 and the cover member 13 are fixed by screwing the bolts 16 into the holding member 11 through the cover member 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cutting edge of each of the cutters 2 is housed in the recess 131. That is, the cutting edge of each of the cutters 2 does not protrude forward from the front end of the recess 131. In other words, the cutters 2 and the guides 132 do not overlap with each other in both the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the end-effector 1. The moving member 20 is provided between the cover member 13 and the connecting member 14 and on a side of the cutters 2 opposite to the cover member 13 (that is, a side of the cutters 2 close to the connecting member 14). The moving member 20 has an annular member 21 and rotating members 22. The annular member 21 is a main part of the moving member 20. The annular member 21 is formed in a closed annular shape as a whole and is made of a metal or resin having rigidity, for example. In this case, the cutters 2 are disposed inside the annular member 21. That is, the cutters 2 are surrounded by the annular member 21. The annular member 21 is formed in, as a whole, a polygonal shape (e.g., a hexagonal shape) which is elongated in the front-rear direction of the end-effector 1. In this case, the annular member 21 integrally includes a frame portion 211, an attachment portion 212, a receiving portion 213, a locking portion 214, and a moving member- side protruding portion 215.

The frame portion 211 has a so-called U-shape having a side extending in the width direction located on the front side of the annular member 21 and two sides extending in the front-rear direction located on both sides in the width direction of the front side. In the annular member 21, the frame portion 211 is formed thinner than other portions. In this case, the thickness dimension of the frame portion 211 is set to about several mm, for example, about 3 to 5 mm. The attachment portion 212 is a rear side portion of the annular member 21 and is thicker (that is, wider) -9-

than the frame portion 211. The attachment portion 212 is attached to the motion mechanism 30 by a fastening member such as a bolt (not shown).

The receiving portion 213 is formed by denting a portion of the frame portion 211 facing the cutters 2 (in this case, a side portion located on the front side of the annular member 21 and extending in the width direction) toward the front side to be a rectangular shape. The length of the receiving portion 213 in the width direction of the end-effector 1 is set to be approximately the same as the total lengths of the cutters 2. The locking portions 214 are provided on both end sides in the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion 213 (that is, both end sides in the width direction of the end-effector 1). In this case, the receiving portion 213 is recessed toward the front side of the end-effector 1 relative to the locking portion

214. The moving member-side protruding portion 215 is disposed in the receiving portion 213. As shown in FIG. 8, the moving member-side protruding portion 215 is a protrusion formed to protrude from the receiving portion 213 toward the rear side. In this case, the moving member-side protruding portion 215 extends over the entire length of the receiving portion 213 in the longitudinal direction (that is, substantially the entire width of the end-effector 1). The moving member-side protruding portion 215 can be formed with an acute cross-section as shown in, for example, FIG. 8, but the protruding portion 215 does not cut a fruit stem. That is, the moving member-side protruding portion 215 is formed with an acute angle such that when the moving member-side protruding portion 215 is pressed against a fruit stem, the protruding portion 215 does not cut off the fruit stem but cuts into the fruit stem. The moving member-side protruding portion 215 can be formed in a large number of pyramids, columns, or hemispheres, for example.

Each of the rotating members 22 is, for example, a roller formed in an elongated and thin cylindrical shape and is disposed in the frame portion 211 of the annular member 21, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. In the present embodiment, the rotating member 22 is disposed to surround a portion of the frame portion 211 that extends in the front-rear direction. That is, each of the rotating members 22 is disposed in an area of the frame portion 211 where the receiving portion 213, the locking portion 214, and the moving member-side protruding portion 215 are not formed. In other words, each of the rotating members 22 is disposed in a portion of -10 -

the frame portion 211 excluding a portion facing the cutters 2.

The frame portion 211 is inserted into the rotating members 22, and the rotating members 22 are rotatable by receiving an external force. The rotating members 22 may be made of metal or resin and have rigidity, or may have a flexible surface. Each of the rotating members 22 may be composed of a single elongated member on each side or may be composed of a plurality of short members. Further, each of the rotating members 22 may be formed of a member that is rounded and has less friction. Therefore, the rotating members 22 do not necessarily need to be rotatable with respect to the frame portion 211. In this case, the rotating members 22 may be eliminated, and the frame portion 211 itself may be formed of a member that is rounded and has less friction.

The motion mechanism 30 has a function of moving the moving member 20 as the second member relative to the base member 10 as the first member. In the present embodiment, the motion mechanism 30 is formed of, for example, a ball screw mechanism. In this case, the motion mechanism 30 has a motor 31, bearings 32, a screw shaft 33, a nut member 34, a transmission member 35, guide shafts 36, and linear bushes 37, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

The motor 31 serves as a driving force for the motion mechanism 30, that is, a driving source for moving the moving member 20. The motor 31 is, for example, a servo motor. The bearings 32, the screw shaft 33, the nut member 34, the transmission member 35, the guide shafts 36, and the linear bushes 37 change the rotational force of the motor 31 that is a driving source to a moving force in a linear direction along the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1, and then transmits the changed force to the moving member 20.

The motor 31 is attached to an outer wall of the holding member 12 on the rear side, for example. The motor 31 is connected to one end of the screw shaft 33 to rotate the screw shaft 33. The bearings 32 are configured to rotatably support the screw shaft 33 and is disposed in both the front and rear holding members 11 and

12. That is, the screw shaft 33 is arranged such that its axial direction extends along the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1.

The screw shaft 33 is a shaft in which threads are formed over the entire length. The screw shaft 33 is rotatably supported by the bearings 32 disposed in the front and rear holding members 11 and 12 and is configured to connect the front -11 -

and rear holding members 11 and 12. The nut member 34 has a function of converting rotation transmitted from the motor 31 via the screw shaft 33 into a linear movement along the axial direction of the screw shaft 33. The nut member 34 is, for example, a ball nut having a large number of rotatable balls therein and is attached to the transmission member 35. The transmission member 35 has, for example, a block shape, and the moving member 20 is attached to the transmission member 35. In the present embodiment, the attachment portion 212 of the annular member 21 of the moving member 20 is fixed to the transmission member 35 by a fastening member such as a bolt (not shown). That is, the nut member 34 is connected to the moving member 20 via the transmission member 35. As a result, the moving member 20 can move together with the transmission member 35.

The guide shafts 36 and the linear bushes 37 restrict the nut member 34 from rotating according to rotation of the screw shaft 33. Accordingly, the guide shaft 36 and the linear bush 37 have a function of linearly moving the nut member 34 along the axial direction of the screw shaft 33. The guide shafts 36 are disposed to connect the front and rear holding members 11 and 12. In this case, two guide shafts 36 are disposed on both sides on the screw shaft 33 in the width direction of the end-effector 1. Further, the two linear bushes 37 are disposed on both sides of the nut member 34 in the transmission member 35, and the two guide shafts 36 are inserted into the two linear bushes 37, respectively.

With such a configuration, when the motor 31 rotates, its rotational force is converted into a linear movement along the axial direction of the screw shaft 33 via the screw shaft 33, the nut member 34, and the transmission member 35. Then, the converted linear movement is transmitted to the moving member 20. Thus, the rotation of the motor 31 causes the moving member 20 to move linearly along the axial direction of the screw shaft 33 (that is, the longitudinal direction of the end- effector 1). The motion mechanism 30 may be a rack and pinion mechanism instead of the so-called ball nut mechanism including the screw shaft 33 and the nut member

34. Further, for example, the motion mechanism 30 may be an air-driven or electric direct-acting cylinder.

Further, the motion mechanism 30 may include stoppers 381 and 382 as shown in FIG. 3. The stoppers 381 and 382 are, for example, so-called stopper bolts, -12-

and are disposed in the front and rear holding members 11 and 12. The stoppers 381 and 382 have a function of causing the transmission member 35 to stop by brought into contact with the transmission member 35. That is, the front end stopper 381 defines an end of a motion range of the transmission member 35 in the front- rear direction. In this case, it is preferable that at least the rear end stopper 382, which defines a rear end of the motion range of the transmission member 35 in the front-rear direction, is able to adjust a protruding amount of the rear end stopper 382 from the holding member 12. Accordingly, the rear end of the motion range of the transmission member 35 can be adjusted.

The gripping mechanism 40 has a function of gripping a fruit stem together with the moving member 20 when the moving member 20 moves and cuts the fruit stem of the harvesting target. This makes it possible to prevent the harvesting target from falling when the fruit stem is cut. In the present embodiment, the gripping mechanism 40 has a gripping member 41 and an elastic member 42, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The gripping member 41 is slidably attached to the front holding member 11 and is located between the front holding member 11 and the receiving portion 213 of the annular member 21. The gripping member 41 is also located between the cover member 13 (the cutters 2) and the front holding member 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the end-effector 1. When viewed in the thickness direction of the end-effector 1, the gripping member 41 overlaps with at least a part of or all of the moving member 20 in the thickness direction.

The gripping member 41 has a grip portion 411, sliding portions 412, a spring support portion 413, and a grip member-side protruding portion 414. The grip portion 411 is disposed at a position facing the receiving portion 213 of the annular member 21 of the moving member 20. In this case, the grip portion 411 extends in parallel with the cutters 2 and the receiving portion 213. That is, the grip portion 411 is formed in a plate shape that is elongated in the width direction of the end-effector

1. Further, in this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the frame portion 211 of the annular member 21 and the holding portion 411 of the gripping member 41 in the moving member 20 are formed in an annular shape including the cutters 2. Then, a passage portion 3 is formed therein through which a harvesting target can pass. In the embodiment, the passage portion 3 is formed in a rectangular shape that is -13 -

elongated in the front-rear direction of the end-effector 1. In this case, the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1 is the longitudinal direction of the passage portion 3 or the front-rear direction. Further, the width direction of the end-effector 1 is the width direction of the passage portion 3.

Each of the sliding portions 412 has a plate shape that extends in a direction perpendicular to the gripping member 411 and extends toward the front holding member 11. The sliding portions 412 are slidably disposed in the sliding grooves 111 of the front holding member 11 as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, the gripping member 41 slides along the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1 (that is, along the moving direction of the moving member 20) while the gripping portion 411 being in parallel with the receiving portion 213.

The spring support portion 413 has a function of supporting one end of the elastic member 42 that is opposite to the front holding member 11. The spring support portion 413 is disposed at a position facing the spring support portion 112 of the front holding member 11. In this case, the spring support portion 413 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape protruding toward the front holding member 11.

As shown in FIG. 9, the grip member-side protruding portion 414 is formed in the grip portion 411 of the gripping member 41. As shown in FIG. 9, the grip member-side protruding portion 414 is a protrusion that protrudes from the grip portion 411 toward the front side. In this case, the moving member-side protruding portion 414 extends over the entire length of the grip portion 411 in the longitudinal direction (that is, substantially the entire end-effector 1 in the longitudinal direction). Similar to the moving member-side protruding portion 215, the grip member-side protruding portion 414 can be formed with an acute cross-section, but it does not cut a fruit stem. That is, similar to the moving member-side protruding portion 215, the gripping member-side protruding portion 414 is formed with an acute angle such that when the gripping member-side protruding portion 414 is pressed against a fruit stem, the protruding portion 414 does not cut off the fruit stem but cuts into the fruit stem. Note that the gripping member-side protruding portion 414 can also have, for example, a large number of pyramid shapes, columnar shapes, or hemispherical shapes, similarly to the moving member-side protruding portion 215.

The elastic member 42 is, for example, a coil spring. Both ends of the elastic member 42 are supported by the spring support portion 112 of the front -14 -

holding member 11 and the spring support portion 413 of the gripping member 41. The elastic member 42 applies an elastic force to the gripping member 41 from the front holding member 11 toward the front side (that is, toward the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20). As a result, the gripping member 41 including the grip portion 411 can be elastically moved relative to the gripping member 41.

As shown in FIG. 9, the gripping member 41 including the grip portion 411 protrudes toward the center of the passage portion 3 beyond the cutters 2 when a force in a direction away from the receiving portion 213 is not applied to the grip portion 411 (i.e., no external force is applied). At this time, the gripping member 41 covers one surface of the cutters 2 (in this case, the surface opposite to the cover member 13). Further, when the gripping member 41 including the grip portion 411 receives a force in the direction away from the center of the passage portion 3 (that is, when the gripping member 41 is pushed into the front holding member 11), the gripping member 41 moves in a direction away from the center of the passage portion 3 past the cutting edges of the cutters 2, as shown in FIG. 13. As a result, the cutters 2 are exposed to the extent that a fruit stem can be cut by the cutters 2.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the locking portions 214 of the annular member 21 of the moving member 20 are, as shown in FIG. 11, engageable with both ends of the grip portion 411 in the width direction when the moving member 20 moves toward the base member 10. As a result, the moving member 20 is further restricted from approaching the gripping member 41. Then, the receiving portion 213 (the moving member-side protruding portion 215) and the holding portion 411 {the holding member-side protruding portion 414) are kept being separated away from each other with a specified distance L1 (see FIG. 13).

That is, when the moving member 20 moves relative to the base member 10 and the inner diameter of the passage portion 3 is reduced to a minimum size, the receiving portion 213 (the moving member-side protruding portion 215) and the grip portion 411 (the gripping member-side protruding portion 414) are spaced away from each other by the specified distance L1. As a result, when the end-effector 1 grips a fruit stem, the receiving portion 213 and the moving member-side protruding portion 215 do not come into contact with the grip portion 411 and the gripping- member-side protruding portion 414. Therefore, the end-effector 1 can avoid crushing or cutting the fruit stem and thus can avoid dropping the harvesting target.

-15 -

The specified distance L1 is preferably set to be a value greater than 0 and slightly less than an average value of outer diameters of fruit stems. This allows the end-effector 1 to have the moving member-side protruding portion 215 and the gripping member-side protruding portion 414 cut into the fruit stem to more reliably grip the fruit stem of the harvesting target without cutting off the fruit stem.

Further, when the moving member 20 is located at the end of the motion range close to the base member 10, a gap of a specified distance L2 is formed between the cutters 2 and the receiving portion 213 of the annular member 21. The specified distance L2 is a value of 0 mm or more, and is set be small so that a human finger is prevented or restricted from entering the gap between the cutters 2 and the receiving portion 213. As a result, even if the gripping member 41 is moved and the cutters 2 are exposed when the moving member 20 moves toward the base member 10, it is possible to avoid a situation where the cutters 2 cut a finger of an operator or the like. As a result, safety is improved.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the end-effector 1 drives the motion mechanism 30 to move the moving member 20 so as to retract the moving member toward the base member 10, that is, the rear side of the end-effector 1, thereby reducing the opening area of the passage portion 3 and eventually extinguishing the passage portion 3. At this time, if the fruit stem 93 of the harvesting target exists in 20 the passage portion 3, the fruit stem 93 is sandwiched (clamped) between the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 and the cutters 2 and thus is cut off. Then, the cut fruit stem 93 can be gripped by sandwiching the fruit stem 93 between the grip portion 411 of the gripping member 41 {the gripping member-side protruding portion 414) and the receiving portion 213 of the annular member 21 (the moving member-side protruding portion 215).

In addition, the end-effector 1 drives the motion mechanism 30 to move the moving member 20 in a forward direction so as to push the moving member 20 away from the base member 10 (that is, the front side of the end-effector 1), thereby enlarging the opening area of the passage portion 3. Accordingly, the cut fruit stem 93 gripped by sandwiching the fruit stem 93 between the grip portion 411 of the gripping member 41 (the gripping member-side protruding portion 414) and the receiving portion 213 of the annular member 21 (the moving member-side protruding portion 215) can be released.

-16 -

<Crop harvesting system> Next, an example of a crop harvesting system using the end-effector 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 29. The crop harvesting system 50 shown in FIG. 14 is an example in which cherry tomatoes serve as a harvesting target 91.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, each of the entire clusters having a plurality of fruits is a harvest target 91. The crop harvesting system 50 of the present embodiment can harvest a plurality of cherry tomatoes altogether for each cluster.

The harvesting target 91 such as cherry tomatoes bears fruits hanging from the main stem 92 via the fruit stem 93. Commercially available cherry tomatoes intended for sale in the market are often grown in greenhouses. In this case, the tip end of the main stem 92 is hung on a rail extending near the ceiling of the greenhouse. Thereby, the main stem 92 extends obliquely upward from the ground to the vicinity of the ceiling.

Note that the harvesting target of the crop harvesting system 50 of the present embodiment is not necessarily limited to cherry tomatoes, as long as fruits are born while hanging from a main stem or fruit-bearing mother branch. Further, the harvesting target does not necessarily hang vertically downward from the main stem or the fruit-bearing mother branch. Furthermore, the harvesting target may be one that grows upward from the main stem or the fruit-bearing mother branch.

In addition to the end-effector 1, the crop harvesting system 50 of the present embodiment further includes a visual device 51, a robot arm 52, a carrying device 53, and a collection box 54. The visual device 51 is a device configured to obtain visual information including position information of the harvesting target 91. The visual device 51 may be a device, such as a stereo camera, a ToF (Time of Flight) camera, and a structured light scanner, which is capable of measuring a three-dimensional space and an object.

In the present embodiment, the visual information acquired by the visual device 51 includes color information as well as position information and outer shape information of the harvesting target 91. The visual information acquired by the visual device 51 also includes position information, outer shape information, and color information of the main stem 92, but may not necessarily include position information, outer shape information, color information of the fruit stem 93. That is, in the present embodiment, the visual device 51 acquires the position information, -17 -

the outer shape information, and the color information of the harvesting target 91 and the main stem 92, but the position information, the outer shape information, and the color information of the fruit stem 93 are not necessarily acquired.

In the present embodiment, the visual device 51 is attached to the base member 10 of the end-effector 1, more specifically in this case, the cover member 13 via a mounting stay 17 as shown in FIG. 3. That is, in the present embodiment, the end-effector 1 includes the visual device 51. Therefore, the visual device 51 moves in accordance with the movement of the end-effector 1. However, the visual device 51 is not necessarily be attached to the end-effector 1. The visual device 51 may be attached to the robot arm 52 or the carrying device 53, for example.

Further, the visual device 51 may be attached to, for example, a constituting element of a vinyl house (not shown) to always stay at a fixed position of the visual device 51. The robot arm 52 is, for example, a 6-axis vertical articulated robot having a plurality of drive axes, in this case six drive axes.

The end-effector 1 is attached to a hand of the robot arm 52 via the attaching member 15. The robot arm 52 operates the end-effector 1 to move to an arbitrary position.

The carrying device 53 carries the robot arm 52 to which the end-effector 1 is attached and the collection box 54 to the harvesting target 91. The carrying device 53 has, for example, a motor (not shown) to drive tires 532 and can be moved to an arbitrary position by an external control.

The collection box 54 stores and collects the harvesting target 91 which was harvested by the end-effector 1 by cutting the fruit stem 93. The collection box 54 is formed, for example, in a container shape having an opening on an upper side thereof and is installed in the carrying device 53. Note that, if the facility such as a greenhouse is equipped with a device such as a belt conveyor that conveys the harvesting targets 91, the collection box 54 may not be used.

The crop harvesting system 50 also includes an end-effector control unit 4, a visual device control unit 511, a robot arm control unit 521, and a carrying device control unit 531. The end-effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531 may be dedicatedly provided for the motion mechanism 30, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device 53 of the end-effector 1, respectively.

These control units are physically disposed in the carrying device 53, for example. -18 -

Each of the end-effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531 is mainly formed of, for example, a power circuit and a microprocessor having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage area such as a rewritable flash memory (not shown). The power circuit supplies power, which is a driving force, mainly to the motion mechanism 30, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device 53 of the end-effector 1. The motion mechanism 30, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device 53 of the end-effector 1 are controlled based on commands from the end-effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531, respectively.

A controller 60 is configured to control the end-effector 1, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device 53 via the end-effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531. The controller 60 is connected to the end-effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531 by wire or wirelessly and therefore is communicatable with those units. In this case, the controller 60 controls the end- effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531 via an electric communication line 80 such as LAN or WAN, or the Internet or a mobile phone line.

The controller 60 is mainly formed of, for example, a CPU 601, a microprocessor having a ROM, a RAM, and a storage area 602 such as a rewritable flash memory. The controller 60 outputs driving commands to the end-effector 1, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device 53, and receives feedback from the end-effector 1, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device 53. The controller 60 is a control device that is not dedicated to any of the end-effector 1, the visual device 51, the robot arm 52, and the carrying device

53. That is, the controller 60 is a high-level device that outputs commands to the end-effector control unit 4, the visual device control unit 511, the robot arm control unit 521, and the carrying device control unit 531. The controller 60 can be formed of, for example, a personal computer or a server.

The storage area 602 stores programs for the crop harvesting system. The controller 60 causes the CPU 601 to execute the programs for the crop harvesting -19-

system. Thereby, a target detecting section 61, the position information specifying section 62, a motion path generating section 63, a motion controlling section 64, a cutting controlling section 65, a load detecting section 66, an overload recovering section 67, and a collection controlling section 68 are virtually realized by software.

However, the position information specifying section 62, the motion path generating section 63, the motion controlling section 64, the cutting controlling section 65, the load detecting section 66, the overload recovering section 67, and the collection controlling section 68 may be realized by hardware as an integrated circuit integrated with the controller 60.

The target detecting section 61 can execute a target detecting process. The target detecting process includes a process that detects whether the harvesting target 91 is present in a visual field of the visual device 51 based on the visual information acquired by the visual device 51. In this case, the visual information acquired by the visual device 51 is formed of point group data called as point cloud data as shown in FIG. 15. This visual information is formed of, for example, a group of points arranged on an X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinate system. The visual information includes color information of RGB (R: Red, G: Green, B: Blue) for each point and depth information (D: Depth) with respect to the visual device 51 (that is, position information on the X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinate system). In the example of FIG. 15, red is detected as the cherry tomato 91, which is the harvesting target, and green is detected as the main stem 92. Note that the visual device 51 may acquire, e.g., a monochrome value as the visual information with an infrared camera.

By recognizing the outer shape of the point cloud, the target detecting section 61 can recognize the outer shape of the harvesting target 91 and the main stem 92. In this case, the fruit stem 93 is thinner than the harvesting target 91 and the main stem 92. Therefore, if the visual device 51 needs to acquire the visual information of the fruit stem 93, it is necessary to improve performance and resolution of the visual device 51, which would result in increase in the hardware cost. Further, the processing load on the visual device 51 and the processing load on the controller 60 using the acquired visual information would also increase. In view of the above, in the present embodiment, the visual device 51 is configured not to actively acquire the visual information of the fruit stem 93. As a result, the processing load on the visual device 51 and the controller 60 can be reduced.

-20 -

The target detecting section 61 first extracts point cloud data having a high color value of the harvesting target 91 from the visual information acquired by the visual device 51. In the present embodiment, the target detecting section 61 extracts point cloud data having a high red value, which is the color of the cherry tomato 91.

Then, the target detecting section 61 determines that the harvesting target 91 is included in the acquired visual information (i.e., a cherry tomato 91 which is a harvesting target exists within the visual field of the visual device 51), when, for example, the point cloud having a high red value exists over a predetermined range or more in the acquired visual information.

On the other hand, the target detecting section 61 determines that the harvesting target 91 is not included in the acquired visual information (i.e., a cherry tomato 91 which is a harvesting target does not exist within the visual field of the visual device 51), when, for example, the point cloud having a high red value exists only over an area less than the predetermined range in the acquired visual information. In this way, the target detecting section 61 recognizes the point cloud having a high red value in the acquired visual information as the cherry tomato 91 that is the harvesting target. The target detecting section 61 may recognize the harvesting target 91 or the main stem 92 using the information of the point cloud (that is, the three-dimensional point cloud information) on the X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinate system included in the visual information or a monochrome value acquired by the infrared camera.

The position information specifying section 62 can execute a position information specifying process. As shown in FIG. 16, the position information specifying process includes a process that specifies positions for the harvesting target 91 including a distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and a proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91 from the visual information acquired by the visual device 51. In the present embodiment, the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) is defined as a position of the harvesting target 91 on a tip end side of the entire harvesting target 91 relative to the main stem 92. That is, the distal end position is the farthest position from the main stem 92 in the entire harvesting target 91. Further, the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) is defined as a position of the harvesting target 91 on a base side of the entire harvesting target 91 relative to the main stem

92. That is, the proximal end position is the closest end to the main stem 92 in the -21-

entire harvesting target 91.

In this case, an outer side of the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) means an outer side of the entire harvesting target 91 with respect to the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) (that is, an outer side in a direction away from the main stem 92 with respect to the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb)). On the contrary, the outside of the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) means an outside of the entire harvesting target 91 with respect to the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) (that is, an outer side in a direction reaching the main stem 92 with respect to the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt)).

The harvesting target 91 such as a cherry tomato hangs from the main stem

92. Therefore, in this case, the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) is the lowest position of the harvesting target 91, and the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) is the highest position of the harvesting target 91. In the following, the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) of the harvesting target 91 will be referred to as a lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb), and the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) will be referred to as an upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt). , Zt). In this case, an outside of the distal end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) is an outside of the lower end position Pb (Xb, YB, Zb), and an outside of the proximal end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) will be referred to as an outside of the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt).

The position information specifying section 62 extracts a point having the smallest Z value from the point cloud data of the harvesting target 91 detected by the target detecting section 61 (that is, the point cloud data having a high red value), and then specifies the point as the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) of the harvesting target 91. Further, the position information specifying section 62 identifies the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91 by extracting a point having the maximum Z value.

Here, it is assumed that the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) are specified only by using data of the lowest point where the Z value has actually a minimum value and data of the highest point where the Z value has actually a maximum value. In this case, if noise or the like is included in the visual information acquired by the visual device 51, errors would generate in the coordinates of the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the position information 22 specifying section 62 specifies the lowest point where the Z value has a minimum value from among the point cloud date of the harvesting target 91 detected by the target detecting section 61 (i.e., the point cloud data having a high red value). Then, the section 62 calculates an average value of the point cloud data within a specified range defined from the specified lowest point to a Z point in a positive direction (for example, within the range from the lowest point to a point +20 mm from the lowest point). The section 62 determines the average value as the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb). Similarly, the position information specifying section 62 specifies the highest point where the Z value has a maximum value from among the point cloud date of the harvesting target 91 detected by the target detecting section 61 (i.e., the point cloud data having a high red value). Then, the section 62 calculates an average value of the point cloud data within a specified range defined from the highest point to a Z point in a negative direction (for example, within the range from the highest point to a point -20 mm from the highest point). The section 62 determines the average value as the upper end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb). In addition, the position information specifying section 62 is also configured to execute a process that specifies an intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z) that is a position on the way from the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) to the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91. For example, the position information specifying section 62 obtains coordinates of an intermediate position in the Z direction between the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) as the intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z). In this case, the Z value of the intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z) is an average value of the Z value of the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the Z value of the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt). That is, Ph (Z)=(the lower end position Pb(Z)+upper end position Pt(Z))/2. Further, the X value and the Y value of the intermediate position Ph(X, Y, Z) are average values at Ph (Z). Note a plurality of intermediate positions Ph (X, Y, Z) may be set. In this case, assuming that the number of intermediate positions Ph is N, Ph (Z)=(the lower end position Pb (Z)+upper end position Pt (Z))/(N+1). In the position information specifying process as described above, the position information specifying section 62 can specify the position information of the

23.

harvesting target 91 (in this case, the lower end position Pb( Xb, Yb, Zb), the upper end position Pt(Xt, Yt, Zt), and the intermediate position Ph(X, Y, Z)) without using the position information of the fruit stem 93 connected to the harvesting target 91. In addition, as shown in FIG. 15 and the like, the target detecting section 61 can obtain the visual information about the main stem 92 (in this case, the shape including position information of the main stem 92 as well as color information) based on the visual information acquired by the visual device 51. Similar to the case of the harvesting target 91, the target detecting section 61 extracts point cloud data having a high green color value, which indicates the main stem 92, from the visual information acquired by the visual device 51. Then, if a point group having a high green value exists over a predetermined range or more in the acquired visual information, the target detecting section 61 recognizes the point group having a high green value as the main stem 92. The motion path generating section 63 can execute a motion path generating process. The motion path generating process includes a process that generates a motion path R of the end-effector 1 from a start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) to an end position Pe (Xt, Yt, Zt) through the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91. In this case, the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) may be set to a position immediately below the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) of the harvesting target 91 by a predetermined distance (for example, a position several tens of mm below the lower end position Pb). Furthermore, the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) may be set to a position immediately above the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91 by a predetermined distance (for example, a position several tens of mm above the upper end position Pt).

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the motion path generating section 63 generates the motion path R of the end-effector 1 so as to pass through the intermediate position Ph {X, Y, Z). In this case, the motion path R of the end-effector 1 is a route that is defined by connecting, with straight lines one by one, adjacent positions in the Z direction (that is, the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs), the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb), the intermediate position Ph ( X, Y, Z), the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt), and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze)).

The motion controlling section 64 can execute a motion controlling process.

-24 -

In the motion controlling process, the robot arm 52 is controlled via the robot arm control unit 521. The motion controlling process includes a process of moving the end-effector 1 along the motion path R to have the harvesting target 91 pass through the passage portion 3, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 22. In this case, a point is set as a reference point Pc for the end-effector 1 as shown in FIG. 1. The reference point Pc can be set at any arbitrary position (for example, a center position) in the passage portion 3. The motion controlling section 64 controls the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521 so that the reference point Pc moves along the motion path R. The cutting controlling section 65 can execute a cutting process. The cutting process is executed after the harvesting target 91 has passed through the passage portion 3 in the motion controlling process. In the cutting process, as shown in FIGS. 23 to 27, the end-effector 1 is operated (that is, the motion mechanism 30 is operated via the end-effector control unit 4, and the moving member 20 is retracted toward the base member 10 to reduce the opening area of the passage portion 3) to cut the fruit stem 93 that is inserted into the passage portion 3.

The load detecting section 66 detects a load acting on the moving member when the moving member 20 is moving. Thereby, the load detecting section 66 can detect whether the moving member 20 is moving normally. That is, the load detecting section 66 detects an overload on the moving member 20 when the 20 moving member 20 is moving. Accordingly, it is possible to detect whether the movement of the moving member 20 is interfered by the main stem 92 or the fruit stem 93 which is dragged into the moving member 20. If the motor 31 includes an encoder, the load detecting section 66 may detect a load acting on the moving member 20 based on signals output from the encoder. Further, the load detecting section 66 can detect a load acting on the moving member 20 by measuring a current value (that is, torque) of the motor 31.

Further, instead of measuring the encoder or the current value, a sensor or the like for detecting a position of the moving member 20 may be used. In this case, the sensor may be disposed at an end of the motion range of the moving member 20, for example. Then, the load detecting section 66 determines that an overload is generated when no detection signal is output from the sensor even though the end- effector control unit 4 controls the moving member 20 to move.

The overload recovering section 67 is capable of executing an overload

25.

recovering process. The overload recovering process includes a process of releasing the fruit stem 93 by the moving member 20 when an overload is detected while executing the cutting controlling process. During the overload recovering process, the overload recovering section 67 drives and controls the motion mechanism 30 via the end-effector control section 4. Then, the moving member 20 is moved toward the front side of the end-effector 1 (that is, moved in an opening direction) to increase the opening area of the passage portion 3. As a result, the grip of the fruit stem 93 by the moving member 20 and the gripping member 41 is terminated and the fruit stem 93 is released.

Then, the overload recovering section 67 drives and controls the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521. Then, the overload recovering section 67 controls the robot arm 52 to move along the motion path R so that the robot arm 52 moves in reverse order, i.e., starts from the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) and reaches the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) through the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt), the intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z), and the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) of the harvesting target 91 in this order.

The collection controlling section 65 can execute a collection process. The collection process is a process of collecting the harvesting target 91 by putting into the collection box 54 the harvesting target 91 whose fruit stem 93 has been cut and gripped during the cutting process. After the cutting process, the collection controlling section 68 drives the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521. Then, the collection controlling section 68 controls the end-effector 1 to move to a position immediately above the collection box 54 while gripping the fruit stem 93 of the harvesting target 91. Then, the collection controlling section 68 controls the end- effector 1 to releases the fruit stem 93 at the position immediately above the collection box 54 and to drop or put the harvesting target 91 into the collection box

54. In this way, the harvesting target 91 that was separated from the main stem 92 is collected in the collection box 54.

Next, a series of controls of a harvesting operation for harvesting the harvesting target 91, which are executed in the crop harvesting system 50, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 17. In the following description, the processes executed by each section 61 to 68 is actually performed by the controller

60. In this embodiment, a harvesting region is set along the main stem 92. The -26 -

carrying device 53 moves along the main stem 92 and sequentially harvests the harvesting targets 91 along the main stem 92. In the flowchart of FIG. 17, the processes in steps S13 and S14 are an example of the target detecting process. The process in step S15 is an example of the position information specifying process. The processes in steps S16 and S17 are an example of the motion path generating process. The processes in steps S18 and S19 are an example of the motion controlling process. The process in step S20 is an example of the cutting process. The process in steps S22 and S23 are an example of the collection process. The process in step $21 is an example of the load detecting process. The process in steps S24 and S25 is an example of the overload recovering process. At step S11, the controller 60 first specifies a current position of the carrying device 53 based on information received from the carrying device control unit 531. Then, the controller 60 determines whether the current position of the carrying device 53 is the end point of the harvesting region. If the current position of the carrying device 53 is the end point of the harvesting region (YES in step S11), the controller 60 determines that no next harvesting target 91 exists and ends the series of controls. On the other hand, if the current position of the carrying device 53 is not the end point of the harvesting region (NO in step S11), the controller 60 determines that the harvesting target 91 still exists. Then, the controller 60 moves the process to step S12 and controls the carrying device 53 via the carrying device control unit 531 to move to the next harvest location. Next, the controller 60 executes the target detecting process in steps S13 and S14. In step S13, the controller 60 control the visual device 51 via the visual device control unit 511 to capture an image of a view toward the harvesting target

91. Then, in step S14, the controller 60 determines whether the visual information (i.e., image information in this case) captured by the visual device 51 includes the harvesting target 91. If the harvesting target 91 is not detected in step S14 (NO in step $14), the controller 60 controls the carrying device 53 to move to the next harvest location. On the other hand, if the harvesting target 91 is detected in step S14 (YES in step S14), the controller 60 moves the process to step S15. The controller 60 executes the position information specifying process in step $15. That is, the controller 60 2077 -

specifies the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb), the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt), and the intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z) of the harvest target 91 based on the visual information acquired by the visual device 51.

Next, the controller 60 executes the motion path generating process in steps S16 and S17. First, at step S186, the controller 60 calculates the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) based on the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) that were specified at step S15. Then, the controller 20 shifts the process to step S17. At step S17, the controller 60 generates the motion path R of the end-effector 1 from the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) to the end position Pe (Xt, Yt, Zt) through the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91.

Next, the controller 60 executes the motion controlling process in steps S18 and S19 to drive the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521. In this case, the controller 60 first operates the end-effector 1 in step S18 so that the reference point Pc of the end-effector 1 matches the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) as shown in FIG. 18. Then, in step $19, the controller 60 controls the end-effector 1 to move to the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) so that the reference point Pc of the end-effector moves along the motion path R as shown in FIGS. 18 to 22.

Accordingly, the end-effector 1 moves to an upper position beyond the harvesting target 91 by having the harvesting target 91 pass through the passage portion 3 like scooping up the harvesting target 91 from a lower side. At this time, the fruit stem 93 that connects the harvesting target 91 and the main stem 92 is positioned inside the passage portion 3. Then, the harvesting target 91 and the main stem 92 are located on a lower, outer side and an upper, outer side, respectively, relative to the passage portion 3.

When moving the end-effector 1, it can be assumed that the moving member 20 is in contact with the harvesting target 91. In this case, if no measure is taken, the harvesting target 91 that is in contact with the moving member 20 would be caught by the moving member 20 and pulled by the end-effector 1 to be damaged.

However, the moving member 20 of the present embodiment has the rotating members 22 that are rotatable by receiving an external force. Therefore, even if the harvesting target 91 comes into contact with the moving member 20, the rotating members 22 can prevent, by its rotation, the harvesting target 91 from being caught -08 -

by the moving member 20 when the end-effector 1 is moving. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the harvesting target 91 from being damaged and decreasing its commercial value.

Next, the controller 60 executes the cutting process in step S20 of FIG. 17 and operates the end-effector 1 via the end-effector control unit 4. The controller 60 operates the motor 31 of the motion mechanism 30 to pull the moving member 20 toward the base member 10. Then, as shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 first comes into contact with the fruit stem 93. As a result, the fruit stem 93 is drawn toward the base member 10 as the moving member 20 moves.

Then, the moving member 20 further moves toward the base member 10, and the locking portion 214 of the moving member 20 contact both ends of the gripping member 41. As a result, the distance between the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 and the grip portion 411 of the gripping member 41 is kept to have a constant value. Accordingly, the fruit stem 93 is placed and gripped between the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 and the grip portion 411 of the gripping member 41 in a state where the moving member-side protruding portion 215 and the gripping member-side projecting portion 414 cut into the fruit stem 93. Then, as shown in FIG. 26, when the moving member 20 further moves toward the base member 10, as shown in FIG. 27, the fruit stem 93 is cut by the cutters 2. As a result, the harvesting target 91 is separated from the main stem 92.

While executing the cutting process in step S20 of FIG. 17, the controller 60 executes the load detecting process in step S21. When an overload is not detected (NO in step S21), the controller 60 determines that the fruit stem 93 has been cut without the main stem 92 and the fruit stem 93 being entangled with the end-effector 1, and then shifts the process to steps S22 and S23.

The controller 60 executes the collection process in steps S22 and S23. In the process, the controller 60 first operates the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521 to move the end-effector 1 to a position above the collection box 54 in step S22. Then, in step S23, the controller 60 drives and controls the motion mechanism 30 via the end-effector control unit 4 to move the moving member 20 toward the front side of the end-effector 1, that is, in the opening direction. As a result, the fruit stem 93 is released, and the harvesting target 91 is dropped and placed in the -29.

collection box 54. In this way, the harvesting target 91 that was separated from the main stem 92 is collected in the collection box 54. Then, the controller 60 returns the process to step S11 to harvest the next harvesting target 91. On the other hand, if the moving member 20 cannot move to the end of the motion range close to the base member 10 despite the cutting process, an overload is detected in step S21 (YES in step S21). Then, the controller 60 determines that the main stem 92 and/or the fruit stem 93 are entangled with the moving member 20 and the fruit stem 93 is not appropriately cut. Thereafter, the process proceeds to steps S24 and S25.

The controller 60 executes the overload recovering process in steps S24 and S25. In the process, the controller 60 first operates and controls the motion mechanism 30 via the end-effector control unit 4 in step S24 to move the moving member 20 toward the front side of the end-effector 1 (that is, the opening direction) and thereby the fruit stem 93 is released. Next, the controller 60 drives the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521 along the motion path R in the reverse direction so that the reference point Pc of the end-effector 1 moves from the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) to the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) through the upper end position Pt(Xt, Yt, Zt), the intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z), and the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb} in this order. Then, the controller 60 operates the robot arm 52 via the robot arm control unit 521 to return the end-effector 1 to the initial position (that is, the position at which the carrying device 53 was initially driven), and returns the process to step S11. Then, the controller 60 harvests the next harvesting target 91.

According to the above-described embodiment, the end-effector 1 is configured to harvest the harvesting target 91 hanging from the main stem 92 and the like by cutting the fruit stem 93. The end-effector 1 includes the base member 10 as a first member, the moving member 20 as a second member, and the motion mechanism 30. The base member 10 includes the cutters 2 for cutting the fruit stem

93. The moving member 20 is movable relative to the base member 10. The motion mechanism 30 has a function of moving the moving member 20 relative to the base member 10.

At least one of the base member 10 and the moving member 20 is formed in an annular shape including the cutter 2 and forms the passage portion 3 through -30 -

which the harvesting target 91 can pass. In the present embodiment, the base member 10 and the moving member 20 are formed in an annular shape including the cutters 2 and forms the passage portion 3 therein through which the harvesting target 91 can pass. Then, the motion mechanism 30 is controlled to reduce the opening area of the passage portion 3 by moving the moving member 20 relative to the base member 10 while the fruit stem 93 is being inside the passage portion 3. Accordingly, the end-effector 1 cuts the fruit stem 93 by sandwiching the fruit stem 93 between the moving member 20 that is the second member and the cutters 2. Here, it is assumed that the fruit stem 93 is cut by a scissor-type end- effector. When the scissor-type end-effector is moved to a position where the main stem 92 or a branch can be cut, the scissor-type end-effector has to approach the main stem 92 or the branch at a right angle to an extending direction of the fruit stem 93 or the branch. At this time, when the scissor-type end-effector is moved, the cutter tip may contact the main stem 92 or the branch, and thus would cause a damage to the main stem 92 or the branch.

On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the end-effector 1 has the harvesting target 91 pass through the passage portion 3 by scooping up the entire harvesting target 91, which hangs from the main stem 92 or the like, from a lower side of the harvesting target 91. As a result, the end-effector can be moved to a position where the main stem 92 or the branch can be cut. Furthermore, since the moving member 20 covers the cutters 2, the main stem 92 can be prevented from coming into contact with the cutters 2. As a result, the cutters 2 can be prevented from damaging the main stem 92 or the branches, and the harvesting target 91 can be safely harvested.

The moving member 20 as the second member is formed in an annular shape with a material having rigidity, That is, in the present embodiment, the moving member 20 has the annular member 21. The annular member 21 is formed in a closed annular shape as a whole and is made of a metal or resin having rigidity, for example. According to this, it is possible to prevent the shape and size of the annular member 21 (that is, the shape and size of the passage portion 3) from changing due to a pressure by the weight of the annular member 21 or vibration generated when the end-effector 1 is moving. This makes it easy to pass the harvesting target 91 through the passage portion 3 by moving the end-effector 1. As a result, the success -31-

rate of harvesting the harvesting target 91 by the end-effector 1 can be increased.

The cutters 2 are formed over half or more of the passage portion 3 in the width direction. According to this, when the end-effector 1 moves the moving member 20 to reduce the opening area of the passage portion 3 (that is, when the moving member 20 moves to draw the fruit stem 93 toward the cutter 2), the fruit stem 93 can be easily cut by the wide cutters 2 even without precisely guiding the fruit stem 93 to the cutters 2. Accordingly, the fruit stem 93 can be easily cut by the wide cutters 2 even under relatively rough positioning control. As a result, the load on the robot arm 52 during control is reduced, and the success rate of harvesting the harvesting target 91 by the end-effector 1 can be further increased.

The end-effector 1 further includes the gripping mechanism 40. The gripping mechanism 40 is disposed in the base member 10 as the first member. The gripping mechanism 40 has a function to have the cut fruit stem 93 sandwiched and gripped between the moving member 20 and the receiving portion 213 when the fruit stem 93 is cut by the cutters 2 by moving the moving member 20 relative to the base member 10 to reduce the opening area of the passage portion 3.

According to this, the end-effector 1 can prevent the harvesting target 91 from falling from the end-effector 1 by gripping the cut fruit stem 93. As a result, the success rate of harvesting the harvesting target 91 by the end-effector 1 can be increased. Furthermore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the harvesting target 91 is damaged due to dropping and thus its commercial value decreases.

The gripping mechanism 40 is elastically movable with respect to the base member 10 that is the first member. The gripping mechanism 40 has the gripping member 41. The gripping member 41 has the grip portion 411 that comes into contact with the fruit stem 93 when gripping the fruit stem 93. The gripping member 41 protrudes toward the center of the passage portion 3 beyond the cutters 2 when no force is applied to the grip portion 411 and thus one surface of the cutters 2 are covered by the gripping member 41. In the present embodiment, the gripping member 41 protrudes in front of the cutters 2 when no force is applied to the grip portion 411, and covers the surface of the cutter 2 facing the cover member 13. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the operator's finger from touching the cutters 2 and from getting injured. As a result, it is possible to improve the safety for workers during work.

32 -

Further, when the gripping member 41 of the gripping mechanism 40 receives a force in a direction away from the center of the passage portion 3, the gripping member 41 moves in the direction away from the center of the passage portion 3 past the tip ends of the cutters 2. In the present embodiment, when the gripping member 41 receives a force in a backward direction of the end-effector 1, the grapping member 41 retracts in the backward direction past the tip ends of the cutters 2. As a result, the cutters 2 are exposed to an outside of the end-effector. Thereby, the end-effector 1 can reliably cut the fruit stem 93 by the cutters 2.

Here, when the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 hold the fruit stem 93, if the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 approach and contact each other, the fruit stem 93 would be crushed. The inventors of the present disclosure have found that water (fruit juice) leaks from the fruit stem 93 and, as a result the fruit stem 93 becomes slippery due to the water. When the fruit stem 93 becomes slippery, the fruit stem 93 slips off from a space between the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20, and thus the harvesting target 91 is likely to fall.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 are separated away from each other when the base member 10 and the moving member 20 relatively move and the opening area of the passage portion 3 is reduced to be a minimum size. That is, the grip portion 411 of the gripping member 41 of the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 of the annular member 21 of the moving member 20 are spaced away from each other with a gap having distance L1 as shown in FIG. 13 when the moving member 20 moves in a direction of approaching the base member 10 to the rear end of the motion region.

Accordingly, the end-effector 1 can prevent the fruit stem 93 from being crushed when the fruit stem 93 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20. As a result, water can be prevented from seeping out from the fruit stem 93 when gripping the fruit stem 93. As a result, it is possible to prevent the fruit stem 93 from slipping off from a space between the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 of the moving member 20 and from dropping the harvesting target 91.

-33-

The shapes of the harvesting targets 91, the main stems 92, and the fruit stems 93 are not the same since they are agricultural products. For example, a short fruit stem 93, that is, a short distance between the upper end of the harvesting target 91 and the main stem 92 is often seen. In this case, if the thickness dimension of the receiving portion 213 is large, the harvesting target 91 may be caught and damaged by the moving member 20 when the moving member 20 retracts toward the base member 10. On the other hand, when the thickness dimension of the receiving portion 213 is small, the area of the receiving portion 213 that contacts the fruit stem 93 becomes small. As a result, the gripping force for the fruit stem 93 is decreased and the possibility of falling the fruit stem 93 is increased.

Therefore, at least one of the gripping mechanism 40 and the receiving portion 213 disposed in the moving member 20 further includes the protruding portion 414 and 215 that protrude toward the center of the passage portion 3. In the present embodiment, the gripping member 41 of the gripping mechanism 40 has the gripping member-side protruding portion 414. Further, the annular member 21 of the moving member 20 has the moving member-side protruding portion 215 formed in the receiving portion 213. Accordingly, the end-effector 1 can make the moving member side-protruding portion 215 and the grasping member-side protruding portion 414 cut into the fruit stem 93 when gripping the fruit stem 93. As a result, the end-effector 1 can reliably grip the fruit stem 93.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the end- effector 1 can increase a gripping force to the fruit stem 93 as compared with an end-effector without the protrusions 414 and 215. Therefore, even if the thickness dimension of the receiving portion 213 is small (that is, thin), the gripping force necessary to grip the fruit stem 93 without dropping the harvesting target 91 can be secured. Thereby, even if the fruit stem 93 is short, the harvesting target 91 can be harvested without damaging it.

The motion mechanism 30 has a function of converting the rotational force of the motor 31 into a linear motion along the screw shaft 33 to linearly move the moving member 20. In this case, the motion mechanism 30 may have, e.g., a rack and pinion structure having a rack gear and a pinion gear. That is, the pinion gear is connected to the motor 31 and the rack gear is connected to the moving member

20. Then, the rotational force of the motor 31 is transmitted to the moving member 34 -

20 via the pinion gear and the rack gear.

However, in this configuration, the entire rack gear moves linearly with respect to the pinion gear as a reference.

For this reason, if the entire rack gear is to be housed inside the base member 10 in FIG. 1, the length of the base member 10 would be increased.

On the other hand, if the length of the base member 10 is reduced, the rack gear would protrude from the base member 10 when the rack gear moves.

Then, for example, when the end-effector 1 is attached to the robot arm 52, the end-effector 1 may be interfered and a variety of attachment ways may be limited.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the motion mechanism 30 is formed of, for example, a direct acting screw mechanism having the screw shaft 33 and the nut member 34. That is, in the present embodiment, the motion mechanism 30 has the screw shaft 33, the nut member 34, and the motor 31. The screw shaft 33 is rotatably disposed in the base member 10. The nut member 34 is connected to the moving member 20, and the screw shaft 33 is inserted into the nut member 34. The nut member 34 moves along the screw shaft 33 as the screw shaft 33 rotates.

The motor 31 rotates the screw shaft 33. Accordingly, since the screw shaft 33 itself does not move in the longitudinal direction of the end-effector 1, the length dimension of the end-effector 1 can be made small as much as possible.

Further, the screw shaft 33 and the like do not protrude from the base member 10 due to the movement of the motion mechanism 30. Therefore, when attaching the end-effector 1 to the robot arm 52, it is not necessary to consider the interference of the end-effector 1 with the robot arm 52. As a result, the end-effector 1 can be attached to the robot arm 52 in a flexible manner.

The manner of attaching the end-effector 1 to the robot arm 52 can be flexibly changed by changing the position, shape, etc. of the attaching member 15. In addition, in the present embodiment, the passage portion 3 is formed in a rectangular shape.

Accordingly, compared with a passage portion formed in a circle having a diameter in the width direction of the end-effector 1 in FIG. 1, the passage portion 3 formed in a rectangular shape can have a larger area.

That is, if the moving distance of the moving member 20 is the same, the rectangular area of the passage portion 3 can secure a larger area than the circular area.

Thereby, the harvesting target 91 can more reliably pass through the passage portion 3. As a result, the success rate of harvest can be further increased. -35-

The harvesting system 50 of this embodiment includes the visual device 51 and the robot arm 52. The visual device 51 is configured to obtain visual information including position information of the harvesting target 91. The end-effector 1 is attached to the robot arm 52. The harvesting system 50 also includes the target detecting section 61, the position information specifying section 62, the motion path generating section 63, the motion controlling section 64, and the cutting controlling section 65. The target detecting section 61 can execute the target detecting process. The target detecting process includes a process of detecting the harvesting target included in the visual information acquired by the visual device 51. The position information specifying section 62 can execute the position information specifying process. The position information specifying process includes a process of specifying the position of the harvesting target 91 including the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91 detected in the target detecting process. The motion path generating section 63 can execute the motion path generating process. The motion path generating process includes a process of generating the motion path R of the end-effector 1 from the start position Ps (Xs, Ys, Zs) below the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) of the harvesting target 91 to the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) above the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91.

The motion controlling section 64 can execute the motion controlling process. The motion controlling process includes a process of driving and controlling the robot arm 52 to move the end-effector 1 along the motion path R generated in the motion path generating process and to have the harvesting target 91 pass through the passage portion 3. The cutting controlling section 65 can execute the cutting process. The cutting process is executed after the harvesting target 91 has passed through the passage portion 3 in the motion controlling process. The cutting process includes a process of cutting the fruit stem 93 inserted into the passage portion 3 by operating the end-effector 1 to reduce the opening area of the passage portion 3.

Accordingly, the end-effector 1 can automatically harvest the harvesting target 91 hanging from the main stem 92 or a branch through the fruit stem 93 without damaging the main stem 92 and the harvesting target 91. Therefore, the -36 -

efficiency of harvesting work can be significantly improved.

The position information specifying section 62 is configured to specify the position of the harvesting target 91 without using position information of the fruit stem 93 connected to the harvesting target 91 during the position information specifying process. That is, the controller 60 does not execute a process of recognizing the fruit stem 93 when operating the robot arm 52 based on the visual information from the visual device 51. In other words, by using the end-effector 1, the fruit stem 93 can be accurately cut without performing the process of visually recognizing the fruit stem 93.

For example, if the harvesting target 91 has a curved shape as a whole and the end-effector 1 is moved linearly from the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) to the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91, the end-effector 1 may come into contact with the harvesting target 91 at a middle position. As a result, the harvesting target 91 may be damaged.

In addition, the position information specifying process executed by the position information specifying section 62 also includes a process that specifies the intermediate position Ph(X, Y) that is a middle position on the way from the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb) to the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) of the harvesting target 91. Then, the motion path generating process executed by the motion path generating section 63 further includes a process of generating the motion path R of the end-effector 1 so that the motion path R passes through the intermediate position Ph(X, Y, Z).

Accordingly, even if the harvesting target 91 has a curved shape as a whole, the motion path R can be set along the shape of the harvesting target 91. That is, according to the crop harvesting system 50, if the harvesting target 91 has a curved shape as a whole and the end-effector 1 is moved along the motion path R to the cutting position for cutting the fruit stem 93, the end-effector 1 can be more effectively prevented from contacting and damaging the harvesting target 91.

In addition, if the end-effector 1 is likely to contact the harvesting target 91 during movement of the end-effector 1, it is necessary to reduce the impact to the harvesting target 91 at the time of contact so as to reduce the damage to the harvesting target 91. In this case, it is necessary to slow down the moving speed of the end-effector 1, and as a result, the harvesting efficiency would be decreased.

37 -

On the contrary, according to the present embodiment, the above-described configuration makes it unlikely that the end-effector 1 comes into contact with the harvesting target 91 when the end-effector 1 is moving. Therefore, the moving speed of the end-effector 1 can be increased, and as a result, the efficiency of the harvesting work can be further improved.

In this case, the motion path generating process executed by the motion path generating section 63 includes a process of generating the motion path R by connecting the lower end position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb), the intermediate position Ph (X, Y, Z), and the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) with lines in this order. That is, in the present embodiment, the motion path R is formed of a plurality of straight lines that sequentially connect the positions Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb), Ph (X, Y, Z), and Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt).

Accordingly, the number of coordinate points to be recognized can be reduced as compared with, for example, a situation where the motion path R is generated along a curve of the harvesting target 91 to be a smooth curved line (that is, a situation where all trajectories are generated). Therefore, the processing load on the motion path generating section 63 when generating the motion path R can be significantly reduced. Thereby, the processing speed when generating the motion path R can be increased. That is, the crop harvesting system 50 can reduce a time between a timing the harvesting target 91 is recognized and a timing the robot arm 52 is actually operated after the motion path R is generated.

Further, compared to a situation where the motion path R is generated as a smooth curve, the moving distance of the end-effector 1 can be reduced when the motion path R is generated by sequentially connecting each position Pb (Xb, Yb, Zb), Ph (X,Y, Z), Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) with a plurality of straight lines. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the time required to move the end-effector 1 to the position where the fruit stem 93 can be cut (that is, the operation time of the robot arm 52) can be shortened. As a result, the operating speed of the harvesting system 50 can be increased and the operating period can be shortened. As a result, the speed of the harvesting work can be increased.

Note that, in the above embodiment, when moving along the motion path R, the end-effector 1 is maintained in a posture so that the plane direction of the passage portion 3 is in parallel with a horizontal direction as shown in FIGS. 18 to

22. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the - 38 -

harvesting system 50 may set a posture of the end-effector 1 during movement along the motion path R as follows.

The motion controlling process performed by the motion controlling section 64 may include a process of moving the end-effector 1 in a posture so that the plane direction of the passage portion 3 is perpendicular to the motion path R.

According to this, a large opening area of the passage portion 3 for the harvesting target 91 can be secured.

Therefore, for example, even when the harvesting target 91 has a curved shape that is curved relative to a vertical direction, the harvesting target 91 can easily pass through the passage portion 3 with a large opening area. (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 30 and 31. In the present embodiment, the motion path generating section 63 in the controller 60 further includes a process of correcting the motion path R in accordance with an inclination of the main stem 92 or the branch.

In this case, the controller 60 executes a correcting process at step S30 before executing step S17 of FIG. 30, and corrects, for example, the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze). In the correcting process, the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) are corrected so that the upper end position Pt (Xe, Ye, Ze) and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) keep a horizontal distance equal to or more than a predetermined distance D from the main stem 92. (Xt, Yt, Zt). In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 31, if the main stem 92 is inclined to rise as it goes in the positive direction of the Y coordinate, the controller 60 uses values, as corrected values, obtained by adding the distance D to the Y coordinate of the upper end position Pt (Xt, Yt, Zt) and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze). After that, the controller 60 generates, at step S17, the motion path R using the corrected values of the upper end position Pt(Xt, Yt, Zt) and the end position Pe(Xe, Ye, Ze) as with the first embodiment is performed.

Then, the controller 20 executes the processes of and after step S18. According to this embodiment, the motion path R generated using the corrected upper end position Pt(Xt, Yt, Zt) and the corrected end position Pe(Xe, Ye, Ze) is a path that is away from the main stem 92 in the horizontal direction from the -39-

upper end position Pt{Xt, Yt, Zt) and the end position Pe (Xe, Ye, Ze) by the predetermined distance D. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to more reliably prevent the damage to the main stem 92 caused by contact of the end-effector 1 with the main stem 92.

(Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 32.

The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the end-effector 1. The cutter 2 in the third embodiment are arranged in a range of half or less of the passage portion 3 in the width direction. In the present embodiment, the length dimension of the cutter 2 in the width direction of the passage portion 3 is about 1/4 of the entire width of the passage portion 3. The cutter 2 is disposed at the center of the passage portion 3 in the width direction. On the contrary, the guides 132 are disposed in a range of half or more in the width direction of the passage portion 3.

In this case, the base member 10 is the first member and the moving member 20 is the second member, as with the first embodiment. The base member 10 and the moving member 20 are formed in an annular shape including the cutter

2. Then, the passage portion 3 is formed therein through which a harvesting target 91 can pass.

Even with the above-mentioned configuration, the present embodiment also attains the same functions and effects as those of the above-described embodiments.

In this case, the dimension of the recess 131 in the width direction can be set to be larger than the outer diameter of the fruit stem 93 and smaller than a human finger, for example, 10 mm or less. Accordingly, the operator's finger can be prevented from entering the recess 131 and coming into contact with the cutter 2 and thus the safety can be further improved.

(Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 33.

In the present embodiment, the end-effector 1 includes a base member 10A instead of the base member 10 of each of the above embodiments and a moving member 20A instead of the moving member 20 of each of the above embodiments. The base member 10A is similar to the base member 10A in each of -40 -

the above embodiments. The moving member 20A is substantially the same as the moving member 20 in each of the above-described embodiments, but is different in that the cutter 2 is disposed in the annular member 21. The cutter 2 is disposed in the annular member 21 at a position facing the gripping mechanism 40. In this case, the cutter 2 is not disposed in the base member 10A. The cutter 2 moves toward and away from the base member 10 in accordance with the movement of the moving member 20A. In the present embodiment, the moving member 20A serves as a first member, and the base member 10A and the grip member 41A serve as a second member. Then, the moving member 20A, the base member 10A, and the gripping member 41A are formed in an annular shape including the cutter 2 and define the passage portion 3 in the annular shape through which the harvesting target 91 passes.

Even with the above-mentioned configuration, the present embodiment also attains the same function and effects as those of the above-described embodiments.

(Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 34 and

35. The end-effector 1 of the present embodiment has a base member 10B, a non-moving member 20B, a gripping mechanism 40B, and a gripping member 41B instead of the base member 10, the moving member 20, the gripping mechanism 40, and the gripping member 41 of the first to third embodiments. The base member 10A is similar to the base member 10 in each of the above embodiments. The non- moving member 20B is substantially the same as the moving member 20 in the first to third embodiments, but is different in that it is fixed to the base member 10B. Further, the gripping mechanism 40B and the gripping member 41B are substantially the same as the gripping mechanism 40 and the gripping member 41 in the first to third embodiments, except that they are movable relative to the base member 10.

That is, in the present embodiment, the annular member 21 is fixed to, for example, the holding member 11 of the base member 10A. For this reason, the annular member 21 is configured to be immovable relative to the base member 10A. On the other hand, the gripping mechanism 40B is configured to be movable relative -41-

to the base member 10.

Further, in the present embodiment, the motion mechanism 30 has a linear motion actuator 39 instead of the motor 31, the bearings 32, the screw shaft 33, and the nut member 34. The linear actuator 39 is an actuator that drives in a linear direction, and is, for example, an air or electric cylinder, a linear slider, or the like. The linear actuator 39 is disposed between the front holding member 11 and the rear holding member 12.

The linear motion actuator 39 has a drive shaft 391 and an end member

392. The end member 392 is disposed at a tip end of the drive shaft 381 and moves in the front-rear direction in accordance with motion of the drive shaft 391. The gripping mechanism 40B is connected to the drive shaft 391 via the end member

392. Then, as shown in FIGS. 34 and 35, the gripping mechanism 40B moves in the front-rear direction of the end-effector 1, that is, in the front-rear direction of the passage portion 3 as the drive shaft 391 moves forward and backward. In this case, the end member 392 has a sliding groove 393 that corresponds to the sliding groove 111 of the holding member 11. The sliding portion 412 of the gripping member 41 is slidable along the sliding groove 393.

The cutter 2 is disposed in the gripping mechanism 40B. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the gripping member 41B of the gripping mechanism 40B serves as a first member having the cutter 2 for cutting the fruit stem 93. Further, in this case, the base member 10 and the non-moving member 20B serve as a second member that is movable relative to the gripping member 41B of the gripping mechanism 40B. In the present embodiment, the gripping member 41B, which is the first member, moves with respect to the base member 10B and the annular member 21B, which constitute the second member. Then, the holding member 41B and the non-moving member 20B are formed in an annular shape including the cutter 2 and define the passage portion 3 inside the annular shape through which the harvesting target 91 can pass.

Accordingly, the same effect as that of each of the above-described embodiments can be also obtained with that structure. (Other embodiments) The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments that have been described above and illustrated in the drawings, but can arbitrarily be modified, -42 -

combined, or expanded without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

The numerical values and the like shown in the embodiments described above are examples, and are not limited to those examples.

Although the present disclosure has been described in accordance with the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and structures disclosed therein.

The present disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within an equivalent range.

Furthermore, various combinations and formations, and other combinations and formations including one or more than one or less than one element may be included in the scope and the spirit of the present disclosure. -43 -

Claims

CONCLUSIONS:

An end effector (1) for crop harvesting, the end effector being configured to cut a fruit stem (93) from a crop target (91) suspended from a main stem (92) or a branch, the end effector comprising: a first part (10, 20A, 41) having a cutter (2) for cutting the fruit stalk; a second part (20, 41A) configured to be movable relative to the first part; and a movement mechanism (30) configured to move the second part relative to the first part, wherein at least one of the first part and the second part is formed in an annular shape including the cutter, the at least one of the first part and the second part defines a passage portion (3) in the ring shape to allow the harvesting target to pass through the passage portion, and the movement mechanism is configured to cut the fruit stem introduced into the passage portion through the second part with respect to the moving the first part to reduce an opening area of the passage portion and sandwiching the fruit stem between the second part and the cutter.

The crop harvesting end effector of claim 1, wherein the second member is formed in a ring shape with a material having stiffness.

The crop harvesting end effector of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutter is formed over half or more of the passage portion in a width direction of the end effector.

The crop harvesting end effector of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a gripping mechanism (40) disposed within the first member, wherein 44 -

the gripping mechanism is configured to grip the fruit stem by stapling the fruit stem between the gripping mechanism and a receiver of the second part when the fruit stem is cut by the cutter.

The crop harvesting end effector of claim 4, wherein the gripping mechanism is configured to be elastically movable relative to the first member and includes a gripping portion that grips the fruit stem, the gripping mechanism is configured to protrude by an elastic force , toward a center of the passage portion beyond the cutter to cover a surface of the cutter when a force is not applied to the grip portion, and the gripping mechanism is configured to move, against the elastic force, away from the center of the passage portion along a tip end of the cutter to expose the cutter when a force is applied to the gripping portion in a direction away from the center of the passage portion.

The crop harvesting end effector of claim 5, wherein the gripping mechanism and the receiver are removed from each other when the second member moves relative to the first member and when the opening area of the passage portion is reduced to a minimum size.

The crop harvesting end effector of claim 5 or 6, wherein at least one of the gripping mechanism and the receiver further includes a projection (215, 414) projecting toward the center of the passageway portion.

The crop harvesting end effector of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the movement mechanism comprises: 45 -

a screw shaft (33) rotatably disposed in the first part; a nut (34) coupled to the second part, the screw shaft being inserted into the nut; and a motor (31) configured to rotate the propeller shaft, the nut being configured to move along the propeller shaft in accordance with rotation of the propeller shaft.

The crop harvesting end effector of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the passage portion has a rectangular shape.

A harvesting system comprising: a robotic arm (52) having an end effector for harvesting crop according to any one of claims 1 to 9; a visual device (51) configured to obtain visual information including position information of the harvesting target; a harvest target detection section (61) configured to perform a harvest target detection process to detect the harvest target contained in the visual information obtained by the visual device; a position information specifying section (62) configured to perform a position specifying process to specify a position including a distal end position (Pb) and a proximal end position (Pt) of the harvesting target detected during the harvesting target detection process; a motion path generating section (63) configured to perform a motion path generating process to generate a motion path (R) of the end effector from an outside of the distal end position to an outside of the proximal end position of the harvesting target; a motion control section configured to perform a motion control process to move the end effector along the motion path generated during the motion path generating process to direct the harvest target through the passage portion by controlling the -46 -

robotic arm; and a cutting control section configured to, after the harvest target passed through the passage portion during the motion controlling process, perform a cutting process to cut the fruit stem inserted into the passage portion by controlling the end effector to reduce the opening area of the passage portion .

The harvesting system of claim 10, wherein the position information specifying section is configured to specify the position of the harvest target during the position specifying process without using position information of the fruit stem associated with the harvest target.

The harvesting system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the position information specifying section is further configured to specify an intermediate position (Ph) between the distal end position and the proximal end position during the position specifying process, and the motion path generating section is further configured to motion path during the motion path generating process so that the motion path passes through the intermediate position.

The harvesting system of claim 12, wherein the motion path generating section is further configured to generate the motion path during the motion path generating process by connecting the distal end position, the intermediate position, and the proximal end position with straight lines.

The harvesting system of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the motion path generating section is further configured to correct the motion path in accordance with an inclination of the main stem or the branch. 47 -