JP2548829B2 - Fruit and vegetable harvester guidance device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention relates to a hand provided with a vacuum pad for adsorbing a work target, and guiding the hand to move the vacuum pad closer toward the work target. The present invention relates to a guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvester provided with a control means for

[Conventional technology]

In the guidance device of the fruit and vegetable harvesting machine of this kind, for example, in a state where the hand is positioned at the initial position for starting the approach to the work target, the image information imaged by the imaging means provided in the hand is imaged. The processing is performed to determine the direction in which the work target is located, and the hand is guided in the determined direction.

However, there is a case where an error occurs in the guiding direction and the work target cannot be properly captured. Therefore, conventionally, when the work target cannot be captured, for example, when the hand is returned to the set distance front side with respect to the work target, the hand is temporarily stopped and re-imaged, and the re-imaged image information is image-processed. To detect the guiding direction again and guide the hand in that direction.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional technique, in order to re-guide the hand when the work target cannot be captured due to an error in the guidance direction, the hand is returned from the work target to the set distance front side, temporarily stopped, and re-imaged at that position. Must be processed to detect the guiding direction again. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the re-guidance of the hand cannot be started until the guidance direction is re-detected, and the work efficiency decreases.

An object of the present invention is, in order to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, when an error occurs in the guiding direction of the hand, the hand is guided while correcting the guiding direction by detecting the error during the guidance to the work target. By doing so, it is an object to obtain a guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvester that can perform reliable guidance while suppressing a decrease in work efficiency as much as possible.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve this object, the characteristic configuration of the guide device of the fruit and vegetable harvester according to the present invention is such that the vacuum pad is provided in a state in which the vacuum pad is changeable with respect to the hand body and is biased to return to the set direction. Detection means for detecting the orientation of the vacuum pad with respect to the hand body is provided, and the control means sets the vacuum pad in the set orientation based on the information of the detection means during the approach movement of the vacuum pad to the work target. It is configured to guide while correcting the position of the hand in the direction in which the direction has been changed.

[Work]

Since the vacuum pad is biased toward the set direction with respect to the hand body, the direction of the vacuum pad is in the direction in which the hand approaches the work target at the time of starting the approach movement to the work target. When the hand is guided toward the work target and the vacuum pad moves close to the work target and touches it, if there is an error in the guiding direction, the edge of the vacuum pad will touch the work target,
The orientation of the vacuum pad with respect to the hand body is changed.

Therefore, by guiding the vacuum pad in the direction in which the direction of the vacuum pad is changed from the set direction while correcting the position of the hand, the guiding direction for the work target can be made accurate. At this time, it is not necessary to perform re-imaging processing and the like, and the guidance can be continued as it is.

〔The invention's effect〕

Therefore, when an error occurs in the guiding direction of the hand during the guidance for moving the vacuum pad closer to the work target, the error can be detected and corrected, and the guidance can be performed while reducing the work efficiency. It is possible to perform reliable guidance while suppressing as much as possible.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an example when the present invention is applied to a guide device of a fruit harvester will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 5, a boom (2) is attached to a vehicle body (V) provided with a pair of left and right traveling wheels (1) at the front and rear so as to be vertically driven and pivotally driven, and the tip of the boom (2) is attached. An auxiliary boom (3) is swingably driven in the horizontal direction, and a working manipulator (4) equipped with a fruit harvesting hand (H) is provided at the tip of the auxiliary boom (3). Is attached to.

In the figure, (5) is a boom lifting hydraulic cylinder,
(6) is a boom swing hydraulic cylinder, and (7) is an auxiliary boom swing hydraulic cylinder.

The working manipulator (4) comprises an articulated telescopic arm (8) and a hand (H) attached to the tip of the telescopic arm (8).

The telescopic arm (8) is an electric motor (9a).
Is rotated around the vertical axis (Y), is oscillated around the horizontal axis (X) by the electric motor (9b), and is expanded and contracted by the electric motor (9c). It is configured.

The hand (H) will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a vacuum pad (10) for adsorbing a fruit (F) as a work target is attached to its tip, and a fruit (F) adsorbed to a suction port (10a) of the vacuum pad (10). And a handle cutting device (1) for cutting the handle part case (12) for covering the container and the handle part of the fruit (F) taken in the catcher case (12) in a vertically sandwiched state.
3) and are provided.

Adding a description of the vacuum pad (10), as shown in FIG. 1 (a), the vacuum pad (10) is formed in a bellows shape, and the direction thereof can be freely changed with respect to the ventilation pipe (11) as the hand body. Is configured. Further, the suction port (10a) at the tip portion is urged to return to the front. In addition, a frame (20) movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the ventilation pipe (11), an air cylinder (21) for moving the frame (20) in and out, and a frame (20). On the other hand, three connecting rods (22) inserted so as to be movable in the front-rear direction are respectively provided. The respective frame bodies (20) are arranged at 120 ° intervals on the same circumference. The tip (22a) of the connecting rod (22) is urged forward by the spring (23), and the tip (22a) is attached to the suction port (10a). As a result, the vacuum pad (10), that is, the suction port (10a) at the tip of the vacuum pad (10) is urged to return to the front as the set direction, and further the three air cylinders (21) are simultaneously withdrawn and retracted, thereby sucking the suction port (10a). It can be moved in and out of the ventilation pipe (11) in a state where it is directed forward.

By the way, when imaging fruits with the image sensor (S ₁ ) described below or releasing harvested fruits, each air cylinder (21) is retired as shown in Fig. 1 (b),
When the suction operation of the fruit is performed, each air cylinder (21) is projected as shown in FIG.

In the figure, (S ₄ ) is a photoelectric sensor for individually detecting that the connecting rod (22) has moved backward with respect to the frame body (20), and is for the ventilation pipe (11) of the vacuum pad (10). It corresponds to the detecting means for detecting the direction.

The trap case (12) is retracted to the rear side of the hand so as not to interfere with the approach until the vacuum pad (10) adsorbs the fruit (F), and the vacuum pad (10) causes the fruit ( After adsorbing F),
In order to project the sucked fruit (F) to the front side of the hand so as to cover it, it is externally fitted to and supported by the ventilation pipe (11) of the vacuum pad (10) so as to be able to move forward and backward.

The ventilation pipe (11) is connected to a suction pump (17) mounted on the vehicle body (V) side by a bellows type hose (14) (see FIG. 5).

The handle cutting device (13) presses and supports the handle (13a) of a clipper type for cutting the handle of the fruit (F) and the handle (13a) of the handle of the fruit (F) from below. It comprises a handle support member (13b).

However, although not described in detail, the hand (H) has a harvesting operation such as an actuator for moving the catching case (12) in and out and an actuator for driving the handle cutting device (13). Various pneumatic actuators, negative pressure sensor (S ₃ ) (see FIG. 2) that detects that fruit (F) is adsorbed to the vacuum pad (10), and the retreat position of the trap case (12) Various sensors such as a sensor for detection and a sensor for detecting the drive state of the handle cutting device (13) will be provided.

In FIG. 1 (a), (S ₁ ) is a color type image sensor for picking up the fruit (F) located in the direction in which the working hand (H) is facing, and (S ₂ ) is the working object. A reflection type proximity sensor using infrared light for detecting that a hand (H) has approached a target fruit (F) within a set distance, and both sensors (S ₁ ) and (S ₂ ) are It is provided inside the vacuum pad (10) so as not to disturb the approach and fruit harvest. Also, (15)
Is an illumination device for illuminating the front side of the work hand (H) with a set light amount in synchronization with the image pickup process of the image sensor (S ₁ ), and is generally used by a so-called strobe light emitting device. Will be done.

Then, the trap case (12) is retracted to the rear side of the hand to suck the suction port (10a) of the vacuum pad (10).
The work hand (H) is positioned at an approach start position as a preset initial position in a state where the fruit (F) is projected to the front side of the capturing part case (12), and the fruit (F ) Is image-processed by the image sensor (S ₁ ) in the direction in which the position) is located, and the approach direction as the guiding direction of the working hand (H) is determined based on the image-processed information of the captured image information. I have decided.

After the approach direction is determined, each of the electric motors (9a), (9b) (9) is moved so that the working hand (H) moves linearly in the determined approach direction.
When the proximity sensor (S ₂ ) senses the fruit (F) while activating c), the vacuum pad (1
0) is suctioned to adsorb the target fruit (F),
Then, the catching case (12) is projected, and the fruit (F) is taken inside the catching case (12), and then the handle is cut and harvested.

However, after the proximity sensor (S ₂ ) is activated, the hand (H) is moved by the set distance at which the proximity sensor (S ₂ ) is activated,
If the negative pressure sensor (S ₃ ) does not operate while moving to the front side, it is determined that the harvest has failed, and the set distance is changed from the position retracted to the front side to the detection information of the photoelectric sensor (S ₄ ). Based on this, the vacuum pad (10) corrects the position of the hand (H) by a predetermined distance in the direction in which the direction is changed from the front direction and re-approaches.

By the way, the direction of the vacuum pad (10) is, for example, in the direction when only one of the photoelectric sensors (S ₄ ) is ON, and in the direction between the two photoelectric sensors (S ₄ ) when two are ON. It has been decided that each direction has been changed.

Next, the direction in which the fruit (F) is located, that is, the approach direction of the hand (H) is obtained based on the imaged image information by the image sensor (S ₁ ) and the detection information of the photoelectric sensor (S ₄ ). ) Will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, an image processing means (100) for performing image processing on the imaged image information by the image sensor (S ₁ ) to obtain the direction in which the fruit (F) to be harvested is located, and the image processing means (100) 100) based on the information of each hydraulic cylinder (5), (6), (7) and each electric motor (9a),
(9b), (9c) by controlling each, to control the hand (H) from the approach start position toward the fruit (F) to be harvested control means (101) constituting a control device using a microcomputer. (16) is provided, and the control device (16) has the sensors (S ₁ ), (S ₂ ), (S ₃ ),
(S ₄ ), the air cylinder (21), the hydraulic cylinders (5), (6), (7) and the electric motors (9a),
(9b) and (9c) are connected.

Next, the operation of the control device (16) will be described based on the flow chart shown in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the hand (H) is set at a preset approach start position, and imaging processing is performed in a state where all the air cylinders (21) are retracted. By performing image processing, a specific color area (F ₁ ) corresponding to the color of the fruit (F) and a highlight area (F ₂ ) in which the brightness is larger than the set value in the specific color area (F ₁ ). , (4) (a) and (b) for obtaining the highlight area (F ₂ ) and the center of gravity (W ₂ ).

Then, based on the size of the highlight region (F ₂ ), the hand (H) is moved so as to move toward the direction in which the center of gravity (W ₂ ) of the largest size is located. The approach direction will be determined and the telescopic arm (8) will be extended. At this time, all the air cylinders (21) are made to project.

After the extension of the telescopic arm (8) is started, whether or not the hand (H) has approached the fruit to be harvested (F) to the set distance front side based on the information of the proximity sensor (S ₂ ). Is determined, the extension speed of the telescopic arm (8) is switched to a low speed as the distance approaches the set distance, the suction operation of the vacuum pad (10) is started, and the negative pressure sensor (S ₃ ) Move the hand (H) to the fruit side until it turns ON.

When the negative pressure sensor (S ₃ ) is turned on and fruit adsorption is detected, the telescopic arm (8) is stopped and the harvesting operation is started.

However, if the negative pressure sensor (S ₃ ) does not operate during the movement of the set distance after the proximity sensor (S ₂ ) turns ON, it is determined that the harvest has failed. At this time, if at least one of the photoelectric sensors (S ₄ ) is ON as shown in FIG. 1 (C), the hand (H) is once moved to the position where the proximity sensor (S ₂ ) is ON. After returning, the position of the hand (H) is corrected and re-approached as described above (see FIG. 1 (d)). If none of the photoelectric sensors (S ₄ ) are ON, it is determined that harvesting is impossible and the hand (H) is returned to the approach start position.

When the fruit can be harvested by the first approach or the re-approach, the working hand (H) is moved to the approach while holding the fruit (F) whose handle is cut in the catching case (12). After returning to the starting position, the fruit (F) will be discharged.

After discharging the harvested fruits (F), whether the work is completed based on the number of specific color areas (F ₁ ) and highlight areas (F ₂ ) extracted from the first captured image information at the approach start position. If it is not the end of the work, the work hand (H) is reset to the approach start position to perform the imaging process, and the approach direction and approach order for the remaining fruit (F) are determined. do it,
Each process for guiding the work hand (H) toward the determined approach direction is repeated.

[Another embodiment]

In the above examples, the case where the present invention is applied to the guiding device of the fruit harvesting working machine is illustrated, but the present invention can be applied to various fruit and vegetable working machines, such as a vegetable harvesting machine for tomatoes and the like. Therefore, the specific configuration of each part such as the specific configuration of the hand (H) can be changed in various ways.

It should be noted that reference numerals are added to the claims for convenience of the drawing, but the present invention is not limited to the structure of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of a guiding device for a fruit and vegetable harvesting machine according to the present invention. FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d) are explanatory views of the operation of the hand, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control configuration, and FIG. Is a flow chart of control operation, FIGS. 4 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views of image processing, and FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the harvester. (10) …… vacuum pad, (101) …… control means,
(H) …… Hand, (S ₄ ) …… Detection means.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Suzuki 64, Ishizukita-cho, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture Kubota Sakai Factory (56) References JP-A-2-152780 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vacuum pad (1) for adsorbing a work target.
0) equipped with a hand (H) and a control means (101) for guiding the hand (H) so as to move the vacuum pad (10) toward the work target. A guide device for a machine, wherein the vacuum pad (10) is provided in a state where the vacuum pad (10) is changeable with respect to the hand body and is biased to return to a set direction. A detection means (S ₄ ) for detecting is provided, and the control means (101) is based on the information of the detection means (S ₄ ) during the movement of the vacuum pad (10) toward the work target. A guidance device for a fruit and vegetable harvester, which is configured to guide the hand (H) while correcting the position thereof from the set direction of the vacuum pad (10).