# US 12,004,451 B2 · Autonomous crop harvester > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,451 B2 - Document ID: US12004451B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/282,995 - Filed: 2019-10-03 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-08 - Assignees: Advanced Farm Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Advanced Farm Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Cedric Jeanty; Carl Allendorph; Marc Grossman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004451B2 ## CPC - A01D 46/30: Robotic devices for individually picking crops - B65G 47/90: Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials - B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels} - B25J 9/0087: {Dual arms (double SCARA arms B25J9/043)} - B25J 9/04: by rotating at least one arm, excluding the head movement itself, e.g. cylindrical coordinate type or polar coordinate type - B25J 15/0061: {mounted on a modular gripping structure} - B25J 15/0226: {actuated by cams} - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - B65G 41/00: Supporting frames or bases for conveyors as a whole, e.g. transportable conveyor frames - B65G 47/902: {provided with drive systems incorporating rotary and rectilinear movements} - B65G 47/91: incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers - B65G 47/914: {provided with drive systems incorporating rotary and rectilinear movements} - A01D 46/253: Portable motorised fruit pickers - B65G 2201/0211: Fruits and vegetables - B65G 2203/041: Camera - B65G 2203/042: Sensors - B65G 2207/40: Safety features of loads, equipment or persons - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract Systems and methods capable of selecting and positively grasping objects of interest within a cluttered environment are described. Some aspects of the present disclosure provide for real-time control of a robot that uses various sensors and reacts to sensor input in real time to adjust the robots path. In some embodiments, a robotic item picker includes an end effector having a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, a carriage configured to rotate about and translate along an intermediate portion of the shaft between a proximal position and a distal position, a suction device coupled to the distal end of the shaft, and a plurality of fingers spaced radially about the carriage. The robot may be a t-bot including a longitudinal member rotatable about a lengthwise axis of the longitudinal member, a carriage translatable along the lengthwise axis, and a radial member slidably mounted to the carriage. The end effector may be rotatably coupled at a distal end of the radial member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An end effector for a picking robot, the end effector comprising: a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end; a carriage configured to rotate about and translate along an intermediate portion of the shaft between a proximal position and a distal position; a suction device coupled to the distal end of the shaft; and a plurality of fingers spaced radially about the carriage, each finger coupled to the carriage by a hinge and extending distally from the carriage, the plurality of fingers configured to envelop the intermediate portion of the shaft when the carriage is in the proximal position, the plurality of fingers further configured to envelop a target object space comprising the distal end of the shaft and the suction device when the carriage is in the distal position; wherein the suction device comprises at least one sensor configured to detect the presence of an object within the target space, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a linear position sensor or a 3D force sensor, wherein the object within the target object space is tethered to a stationary object, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect a direction at which the object is tethered to the stationary object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the suction device is configured to apply a vacuum to the target object space when the carriage is in the proximal position and in the distal position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the suction device is a distal-most portion of the end effector when the carriage is in the proximal position, and wherein the plurality of fingers are the distal-most portion of the end effector when the carriage is in the distal position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers do not envelop the distal end of the shaft when the carriage is in the proximal position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers are configured to envelop an object within the target object space when the carriage is in the distal position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fingers is configured to rotate about the hinge toward the longitudinal axis of the shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The end effector of claim 6, wherein a volume of the target object space decreases when each of the plurality of fingers rotates toward the longitudinal axis of the shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the carriage is rotationally fixed about the shaft, and wherein the shaft is rotatably mounted within the end effector such that the carriage is rotatable by rotating the shaft about the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the shaft comprises a collar extending radially outward about the distal end of the shaft, wherein each finger comprises a finger extension extending radially inward toward the longitudinal axis at a proximal end of the finger, and wherein, as the carriage moves from the proximal position towards the distal position, the finger extension is configured to contact the collar before the carriage reaches the distal position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The end effector of claim 9, wherein movement of the carriage to the distal position following contact of each finger extension with the collar causes each finger to rotate about the hinge toward the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The end effector of claim 9, wherein movement of the carriage to the distal position following contact of each finger extension with the collar causes the volume of the target object space to decrease. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein each finger comprises a force sensor configured to detect a force exerted between the finger and an object within the target object space. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The end effector of claim 12, wherein the force exerted between the finger and the object comprises at least one of a normal force and a shear force. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the suction device further comprises a vacuum sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, further comprising a camera coupled to the end effector and processing circuitry configured to detect target objects based at least in part on images obtained from the camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The end effector of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine target object locations with respect to a coordinate system based at least in part on the images obtained from the camera. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The end effector of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to share at least one of image data and target object location data with processing circuitry associated with a second end effector. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the suction device is a suction cup comprising a collapsible bellows. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The end effector of claim 1, wherein the end effector is coupled to a picking robot of a movable harvester. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The end effector of claim 19, wherein the harvester further comprises a LIDAR system configured to guide the harvester along a path parallel to a furrow of an agricultural field based on detection of at least a portion of a profile of the furrow. ### Claim 21 An end effector for a picking robot, the end effector comprising: a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft comprising a collar extending radially outward about the distal end of the shaft; a carriage configured to rotate about and translate along an intermediate portion of the shaft between a proximal position and a distal position; a suction device coupled to the distal end of the shaft; and a plurality of fingers spaced radially about the carriage, each finger coupled to the carriage by a hinge and extending distally from the carriage, the plurality of fingers configured to envelop the intermediate portion of the shaft when the carriage is in the proximal position, the plurality of fingers further configured to envelop a target object space comprising the distal end of the shaft and the suction device when the carriage is in the distal position, each finger comprising a finger extension extending radially inward toward the longitudinal axis at a proximal end of the finger; wherein, as the carriage moves from the proximal position towards the distal position, the finger extension is configured to contact the collar before the carriage reaches the distal position. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The end effector of claim 21, wherein movement of the carriage to the distal position following contact of each finger extension with the collar causes each finger to rotate about the hinge toward the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The end effector of claim 21, wherein movement of the carriage to the distal position following contact of each finger extension with the collar causes the volume of the target object space to decrease. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The end effector of claim 21, wherein the suction device is configured to apply a vacuum to the target object space when the carriage is in the proximal position and in the distal position. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The end effector of claim 21, wherein the suction device is a distal-most portion of the end effector when the carriage is in the proximal position, and wherein the plurality of fingers are the distal-most portion of the end effector when the carriage is in the distal position.