Method and apparatus for automatically picking a fruit
AssigneesOctiva Belgium BV, Octiva Group B.V.
InventorsPieter Dondeyne, Dries Gielis, Tom Coen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for automatically picking a fruit is described. During the clamping stage, the movement of the fingers is controlled such that a specific maximum clamping force is not exceeded. In addition, during at least a part of the removal stage, the mutual position of the fingers is controlled by the drive such that their mutual distance does not increase.
Claims25
A method for automatically picking a fruit from a plant using an apparatus comprising a gripper mechanism comprising two or more mutually movable fingers, the method comprising:
- an approach stage wherein the gripper mechanism is put into a clamping position, wherein the fingers are positioned next to the fruit to be picked for a subsequent clamping of the fruit to be picked;
- a clamping stage wherein, while the gripper mechanism is in the clamping position, the fingers are mutually moved towards the fruit to be picked until they clamp the fruit;
- and
- a removal stage wherein the fruit clamped in the fingers is removed from the plant,
- wherein during the clamping stage, the fingers are moved such that a specific maximum clamping force is not exceeded;
- and
- during at least a part of the removal stage, the mutual position of the fingers with respect to each other is controlled by one or more selective blocking elements of a drive such that a distance between the fingers does not increase, even when a force exceeding the specific maximum clamping force is exerted on one or more of the fingers;
- wherein the one or more selective blocking elements are separate from the drive and arranged to be selectively activated and deactivated;
- and
- wherein, upon activation, the one or more selective blocking elements selectively prevent movement of the fingers, and wherein upon deactivation, the one or more selective blocking elements are arranged to permit movement of the fingers.
An apparatus for automatically picking a fruit from a plant, the apparatus comprising a gripper mechanism comprising two or more mutually movable fingers and a drive,
- wherein the drive comprises a force determining drive element that is configured such that, during a clamping stage, the fingers are moved such that a specific maximum clamping force is not exceeded;
- and a position determining drive element that is configured such that, during at least a part of a removal stage, the mutual position of the fingers with respect to each other is controlled by one or more selective blocking elements of the drive such that a distance between the fingers does not increase, even when a force exceeding the specific maximum clamping force is exerted on one or more of the fingers;
- wherein the one or more selective blocking elements are separate from the drive and configured to be selectively activated and deactivated;
- and
- wherein, upon activation, the one or more selective blocking elements selectively prevent movement of the fingers, and wherein upon deactivation, the one or more selective blocking elements are arranged to permit movement of the fingers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.