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US 2021/0337733 A1Published application
Improved method and apparatus for automatically picking a fruit
AssigneeOctinion BVBA
InventorsPieter DONDEYNE, Dries GIELIS, Tom COEN
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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
-24. (canceled)
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 is controlled by the drive such that their mutual distance does not increase, even when a force exceeding the specific maximum clamping force is exerted on one or more of the fingers.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.