Fruit harvesting apparatus

A harvesting apparatus for automatically removing fruit from its growth source, comprising;

• a harvesting hand including catch means for catching fruit by means of a vaccuum, removal means for removing the fruit caught by said catch means, drive means for varying a relative position of said catch means and said removal means between a first position in which said catch means is disposed closer than said removal means is to the fruit and a second position in which said removal means is closer than said catch means is to the fruit, and an articulated arm assembly,
• image pickup means for picking up an image of fruit to be harvested, and
• control means for guiding said harvesting hand to the fruit in response to information provided by said image pickup means such that said catch means approaches the fruit at a lateral side thereof,
• wherein said first position is a position for a guide operation with respect to the fruit and said second position is a position for a fruit removal operation.