OPTIMIZATION DESIGN OF FRUIT PICKING END-EFFECTOR BASED ON ITS GRASPING MODEL.

The development of intelligent fruit harvesting robots is important in improving agricultural production. In this paper, we initiated the R&D of a mechanical end-effector for fruit harvesting on the basis of the intelligence of agricultural robots. First, we provided a detailed description of the hardware components and software control of the mechanical end-effector, analyzed the mechanism of servo controlling and established a mathematical modelling of the mechanical end-effector junctions by analyzing the harvesting movement. Thereafter, the coordinates of the target fruits are disassembled and analyzed in the context of the mathematical model for precise locating and harvesting. Finally, a trail experiment of harvesting kiwifruit was conducted. The outcome implies that each module in the harvesting robot system functions well. The proposed mathematical modelling method and servo control can provide accurate harvesting movements to the mechanical end-effector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]