Development of an integrated 3R end-effector with a cartesian manipulator for pruning apple trees

Zahid, Azlan; Mahmud, Sultan; He, Long; Choi, Daeun; Heinemann, P.; Schupp, James R.

doi:10.1016/j.compag.2020.105837

Cited by 38 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The manipulator developed by Zahid et al (2020) was able to successfully cut small branches out of apple trees, while the one introduced by Botterill et al (2016) was not as successful. Although these two manipulators were intended for cutting branches of different tree types, the grapevine pruner presented issues concerning cable tangling and connection failures.…”

Section: Pruning Manipulatorsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0143-991X.htm environment where objects are uniform, and the workspace constraints are controllable, an agricultural environment is dynamic since the fruits, vegetables and plants vary in shape, sizes and color (Zahid et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many agricultural tasks require long working hours during harvesting periods and can become physically intense (Jensen et al , 2012; Wang et al , 2018; Zahid et al , 2020; Hayashi et al , 2010), and manual operations, such as in greenhouses, can account for up to 50% of total production costs (Ferreira, 2017; Cámara-Zapata et al , 2019). Furthermore, a large part of these costs come from manual tomato harvesting, which requires 700 to 1400 h yr −1 ha −1 (Ferreira, 2017; Cámara-Zapata et al , 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators

Tinoco

Silva

Santos

et al. 2021

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Purpose The motivation for robotics research in the agricultural field has sparked in consequence of the increasing world population and decreasing agricultural labor availability. This paper aims to analyze the state of the art of pruning and harvesting manipulators used in agriculture. Design/methodology/approach A research was performed on papers that corresponded to specific keywords. Ten papers were selected based on a set of attributes that made them adequate for review. Findings The pruning manipulators were used in two different scenarios: grapevines and apple trees. These manipulators showed that a light-controlled environment could reduce visual errors and that prismatic joints on the manipulator are advantageous to obtain a higher reach. The harvesting manipulators were used for three types of fruits: strawberries, tomatoes and apples. These manipulators revealed that different kinematic configurations are required for different kinds of end-effectors, as some of these tools only require movement in the horizontal axis and others are required to reach the target with a broad range of orientations. Originality/value This work serves to reduce the gap in the literature regarding agricultural manipulators and will support new developments of novel solutions related to agricultural robotic grasping and manipulation.

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Section: Pruning Manipulatorsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators

Tinoco

Silva

Santos

et al. 2021

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“…The end-effector is an integral component of a robotic pruning system equipped with a cutting tool operated by an appropriate mechanism to perform the cutting action (Zahid et al, 2021a). Researchers have developed pruning end-effectors using different cutting mechanisms, such as a saw disc (Botterill et al, 2017) and shear blades (Zahid et al, 2020b). For robotic pruning, the shear blades were more successful than a saw disc and delivered smooth cuts (Zahid et al, 2020b) essential for tree pruning to avoid negatively affecting the healing process.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers have developed pruning end-effectors using different cutting mechanisms, such as a saw disc (Botterill et al, 2017) and shear blades (Zahid et al, 2020b). For robotic pruning, the shear blades were more successful than a saw disc and delivered smooth cuts (Zahid et al, 2020b) essential for tree pruning to avoid negatively affecting the healing process. A compact robotic cutter is essential for successful operation (Zahid et al, 2021b), which requires the selection of appropriate cutter system components.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An Apple Tree Branch Pruning Analysis

Zahid

Mahmud

et al. 2022

hortte

Self Cite

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ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. automated pruning, branch cutting, branch diameter, cutting angle, Malus ×domestica, pruning end-effector, pruning force, pruning torque, robotic pruning SUMMARY. The torque required to cut branches is an important parameter for designing a robotic end-effector for pruning apple (Malus ×domestica) trees. In this study, the branch cutting torque was measured because it is important for the future development of a robotic pruning end-effector. To measure the branch cutting torque, a force-measuring sensor was integrated with a manual shear pruner. An inertial measurement unit sensor was also used to monitor the angle between the shear blades and the branch. Field tests were conducted for 'Fuji', 'Gala', 'Honeycrisp', and 'Golden Delicious' trees, and the cutting torque was calculated for different branch diameters. The results indicated that the branch diameter is one of the most important factors influencing the pruning torque requirements for all tested cultivars. The statistical tests (0.05 significance) revealed that the pruning torque varies significantly for different branch diameters ranging from 6 to 20 mm. It was found that the cutting torque required for the 'Honeycrisp' branches was significantly lower than that for 'Gala', 'Fuji', and 'Golden Delicious' branches. 'Gala' branches had the highest torque requirements. To cut branches of 'Fuji' trees, the required cutting torque for branches placed at the cutter center was higher compared with the cutter pivot. The statistical tests indicated that the difference in required cutting torques for both branch-blade contact points was significant (0.05 level of significance). The cutting torque requirement for a 30 angle (bevel) cut was higher compared with a 0 (straight) cut for 'Fuji' apple trees, but the statistical analysis suggested that the difference was insignificant at a level of significance of 0.05. Comparing all test results (four cultivars and cutting settings), the highest cutting torque of 6.98 NÁm was observed for 'Fuji' branches with a diameter of 20 mm for a straight cut with the branch placed at the shear cutter center. Therefore, it is suggested that the robotic pruner should provide a comparable torque for successful cutting. The outcomes of this study are important for the selection of appropriate cutting mechanisms for the future development of a robotic pruning system.

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Robotic Tree Fruit Harvesting: Status, Challenges, and Prosperities

Zahid²,

Mahmud³

2022

Sensing, Data Managing, and Control Technologies for Agricultural Systems

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Development of an integrated 3R end-effector with a cartesian manipulator for pruning apple trees

Cited by 38 publications

References 30 publications

An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators

An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators

An Apple Tree Branch Pruning Analysis

Robotic Tree Fruit Harvesting: Status, Challenges, and Prosperities

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