The concept of a construction solution of a robot for harvesting strawberries

¹ University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Production and Power Engineering, Balicka 116 B, 30-149 Krakow, Poland.

^* Corresponding author: nawara.piotr@urk.edu.pl

Abstract

Strawberry fruit products are of high commercial and consumption value, while difficult to harvest due to their very low mechanical strength and difficulties in identifying them within the plants. Therefore, robots harvesting strawberries should connect four subsystems: vision of detection, delivery arm (manipulator), effector (harvesting head), and finally- a platform increasing the working space adapted to the size of the farm. The presented work of the conceptual working section of a combine for harvesting strawberry fruit from crops, carried out in rows or cultivation ridge, from cultivation on field and/ or under covers will meet the requirements for: work productivity, quality of harvested fruit, reduction of the amount of pollution. To requirements have been met, the developed concept of constructions adopted the principle of operation during the first phase of the harvesting (in the natural distribution of fruit within the plants of strawberries) and the working of the work arm head (based on image analysis, initially general, and in the last phase of detailed) maneuvering in surrounded by harvested fruit and machine.