• 로봇학회논문지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.91-99
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• 2020

Fruit and vegetable harvesting robots have been widely studied and developed in recent years to reduce the cost of harvesting tasks such as labor and time. However, harvesting robots have many challenges due to the difficulty and uncertainty of task. In this paper, we characterize the crop environment related to the harvesting robot and analyzes state-of-the-art of the harvesting robot especially, in the viewpoint of robotic end-effector. The end-effector, an one of most important element of the harvesting robot, was classified into gripper and harvesting module, which were reviewed in more detail. Performance measures for the evaluation of harvesting robot such as test, detachment success, harvest success, and cycle time were also introduced. Furthermore, we discuss the current limitations of the harvesting robot and challenges and directions for future research.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.421-441
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• 2021

Fruit detection in orchards is one of the most crucial tasks for designing the visual system of an automated harvesting robot. It is the first and foremost tool employed for tasks such as sorting, grading, harvesting, disease control, and yield estimation, etc. Efficient visual systems are crucial for designing an automated robot. However, conventional fruit detection methods always a trade-off with accuracy, real-time response, and extensibility. Therefore, an improved method is proposed based on coarse-to-fine multitask cascaded convolutional networks (MTCNN) with three aspects to enable the practical application. First, the architecture of Fruit-MTCNN was improved to increase its power to discriminate between objects and their backgrounds. Then, with a few manual labels and operations, synthetic images and labels were generated to increase the diversity and the number of image samples. Further, through the online hard example mining (OHEM) strategy during training, the detector retrained hard examples. Finally, the improved detector was tested for its performance that proved superior in predicted accuracy and retaining good performances on portability with the low time cost. Based on performance, it was concluded that the detector could be applied practically in the actual orchard environment.

• 항공우주시스템공학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.49-55
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• 2022

최근 드론의 역할은 농업∙건설∙물류등의 다양한 영역으로 확대되고 있으며 특히 농업인구가 고령화되는 현 상황에 따라 드론은 노동력 부족 문제를 해결할 효과적인 대안으로 떠오르고 있다. 이에 본 논문에서는 농업 현장에서의 부족한 노동력을 보완하고 높은 위치의 과일도 안전하게 수확할 수 있는 드론 탑재형 과일수확 시스템을 제안한다. 과일수확 시스템은 과일인식 알고리즘과 과일수확 메커니즘으로 구성되어 있다. 과일인식 알고리즘은 딥러닝 기반의 객체탐지 알고리즘인 You Only Look Once를 사용하였고, 가상 시뮬레이션 환경을 구축하여 가능성을 검증하였다. 또한, 하나의 모터로 구동이 가능한 과일수확 메커니즘을 제안하였다. 모터의 회전운동을 기반으로 Scotch yoke을 구동시켜 선형운동으로 변환하여 gripper가 전개된 상태에서 과실에 접근 후 과실을 잡고 돌려 수확하는 메커니즘이다. 제안된 메커니즘에 대한 다물체동역학 해석을 수행하여 구동 가능성을 검증하였다.

• 한국식품저장유통학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 1998

Physicochemical properties of early cultivar of Satsuma mandarin(Citrus unshiu Marc. var. miyagawa) according to harvesting year during 1990 to 1995 were investigated. Climatic conditions of every year affected the quality of citrus fruits. Compared to other harvesting years, flesh ratio and soluble solids were higher, but acid content was lower on citrus fruits produced in 1994, as for good climatic conditions during growth of fruits. Especially, acid content of fruits produced in 1993 was higher, compared to those of years, as for low mean temperature and high rainfalls. Fruit weight, peel thickness and soluble solids had a good linear correlation to fruits size, but acid content and flesh ratio had not correlation derived from difference of individual fruits. From the climatic data, the prediction of fruit quality would be possible in some degree before harvest. It seemed recommend to ably the flexibe method by harvesting year for the quality stanardization of citrus fruit.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.9-17
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• 1988

This study was carried out to develop an agricultural robot for fruit harvesting. As the first step an experimental manipulator and its control system were constructed. The articulated manipulator driven by DC motors has 3 degrees-of-freedom. The manipulator has a gripper adequate for fruit harvesting and an upper arm which forms a kind of guiding channel so thai harvested fruit can pass through. Point-to-point control of joints are accomplished by a digital control system with a PID controller which consists of optical shaft encoders, power amplifiers using PWM, a microcomputer and a software. The microcomputer also computes the positions of manipulator and sequence of motions. The motion of the manipulator was to slow and rough that it would need further improvement.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.314-320
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: As consumption of unripe mandarin increases, its cultivation has increased in open field cultivation areas. Because unripe mandarin must be harvested before ripening and color change, the optimum harvest time must be determined. This study investigated the effect of the harvest season on the yield of unripe fruit and biennial flowering of 'Miyagawa' satsuma mandarin. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two areas of unripe mandarin orchard were selected, and the yield, fruit growth, working time, and flowering of trees the following year were investigated. Fruit was harvested at 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 days after full bloom and at general ripening. Fruit yield of unripe mandarin increased with later harvest time from 100^th to 120^th day except normal ripening. The next year, biennial occurred with normal ripening and harvesting, but not at the 120^th day after full bloom. At the 40^th day (earliest harvest time), summer and autumn shoots were present, but not after the 100^th day. The 40^th day required the most harvesting time; because the time gradually decreased with later harvest, the harvest time was shortest on the 120^th day, and general ripening occurred shortly after the 120^th day. CONCLUSION: Harvesting of unripe mandarin 100-120 days after full bloom was ideal to reduce harvesting time, enhance yield, and enable flowering the following year.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.411-420
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• 1997

The mechanization efficiency using high ability machines such as tractors or combines in a paddy field rice farm is high. Mechanization in harvesting fruits and vegetables is difficult, because they are easy to be damaged. Therefore, Advanced techniques for careful handling fruits and vegetables are necessary in automation and robotization. An apple harvesting robot must have a recognition device to detect the positioning of fruit, manipulators which function like human arms, and hand to take off the fruit. This study is related to the development of a rotatic hand as the first stage in developing the apple harvesting robot. The results are summarized as follows. 1. It was found that a hand that was eccentric in rotatory motion, was better than a hand of semicircular up-and-down motion in harvesting efficiency. 2. The hand was developed to control changes in grasp forces by using tape-type switch sensor which was attatched to fingers' inside. 3. Initial finger positioning was set up to control accurate harvesting by using a tow step fingering position. 4. This study showed the possibility of apple harvesting using the developed robot hand.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.104-114
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• 1989

The most important subject in developing agricultural robots for fruit harvesting is to detect accurately the location of a fruit about the given coordinate system. This study was carried out to develop an image processing algorithm which enables finding out the three dimensional locations of a fruit. The digital image processing device consisted of an optosensor (Closed-circuit TV camera), image processing interface board (Digitizer) and microcomputer (IBM PC/AT). A stereo-image processing method using the two cameras attached to the manipulator was evaluated through experiment with apples. The accuracy and quickness of detecting the location of apples by this method was not satisfactory. The maximum errors of the detected locations by the stereo-image processing method in x-, Y-, and z- directions were 3, 4 and 4 cm, respectively. The maximum time required to get the rectangular coordinate data of a fruit was about 2 minutes.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.511-516
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• 2000

The strength of the connecting joint of boxthorn(Lycium chinense Mill) fruits to tree twigs was determined experimentally at several pulling angles(0$^{\circ}$, 15$^{\circ}$, 30$^{\circ}$,45$^{\circ}$and 60$^{\circ}$) and at different harvesting seasons from August to November 1999 using an universal testing machine. The detachment force of mature fruits of boxthorn decreased as the pulling angle increased and varied with the harvesting season. The detachment force however did not gradually decreased as the harvesting season advanced due to difference of maturity of fruits from one harvesting season to another. Among three varieties of boxthron Cheongyang gugija Cheongyang native and Cheongyang ＃2, the maximum detachment force was 1.24 N at the pulling angle of zero degree. The highest detachment forve(1.29 N) of mature fruits of boxthorn appeared at the harvesting season of August, 1999.

• 한국잡초학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.128-136
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• 1991

본(本) 시험(試驗)은 사과의 생육후기(生育後期) 낙과(落果) 방지제(防止劑)인 Dichlorprop 등(等) 3약제(藥劑)를 수확전(收穫前) 처리시기(處理時期) 및 농도별(濃度別)로 처리(處理)하여 생리적(生理的)인 사과의 후기(後期) 낙과(落果)를 방지(防止)하므로서 수량(收量) 감소(減少) 등(等) 생산량(生産量)의 저하(低下)를 경감(輕減)하고자 Dichlorprop 액제(液劑) (수확전(收穫前) 30, 40, 50 일(日), 1000 배(倍)) MCPB 유제(乳劑)((수확전((收穫前) 15, 25, 35일(日), 4000배(倍)), PCPA 액제(液劑)(수확전(收穫前) 30, 40, 50 일(日), 300배(倍))를 처리(處理)하여 다음과 같은 결과(結果)를 얻었다. 1. 낙과율(落果率)에서는 Dichlorprop를 수확전(收穫前) 30, 40, 50일(日)에 1000배(倍)로 처리(處理)할 경우(境遇) 각각(各各) 12.0%, 12.7%, 12.9% 순위(順位)로 가장 낮았으며 MCPB플 수확전(收穫前) 35일(日)에 처리시(處理時)에는 16.3%로 무처리(無處理)의 42.0% 보다 월등(越等)이 감소(減少)되었다. 2. 과중분포(果重分布)에서는 MCPB 처리시(處理時) 처리시기(處理時期)에 관계(關係)없이 과중(果重)이 다소(多少) 작아지는 경향(傾向) 있으나 Dichlorprop를 수확전(收穫前) 30일(日)에 처리(處理)할 경우(境遇) 중대과수(中大果數)가 많아지고 과중(果重)도 다소(多少) 증가(增加)되는 효과(效果)를 보였다. 3. 과실(果實)의 착색정도(着色程度)에서는 Dichlorprop를 수확전(收穫前) 30, 40, 50일(日)에 처리(處理)할 경우(境遇) 7~8로서 무처리(無處理)의 2정도(程度)에 비(比)하여 볼때 착색촉진(着色促進) 효과(效果)가 뚜렸하였으며 MCPB에서도 다소(多少) 착색촉진(着色促進) 효과(效果)가 있었다. 4. 과육내부(果肉內部)의 당분함량(糖分含量)에서는 Dichlorprop를 수확전(收穫前) 30일(日)에 처리시(處理時)만이 다소(多少) 증당(增糖) 효과(效果)가 있으며 산함량(酸含量)에서는 Dichlorprop를 수확전(收穫前) 30, 40, 50일(日) 처리(處理)와 MCPB를 수확전(收穫前) 15, 25, 35일(日)에 처리(處理)하므로서 감산(減酸) 효과(效果)를 인정(認定)할 수 있었다. 5. 수확후(收穫後) 저장과실(貯藏果實)에 대(對)한 경시적(經時的) 경도(硬度)에서는 MCPB를 수확전(收穫前) 35일(日)에 처리(處理)할 경우(境遇) 무처리(無處理)에 비(比)하여 과실(果實)의 경도(硬度)를 상대적(相對的)으로 지속(持續) 시켰으나 Dichlorprop에서는 어느 처리(處理)에서도 저장기간(貯藏期間)이 길어질수록 과실(果實)의 연화(軟化)를 촉진(促進)시켰다. 6. 수확후(收穫後) 저장과실(貯藏果實)의 $C_2H_4$ 및 $CO_2$ 발생량(發生量)을 보면 MCPB 등(等) Auxi계(系) 약제(藥劑) 모두 처리시기(處理時期)가 빠를수록 $C_2H_4$ 발생량(發生量)은 저하(低下)되었으나 $CO_2$발생량(發生量)은 상대적(相對的)으로 증가(增加)되는 경향(傾向)을 보였다.