• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.535-544
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• 2001

This study developed a manipulator for robotic harvester to harvest cucumber. The manipulator was designed and built fur transferring an end-effecter from a fixed point to a specified cucumber. Its development involved the integration of a manipulating system with a PC compatible, DC motors, geared boxes, timing belts, and a motor controller board. Software, written in Quick basic. combined the functions of motor control with various circumstances. In order to move smoothly and rapidly the manipulator, it's shoulder link and elbow link were minimized by using rotational inertial moment without a motor and a geared box. After 30 replications of exercising the manipulator, it was concluded that the precision values of the X, Y and Z axes were less than 0.5mm, 7.25mm and 0.35mm, respectively. The precision data indicated the manipulator was not missing any steps fur the harvester to reach a target cucumber.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.63-67
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• 2003

Cucumber fruits requires a lot of labor to harvest in time in Korea, since the fruits are cut and grabbed by hand. In this study, we developed an end-effector for robotic harvester of cucumber fruits. Its development involved the integration of an end-effector system with a PC compatible, DC motors, and a motor controller board. Software, written in Pic-basic, combined the functions of motor control with various circumstances. Cucumber's properties were measured and analyzed for precision of the end-effector. The results were similar to those of other vegetables. Properties including hardness of cucumber fruits were used as basic data for development of a harvester.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.172-180
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• 2001

A grape fruit is required for a lot of labor to harvest in time in Korea, since the fruit is cut and grabbed currently by hand. In foreign country, especially France, a grape harvester has been developed for processing to make wine out of a grape, not to eat a fresh grape fruit. However, a harvester which harvests to eat a fresh grape fruit has not been developed yet. Therefore, this study was designed and constructed to develope a image processing system for a fresh grape harvester. Its development involved the integration of a vision system along with an personal computer and two cameras. Grape recognition, which was able to found the accurate cutting position in three dimension by the end-effector, needed to find out the object from the background by using two different images from two cameras. Based on the results of this research the following conclusions were made: The model grape was located and measured within less than 1,100 mm from camera center, which means center between two cameras. The distance error of the calculated distance had the distance error within 5mm by using model image in the laboratory. The image processing system proved to be a reliable system for measuring the accurate distance between the camera center and the grape fruit. Also, difference between actual distance and calculated distance was found within 5 mm using stereo vision system in the field. Therefore, the image processing system would be mounted on a grape harvester to be founded to the position of the a grape fruit.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2003

In this study, a robotic manipulator for harvesting cucumber was developed. The objective of this research was to design and to construct a robotic manipulator specifically tailored to harvest cucumber in the greenhouse. The system was consisted of an integrated end-efffctor, an image processing system and a controlling system. Especially, the image processing system detected the quality of cucumber within each plant in order for the computer to furnish harvest instructions to the manipulator. In all tests of cucumber, the success rate for cucumber harvest was 84％ in the greenhouse. End-effector, image processing system and controlling system showed good performance. Based on the results of this research the following recommendations are made for further study. Besides harvesting cucumbers, the oldest leaves, creepers and the youngest small side leaves need to be removed.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.226-236
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• 1998

If the lowest leaves of the cucumber were removed or training cultivable method was changed, a computer vision system could divide well the cucumber fruit from the others, and also an end-effector could reach and grip cucumber fruit and cut well its fruit stalk. Therefore, this study investigated whether removal leaves and training cultivable method of a cucumber could affect its growth and yield. They can help to be designed the vision system and the end-effector. A cucumber fruit grew by 6-l5cm long for 2 days regardless of removing leaves. Removal leaves didn't affect growth of cucumber fruit. Number of cucumber fruit was produced within 10% different values by three methods (A, B, C) of removal leaves. The first grade rate (best quality) of 4 B and C was 56.7%, 53.1%, 56.3% respectively. Consequently, proper removal leaves were better than traditional way, which does not remove a leaf, because they make cucumber plant ventilate more freely and absorb more light.