REQUEST TO CULTIVATION METHOD FROM TOMATO HARVESTING ROBOT

In this study, basic mechanism of manipulator which was adapted to the physical properties of tomato was investigated. A manipulator with 7 degrees of freedom was made as a trial according to the mechanism. The hand with adsorptive pad was also made to harvest fruits one by one. A color CCD camera and photo-electric sensor were combined to use as a visual sensor of the robot. Harvesting experiments were done in a greenhouse and a laboratory by the manipulator to which the hand was attached. From the result, it was observed that both engineering and cultivation techniques must be together investigated on the robot harvesting system, however this trial was considered only on engineering side. We engineers require to discuss the problems obtained from the experiments with researchers who research cultivation of vegetables in order to construct a new agricultural production system with the robots such as new training and cultivation methods for the robots.