Design of End-effector for Kiwifruit Harvesting Robot Experiment

Abstract. To separate kiwifruits and realize nondestructive picking and unloading of clustered kiwifruits in scaffolding cultivation, an end-effector with a "grabbing-picking-sliding" harvesting method and automatic picking and unloading connecting rod linkage following its trajectory model is presented based on the research on manual picking methods, the fruits growth and their physical properties. Kiwifruit position are detected by optic fiber sensors, clamping force detected by pressure sensors, shape and size of bionic picking fingers set thereby and an integration harvesting prototype following trajectory model from grabbing, picking to unloading designed and evaluated in the lab and orchard. The evaluation test showed that the end-effector of the prototype with optic fiber sensors on the fingers to detect the best position for grabbing, the pressure sensors to guarantee a nondestructive picking within damage threshold and adjusting spring for fruits size and shape tolerance, can integratedly grab and separate adjacent or clustered kiwifruits, then pick and unload individual fruit without destruction.