Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-g4j75 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-24T08:22:38.529Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Design and fuzzy control of a robotic gripper for efficient strawberry harvesting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 May 2014

Fotios Dimeas ,
Dhionis V. Sako ,
Vassilis C. Moulianitis  and
Nikos A. Aspragathos
Fotios Dimeas*
Affiliation:
Robotics Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Rio 26504, Greece
Dhionis V. Sako
Affiliation:
Robotics Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Rio 26504, Greece
Vassilis C. Moulianitis
Affiliation:
Robotics Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Rio 26504, Greece Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of the Aegean, Syros 84100, Greece
Nikos A. Aspragathos
Affiliation:
Robotics Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Rio 26504, Greece
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Strawberry is a very delicate fruit that requires special treatment during harvesting. A hierarchical control scheme is proposed based on a fuzzy controller for the force regulation of the gripper and proper grasping criteria, that can detect misplaced strawberries on the gripper or uneven distribution of forces. The design of the gripper and the controller are based on conducted experiments to measure the maximum gripping force and the required detachment force under a variety of detachment techniques. It is demonstrated that the hand motion for detaching the fruit from the stem has a significant role in the process because it can reduce the required force. By analysing those results a robotic gripper with pressure profile sensors is developed that demonstrates an efficiency comparable to the human hand for strawberry grasping. The designed gripper and fuzzy controller performance is tested with a considerable number of fresh fruits to demonstrate the effectiveness to the uncertainties of strawberry grasping.

Keywords

Gripper designStrawberry pickingHierarchical controlFuzzy force control
Type
Articles
Information
Robotica , Volume 33 , Special Issue 5: Robotics in the Alpe-Adria-Danube Region (RAAD 2013) , June 2015 , pp. 1085 - 1098
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Monta, M., Kondo, N. and Ting, K. C., “End-Effectors for Tomato Harvesting Robot,” In: Artificial Intelligence for Biology and Agriculture (Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 1998), pp. 1–25.Google Scholar
2. Tanigaki, K., Fujiura, T., Akase, A. and Imagawa, J., “Cherry-harvesting robot,” Comput. Electron. Agric. 63 (1), 65–72 (Aug. 2008).Google Scholar
3. Davis, S., Gray, J. O. and Caldwell, D. G., “An end effector based on the Bernoulli principle for handling sliced fruit and vegetables,” Robot. Comput.-Integr. Manuf. 24 (2), 249–257 (Apr. 2008).Google Scholar
4. Berdetto, A. M., Falchi, C., Pinna, R. and Ricciu, R., “An Integrated Device for Saffron Flowers Detaching and Harvesting,” Proceedings of the 19th IEEE International Workshop on Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region (RAAD), Budapest, Hungary (Jun. 24–26, 2010) pp. 93–98.Google Scholar
5. Allotta, B., Buttazzo, G., Dario, P. and Quaglia, F., “A Force/torque Sensor-Based Technique for Robot Harvesting of Fruits and Vegetables,” Proceedings of the 1990 IEEE International Workshop on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Towards a New Frontier of Applications, Ibaraki, Japan (Jul. 3–6, 1990) pp. 231–235.Google Scholar
6. Hayashi, S., Takahashi, K., Yamamoto, S., Saito, S. and Komeda, T., “Gentle handling of strawberries using a suction device,” Biosystems Eng. 109 (4), 348–356 (Aug. 2011).Google Scholar
7. Pettersson, A., Davis, S., Gray, J. O., Dodd, T. J. and Ohlsson, T., “Design of a magnetorheological robot gripper for handling of delicate food products with varying shapes,” J. Food Eng. 98 (3), 332–338 (June 2010).Google Scholar
8. Hayashi, S., Shigematsu, K., Yamamoto, S., Kobayashi, K., Kohno, Y., Kamata, J. and Kurita, M., “Evaluation of a strawberry-harvesting robot in a field test,” Biosystems Eng. 105 (2), 160–171 (Feb. 2010).Google Scholar
9. Qingchun, F., Xiu, W., Wengang, Z., Quan, Q. and Kai, J., “A new strawberry harvesting robot for elevated-trough culture,” Int. J. Agric. Biol. Eng. 5 (2), 1–8 (2012).Google Scholar
10. Agrobot. Available at: http://www.agrobot.com/; [accessed on Mar. 27, 2014].Google Scholar
11. Chua, P. Y., Ilschner, T. and Caldwell, D. G., “Robotic manipulation of food products a review,” Ind. Robot, Int. J. 30 (4), 345–354 (Jan. 2003).Google Scholar
12. Burks, T., Villegas, F. and Hannan, M., “Engineering and horticultural aspects of robotic fruit harvesting: Opportunities and constraints,” HortTechnology 15(March), 79–87 (2005).Google Scholar
13. Romano, J. M., Hsiao, K., Niemeyer, G., Chitta, S. and Kuchenbecker, K. J., “Human-inspired robotic grasp control with tactile sensing,” IEEE Trans. Robot. 27 (6), 1067–1079 (2011).Google Scholar
14. Glossas, N. I. and Aspragathos, N. A., “Fuzzy logic grasp control using tactile sensors,” Mechatronics 11 (7), 899–920 (2001).Google Scholar
15. Dubey, V. N., Crowder, R. M. and Chappell, P. H., “Optimal object grasp using tactile sensors and fuzzy logic,” Robotica 17 (6), 685–693 (1999).Google Scholar
16. Dimeas, F., Sako, D. V., Moulianitis, V. C. and Aspragathos, N., “Towards designing a robot gripper for efficient strawberry harvesting,” Proceedings of the RAAD 2013, Portroz, Slovenia (Sep. 11–13, 2013) pp. 220–226.Google Scholar
17. Rajendra, P., Kondo, N., Ninomiya, K, Kamata, J., Kurita, M., Shiigi, T., Hayashi, S., Yoshida, H. and Kohno, Y., “Machine vision algorithm for robots to harvest strawberries in tabletop culture greenhouses,” Eng. Agric. Environ. Food 2 (1), 24–30 (2008).Google Scholar
18. Xu, Y., Imou, K., Kaizu, Y. and Saga, K., “Two-stage approach for detecting slightly overlapping strawberries using HOG descriptor,” Biosystems Eng. 115 (2), 144–153 (June 2013).Google Scholar
19. Prats, M., del Pobil, Á. P. and Sanz, P. J., Robot Physical Interaction through the Combination of Vision, Tactile and Force Feedback, volume 84 of Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013).Google Scholar
20. Morales, A., Prats, M. and Felip, J., “Sensors and Methods for the Evaluation of Grasping,” In: Grasping in Robotics, vol. 10 of Mechanisms and Machine Science, chap. 4, (Carbone, G. ed.), (Springer, London, 2013) pp. 77–104.Google Scholar
21. ström, K. J. Å and Hägglund, T., Advanced PID Control (ISA, 2006).Google Scholar
22. Dimeas, F., Sako, D. V., Moulianitis, V. C. and Aspragathos, N., Gripper demonstration. Available at: http://robotics.mech.upatras.gr/files/Design.and.Fuzzy.Control.of.a.Robotic.Gripper.for.Efficient.Strawberry.Harvesting-Robotica.mp4; [accessed on May 8, 2014].Google Scholar