A Research of Construction Method for Autonomous Tomato Harvesting Robot focusing on Harvesting Device and Visual Recognition

Abstract

In this paper we propse a construction method of autonomous tomato harvesting robot. For tomato harvesting we focus to harvesting device and visual recognition method. We propose 2 types of harvesting method; cutting scissor and rotational plucking gripper. For recognition, we compare different 3 types of 3D camera, then we construct tomato fruit recognition method using color detection and sphere shape fitting, and also propose tomato pedicel detection method by robust estimation using direction from center of fruit to pedicel and gradient orientation of pedicel edge. Combining these elements, we construct some autonomous harvesting systems and evaluate harvesting of real tomatoes in the tomato robot competition and the real farming veniel house. According to evaluation results, both cutting and plucking has different advantage and disadvantage, it is important to select appropriate one for breed or individual. Also for recognition, pedicel recognition, which must be broken, increases reliability harvesting.