Produce Harvesting by Laser Stem-Cutting

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel prototype for produce harvesting, that fulfils a set of predefined objectives, namely being productive, versatile, and robust. In our approach, the produce of interest enters the harvesting tube at one end, and exits from the other, in a way to cut the time consumed in manipulation. The stem is being cut by a laser module, with the optics set up for a faraway focal point. Such arrangement allows for minimal hardware at the produce-entry side and in turn, the overall dimensions. This is essential for fruit reachability. The tube is fitted to a robot manipulator to approach the harvest and maneuver for stem positioning into the focal point of the laser beam. An in-tube vision system is designed for stem/sepal and produce detection with utmost robustness against ambient light conditions. Successful experiments have been conducted by sample harvesting strawberry, chilli pepper, and aubergine as evident of versatility towards produce geometry and texture.