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An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators

Vítor Tinoco (CRIIS/INESC TEC – INESC Technology and Science and UTAD – University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal)
Manuel F. Silva (CRIIS/INESC TEC – INESC Technology and Science and ISEP/IPP – School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal)
Filipe N. Santos (CRIIS/INESC TEC – INESC Technology and Science, Porto, Portugal)
António Valente (UTAD – University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal)
Luís F. Rocha (CRIIS/INESC TEC – INESC Technology and Science, Porto, Portugal)
Sandro A. Magalhães ( CRIIS/INESC TEC – INESC Technology and Science and FEUP – Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal)
Luis C. Santos (CRIIS/INESC TEC – INESC Technology and Science and UTAD – University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal)

Industrial Robot

ISSN: 0143-991X

Article publication date: 14 December 2021

Issue publication date: 1 June 2022

341

Abstract

Purpose

The motivation for robotics research in the agricultural field has sparked in consequence of the increasing world population and decreasing agricultural labor availability. This paper aims to analyze the state of the art of pruning and harvesting manipulators used in agriculture.

Design/methodology/approach

A research was performed on papers that corresponded to specific keywords. Ten papers were selected based on a set of attributes that made them adequate for review.

Findings

The pruning manipulators were used in two different scenarios: grapevines and apple trees. These manipulators showed that a light-controlled environment could reduce visual errors and that prismatic joints on the manipulator are advantageous to obtain a higher reach. The harvesting manipulators were used for three types of fruits: strawberries, tomatoes and apples. These manipulators revealed that different kinematic configurations are required for different kinds of end-effectors, as some of these tools only require movement in the horizontal axis and others are required to reach the target with a broad range of orientations.

Originality/value

This work serves to reduce the gap in the literature regarding agricultural manipulators and will support new developments of novel solutions related to agricultural robotic grasping and manipulation.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 – The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 2014-2020, under grant agreement No. 101000554.

Citation

Tinoco, V., Silva, M.F., Santos, F.N., Valente, A., Rocha, L.F., Magalhães, S.A. and Santos, L.C. (2022), "An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators", Industrial Robot, Vol. 49 No. 4, pp. 688-695. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-07-2021-0139

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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