New Zealand University develops kiwi fruit automatic harvesting robot新西蘭大學研發(fā)獼猴桃自動采摘機器人
University of Waikato team developing a tool that will be as gentle as human hands at harvest time.
懷卡托大學團隊開發(fā)了一種工具，在收獲時將像人手一樣溫柔。
▲Kiwi automatic harvesting robot
A team from the University of Waikato is developing cost-effective technology to help ease labour shortages in the horticulture sector and reduce fruit wastage.
Te Kura Mata-Ao School of Engineering senior lecturer Dr Ajit Pal Singh and his team of seven have been working on a new gripper, the component at the end of a robotic system that physically picks kiwifruit, much like a human hand does.
“One of the innovations is the actual gripper structure. The other is a soft ‘finger’ that attaches to the structure and gently interacts with the fruit so it doesn’t get damaged,” said Singh.
The team has received funding for the project from the MBIE Endeavour Fund through a Smart Ideas project.
懷卡托大學的一個團隊正在開發(fā)具有成本效益的技術，以幫助緩解園藝行業(yè)的勞動力短缺，減少水果浪費。
Te Kura Mata Ao工程學院高級講師Ajit Pal Singh博士和他的七人團隊一直在研究一種新的抓取器，這是一種機器人系統(tǒng)末端的組件，可以像人手一樣實際采摘獼猴桃。
辛格說：“其中一項創(chuàng)新是實際的抓取器結構。另一項是柔軟的‘手指’，它附著在結構上，與水果輕輕互動，這樣水果就不會受損?！?。
該團隊通過Smart Ideas項目獲得了MBIE Endeavor基金對該項目的資助。
▲Kiwi automatic harvesting robot
Singh said there’s no point introducing robotics to an orchard if it’s going to damage the fruit.
“If the fruit is bruised or dropped, the benefit of robotic automation is lost. Our designs aim to reduce damage through their soft, flexible contact surfaces.”
Singh said the key challenge facing growers and industry is the labour shortage that’s amplified since covid-19.
“The labour shortages are putting pressure on the growers to recruit skilled workers to help them harvest the fruit, and if there’s not enough skilled workers on the ground, then there’s a lot of fruit that goes into the waste because it’s unpicked – so they’re losing money.”
辛格說，如果將機器人引入果園會損害水果，那就沒有意義了。
“如果水果碰傷或掉落，機器人自動化的好處就會喪失。我們的設計旨在通過其柔軟、靈活的接觸面減少損壞?！?br />
辛格表示，種植者和工業(yè)面臨的關鍵挑戰(zhàn)是自新冠肺炎以來勞動力短缺加劇。
“勞動力短缺給種植者帶來了壓力，要求他們招募技術工人來幫助他們收割水果，如果地面上沒有足夠的技術工人，那么就會有很多水果被浪費，因為它們沒有被采摘——所以他們在賠錢?！?/p>
The team’s long-term goal is to support growers with reliable robotic tools that reduce dependence on seasonal labour and help ensure more consistent harvesting outcomes.
Having tested the prototypes in the lab, they have recently begun preliminary field trials in an orchard with “quite promising” results showing effective fruit handling and minimal visible damage.
Unlike traditional designs with multiple joints or sensors, the grippers use flexible, single-piece structures that conform gently around the fruit, reducing mechanical complexity.
“These grippers are 3D-printed prototypes – single, jointless structures designed specifically for orchard use, not just lab testing.
該團隊的長期目標是為種植者提供可靠的機器人工具，以減少對季節(jié)性勞動力的依賴，并幫助確保更一致的收獲結果。
在實驗室測試了原型后，他們最近開始在果園進行初步田間試驗，結果“非常有希望”，顯示出有效的水果處理和最小的可見損傷。
與具有多個關節(jié)或傳感器的傳統(tǒng)設計不同，夾持器使用靈活的單件結構，在水果周圍輕輕貼合，降低了機械復雜性。
“這些夾具是3D打印的原型——專為果園使用而設計的單一、無縫結構，而不僅僅是實驗室測試。
“We wanted something that performs in real conditions: easy to maintain, robust and ready for the demands of the field.”
He also pointed out that because the grippers’ structures are single-piece designs, they could eventually be manufactured at scale using plastic injection moulding, making them even more cost-effective, durable and easy to produce in large quantities.
The plan is to test them thoroughly in the orchard this season, and Singh said the team will take them back to the lab to make any improvements.
“From an engineering point of view, our focus is on solving practical, real-world challenges. This project is a strong example of how innovative design can potentially deliver high-impact solutions tailored to industry needs.”
“我們想要在真實條件下運行的東西：易于維護、堅固耐用，能夠滿足現(xiàn)場的需求?！?br />
他還指出，由于夾具的結構是單件設計，因此最終可以使用塑料注塑成型大規(guī)模制造，使其更具成本效益、耐用性和易于大量生產。
該計劃是在本季在果園中對它們進行徹底測試，辛格說，該團隊將把它們帶回實驗室進行任何改進。
“從工程的角度來看，我們的重點是解決實際的、現(xiàn)實世界的挑戰(zhàn)。這個項目是一個很好的例子，說明創(chuàng)新設計如何能夠提供針對行業(yè)需求量身定制的高影響力解決方案?！?/p>
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