Modelling tomato pericarp microstructure as force control reference for harvesting robot
Weigui Xie1,2, Jinchen Yang1, Zhenhua Tan1
1School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
|March 18, 2024
Summary
A new Voronoi-based model reconstructs tomato pericarp cellular structure. This method simulates cell compression, accurately predicting internal damage and improving robotic harvesting success rates.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Robotics
- Biomechanical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Intelligent automation advances fruit harvesting, but tomato picking success rates need improvement due to internal, machine-vision-imperceptible damage.
- Current robotic harvesting methods struggle to prevent subtle internal fruit damage during tomato picking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel modeling method for reconstructing the cellular structure of tomato pericarp.
- To simulate the mechanical behavior of tomato pericarp at a cellular level to identify potential damage points.
Main Methods:
- A modified Voronoi algorithm was employed to create a micro-model of the tomato pericarp's cellular structure.
- Compression simulations were performed on the reconstructed micro-model to analyze internal stress and predict damage.
Main Results:
- The simulation results for pericarps of varying ripeness showed high consistency with experimental tests.
- The developed modeling and simulation method was validated for its feasibility in predicting internal fruit damage.
Conclusions:
- The Voronoi-based modeling method accurately reconstructs tomato pericarp cellular structure and predicts compression behavior.
- This approach provides a reference for enhancing robotic harvesting by optimizing grasping force control, thereby reducing invisible damage and improving overall robot performance.
