Smart Harvesting based on Image Processing

Abstract

Vision device is a critical component of fruit harvesting mobile robot which is designed for recognizing and harvesting of tomato fruits. The system of vision device of the moving robot, for a dedicated path identification with the use of colour detection algorithms and contour detection algorithms could be stated as an additional usage of the image-based technology. When the robot operates in real life, varying environmental parameters would not affect its activity, since the robot will be functioning mainly indoors, specifically in a greenhouse. Robust fruit segmentation algorithms for the visual system and the fruit plucking mechanism using a readymade robot arm with a soft gripper where it operates with basic hardware components like motors, controlled by a microcontroller with the intervention of kinematic theories, is being used with the goal of collecting fruit objects efficiently in the natural world. Plucking only the ripe and healthy object fruit without damaging both the fruit and the tree is the intended task of the system. The aim is to reduce human effort by promoting automation concepts in agriculture in developing countries like Sri Lanka with great potential, where agriculture plays a vital role in the development of the economy while indoor plantation and harvesting mechanism are also being developing to cater to the economy of the country as well. The way that this system is implemented will be discussed in this paper.