A harvesting assisting machine which may include: a frame having a longitudinal frame axis, the frame including: a first and second side frame portions extending in a vertical direction and disposed on opposing sides of the longitudinal frame axis, a third frame portion interconnecting the first and second side frame portion, wherein the first and second side frame portions and the third frame portion create a container space configured to accommodate a container: a plurality of wheels coupled to bottom portions of the first and second side frame portions; and a container holding and lifting assembly coupled to the frame, the container holding and lifting assembly being configured to releasably hold the container within the container space and to elevate and lower the container in the vertical direction.

The invention relates to the design of mobile platforms for vehicles used mostly for agricultural purposes. The rotary support includes a platform mounting attachment in the form of a gimbal, whose flanges enable its attachment, respectively, to the vehicle support structure and the lower surface of the platform, and two platform position adjusters located on said support structure. Therein, each platform position adjuster includes an electric drive with a linear displacement unit based on screw-nut transmission and a carriage configured to move along a vertical guide and connected to the linear displacement unit with a pin joint. The support shelf of the carriage bears a push rod made in the form of struts ending with supports and having swivel joints between said supports and struts. Therein, the push rod supports are configured for mounting them on the support shelf of the carriage and on the platform, in this latter case eccentrically to the rotation axes of the gimbal. Thus, the reliability of the structure and the speed of platform stabilization in space are improved.

The invention relates to the design of mobile platforms for vehicles used mostly for agricultural purposes. The rotary support includes a platform mounting attachment in the form of a gimbal, whose flanges enable its attachment, respectively, to the vehicle support structure and the lower surface of the platform, and two platform position adjusters located on said support structure. Therein, each platform position adjuster includes an electric drive with a linear displacement unit based on screw-nut transmission and a carriage configured to move along a vertical guide and connected to the linear displacement unit with a pin joint. The support shelf of the carriage bears a push rod made in the form of struts ending with supports and having swivel joints between said supports and struts. Therein, the push rod supports are configured for mounting them on the support shelf of the carriage and on the platform, in this latter case eccentrically to the rotation axes of the gimbal. Thus, the reliability of the structure and the speed of platform stabilization in space are improved.

A multi-arm robotic harvesting apparatus is provided. In another aspect, a robotic harvesting apparatus and method automatically optically locate a fruit in a tree, move and align an arm to the fruit, apply a vacuum pressure to temporarily pull the fruit against an end of the arm, rotate the arm to pick the fruit off of the tree, retract the arm and attached fruit, release the vacuum pressure to drop the fruit onto a receiving surface, and simultaneously operate another arm relative to another fruit on the same tree, while avoiding a collision between the arms. A further aspect of a mobile robotic harvesting apparatus and method applies a vacuum pressure to multiple robotically and automatically movable, fruit picking arms from a single vacuum pump, and the apparatus includes a shared optical perception system and programmable controller.

A multi-arm robotic harvesting apparatus is provided. In another aspect, a robotic harvesting apparatus and method automatically optically locate a fruit in a tree, move and align an arm to the fruit, apply a vacuum pressure to temporarily pull the fruit against an end of the arm, rotate the arm to pick the fruit off of the tree, retract the arm and attached fruit, release the vacuum pressure to drop the fruit onto a receiving surface, and simultaneously operate another arm relative to another fruit on the same tree, while avoiding a collision between the arms. A further aspect of a mobile robotic harvesting apparatus and method applies a vacuum pressure to multiple robotically and automatically movable, fruit picking arms from a single vacuum pump, and the apparatus includes a shared optical perception system and programmable controller.