The present invention relates to a fruit pruning and collecting device. The device features a telescoping pole having a basket at the top end and an ergonomic grip at the bottom end. The pole has a plurality of telescoping sections for adjusting a length of the pole and enabling a user to reach elevated fruits without climbing on a ladder. The basket has pruning blades that are actuated by a manual trigger or an electric power button for pruning a stem positioned between the blades to remove one or more fruits. The basket does not allow the fruits to drop onto ground. In use, the device is positioned with the basket under the fruits on the tree with the stem in between the blades such that the blades when actuated prune the stem and enable the fruit to fall into the basket.

This invention relates to a precision agriculture produce harvesting system and produce harvesting apparatus configured for integration with the system, an essential feature of which is a harvesting device subsystem (100) that includes a harvesting device, for instance pruning shears (102) and a harvesting separation stroke detector (108) housed within a control module housing (110) mounted to the shears (102). A person operating the pruning shears (102) produces discernible separation strokes when the handles (104) of the shears (102) are squeezed together to produce a shearing action. The stroke detector (108) detects the separation strokes of the shears (102). By the addition of the control module (108) to the pruning shears (102), the shears are essentially converted into a data logging device by means of which important aspects of a produce harvesting process can be digitised and supplied to a harvest data digital data processing system.

A device for picking fruit is provided with an optical detection means and a robot arm, fitted with a gripper mechanism. The processing unit actuates the robot arm to make the gripper mechanism move about the piece of fruit to be picked from below. Once grasped, the piece of fruit to be picked is rotated in such a way about a substantially horizontal axis that the stalk of the piece of fruit comes away from the plant.

A device for picking fruit is provided with an optical detection means and a robot arm, fitted with a gripper mechanism. The processing unit actuates the robot arm to make the gripper mechanism move about the piece of fruit to be picked from below. Once grasped, the piece of fruit to be picked is rotated in such a way about a substantially horizontal axis that the stalk of the piece of fruit comes away from the plant.

This disclosure includes a method for pruning a fruit plant. An exemplary method step includes obtaining an image of the fruit plant that has branches. Next, creating exclusion zones surrounding the branches. Then pruning the fruit plant based upon the exclusion zones.

This disclosure includes a method for pruning a fruit plant. An exemplary method step includes obtaining an image of the fruit plant that has branches. Next, creating exclusion zones surrounding the branches. Then pruning the fruit plant based upon the exclusion zones.

A system including a picking apparatus including at least two grippers. Each of the at least two grippers can extend radially from a central axis of the picking apparatus. Each of the at least two grippers can be configured to pick a different individual crop of crops of a plant. The system can be configured to rotate the at least two grippers of the picking apparatus around the central axis in a rotational path. The system can be configured to stop rotation of the picking apparatus when a first gripper of the at least two grippers is rotated to a picking position along the rotational path. The system can be configured to adjust an opening width of the first gripper at the picking position to pick a first individual crop of the crops of the plant. The opening width of the first gripper can be adjusted based on a size of the first individual crop to fit the first gripper around the first individual crop. Other embodiments are provided.

A robotic fruit picking system includes an autonomous robot that includes a positioning subsystem that enables autonomous positioning of the robot using a computer vision guidance system. The robot also includes at least one picking arm and at least one picking head, or other type of end effector, mounted on each picking arm to either cut a stem or branch for a specific fruit or bunch of fruits or pluck that fruit or bunch. A computer vision subsystem analyses images of the fruit to be picked or stored and a control subsystem is programmed with or learns picking strategies using machine learning techniques. A quality control (QC) subsystem monitors the quality of fruit and grades that fruit according to size and/or quality. The robot has a storage subsystem for storing fruit in containers for storage or transportation, or in punnets for retail.

A fruit harvesting vehicle comprising a hydraulic power system comprising a plurality of hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders. At least a pair of elevating work platforms, with an equal number positioned in opposition on each side of the vehicle, with each elevating work platform operated by independent hydraulic cylinders to raise and lower. A front chain drive system powered by a first hydraulic motor transporting an empty harvest bin from a front deck into a filling position to interface with a rotating hydraulic driven bin filler system. A rear chain drive system powered by a second hydraulic motor transporting a filled harvest bin onto a rear deck. A fill sensor associated with a harvest bin interfaced with the rotating hydraulic driven bin filler system to lower in place over the associated harvest bin. The fill sensor automatically raises the rotating hydraulic driven bin filler system and operates the chain drive systems.

A harvesting vehicle including a body, a plurality of wheels coupled to the body, and a pick deck coupled to the body. The pick deck can include a plurality of picking systems configured to be carried over plants growing in at least one plant bed to harvest crops of the plants. The pick deck can include at least one sensor system configured to provide distance measurement data of a height of the pick deck over the at least one plant bed. The harvesting vehicle also includes a plurality of actuators each adjustably coupling the pick deck to the body, and a suspension control system configured to adjust at least a vertical position of the pick deck with respect to the body based at least in part on the distance measurement data. Other embodiments are described.