A harvester for harvesting a produce planted in a field is provided. An exemplary harvester comprises a cutting and gripping unit, comprising: a top frame; a base ring structure; a plurality of supports arranged in a circular configuration to form a cage-like structure, wherein proximal ends of the plurality of supports are affixed to the top frame and distal ends of the plurality of supports are affixed to the base ring structure; a set of grippers connected to the top frame; a blade rotatably connected to the base ring structure, wherein the blade is configured to cut the produce while at least a part of the produce is enclosed within the plurality of supports and secured by the set of grippers.

A method of inspecting plants for contamination includes generating a first series of images of a plant using a camera mounted to a frame being moved along a planting bed by a harvester, identifying a region of interest displayed in the first series of images as a region of contamination on the plant based on a color criterion and a morphological criterion applied to the region of interest, and transmitting data including an instruction to increase a vertical distance between the plant and a cutter of the harvester to avoid harvesting the plant in response to identifying the region of interest as the region of contamination. The method further includes generating a second series of images of an additional plant as the frame continues to be moved along the planting bed by the harvester while the vertical distance between the plant and the cutter is being increased.

The invention relates to a device comprising a filling unit for filling containers with a product. The invention furthermore relates to a system comprising such a device and to a harvesting machine provided with such a system. Lastly, the invention relates to a method for filling containers with a product by means of a filling unit.

A support frame; a cut and lift mechanism coupled to the support frame; a tool carrying platform coupled to the cut and lift mechanism; an outer leaf removal device coupled to the tool carrying platform; a cutting tool coupled to the tool carrying platform; a controller in data communication with the cut and lift robot; and a plant center locator in data communication with the controller.

Measuring lateral separation distances and longitudinal separation distances from a center of a plant to be cut to a reference point on a harvester; determining a lateral and longitudinal blade displacement and moving a cutting tool; activating a cut and lift mechanism to cut a plant with the cutting tool; while the cutting tool remains in contact with the plant, removing an outer leaf from the cut plant.

The invention relates to a device comprising a filling unit for filling containers with a product. The invention furthermore relates to a system comprising such a device and to a harvesting machine provided with such a system. Lastly, the invention relates to a method for filling containers with a product by means of a filling unit.

Measuring lateral separation distances and longitudinal separation distances from a center of a plant to be cut to a reference point on a harvester; determining a lateral and longitudinal blade displacement and moving a cutting tool; activating a cut and lift mechanism to cut a plant with the cutting tool; while the cutting tool remains in contact with the plant, removing an outer leaf from the cut plant.

The harvesting machine includes a mobile chassis (1) having front and rear ends. At least two mutually spaced rows of grippers move along a picking path (22) which extends in a front-to-rear direction. The speed with which the rows of grippers move along the picking path (22) is closely matched to the speed at which the mobile chassis (1) travels in the forward direction (F). Two foliage deflectors (4) at the beginning of the picking path (22) are positioned on opposite sides of the selected plant (P). A foliage shield (40, 41) is mounted rearward of each foliage deflector to be interposed between the selected plant and the adjacent row of grippers and separate the grippers from the selected plant until they reach a gripping location where actuating means move the grippers towards each other to grip a selected plant. At the end of the picking path (22), the rows of grippers move along an upwardly inclined path (23) to carry the selected plant clear of the ground. The grippers then release their grip on the selected plant.

A support frame; a cut and lift mechanism coupled to the support frame; a tool carrying platform coupled to the cut and lift mechanism; an outer leaf removal device coupled to the tool carrying platform; a cutting tool coupled to the tool carrying platform; a controller in data communication with the cut and lift robot; and a plant center locator in data communication with the controller.

A support frame; a cut and lift mechanism coupled to the support frame; a tool carrying platform coupled to the cut and lift mechanism; an outer leaf removal device coupled to the tool carrying platform; a cutting tool coupled to the tool carrying platform; a controller in data communication with the cut and lift robot; and a plant center locator in data communication with the controller.