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ABSTRACT As modern agriculture faces increasing demands for efficiency and automation, this study presents a novel, untethered soft gripper system designed for autonomous and efficient harvesting. At the core of this innovation is a piston‐driven, pneumatically actuated gripper embedded with flexible tactile sensors, enabling operation without an external air source. The system integrates a compact motorized syringe, forming a closed‐loop fluid circuit that provides precise pressure control for adaptive grasping. The pneumatic actuation mechanism regulates air pressure from −30 to 180 kPa, allowing the gripper to perform delicate and adaptive handling, particularly suited for tree fruits and other fragile crops. A key feature of the system is its intelligent control mechanism, which seamlessly combines pneumatic and electrical systems to enhance autonomy and versatility in agricultural applications. The integration of size recognition and adaptive grasping, enabled by force feedback from embedded tactile sensors, ensures safe, efficient, and damage‐free harvesting. Demonstrating exceptional potential for autonomous agricultural operations, the untethered soft gripper system offers enhanced independence, maneuverability, and adaptability across diverse harvesting environments. Its ability to optimize crop handling while minimizing damage highlights its significance as a pioneering solution for the future of automated agriculture.
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Development of LiDAR Based Navigation System for Automation of Tree Harvesting Process
This study focuses on an autonomous moving system for the automation of the harvesting process by high-performance machines in the forestry. Many fatal accidents occur due to the harvesting process. In this research, a navigation system has been developed to enable autonomous travel between accumulation sites and trees to be harvested to improve productivity and safety. A 3D map is generated by LiDAR observation, and harvester moves autonomously towards the tree as specified by the operator. A test of the harvesting process was performed in an experimental environment. The evaluation focused on the required time of the autonomous movement in the process. The effectiveness of the system was confirmed in operations such as row thinning by the results.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1818884
- PAR ID:
- 10289946
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of International Conference on Artificial Life and Robotics
- ISSN:
- 2435-9157
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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