Design and Test of an Automatic Navigation Fruit-Picking Platform

With the development in agricultural mechanization and information technology, orchard agricultural machinery is also constantly pursuing the goal of intelligence and efficiency. Fruit picking is the most labor-intensive part of the orchard harvesting process. In order to resolve the problems of high labor intensity, low picking efficiency, and labor shortage when harvesting dwarf high-density orchards, an automatic navigation fruit-picking platform with voice control was developed in the present study. First, the platform utilized a voice-controlled high-level extendable working platform and a fruit-box-lifting device to adapt to varying orchard planting row spacing and enable convenient fruit box loading and unloading. Second, an automatic navigation system, which employed China’s Beidou navigation satellite system to acquire positional data and the Stanley algorithm for path-tracking control, was implemented. Third, the fruit-picking platform with automatic navigation system was fabricated and assembled, its outer wheel steering was measured to have a maximum angle of 30.3° and an average minimum turning radius of 4.5 m, meeting the turning radius requirements under orchard conditions. Finally, automatic navigation tests of the developed platform were performed in the orchard conditions. The results indicated that the platform could maintain a straight-line path with a maximum lateral deviation of 101.5 mm and a maximum absolute average deviation of 44.1 mm at 0.4 m/s. Under the U-shaped paths, the measured maximum lateral deviation was 148.6 mm and the maximum absolute average deviation was 57.2 mm. The navigation accuracy was sufficient to meet the requirements for the harvesting platform’s routine operation in the orchards.