Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
25 tons/day, if a fruit is assumed to weigh 350 g. In this system, four blowers with
1.4 kW, 3400 rpm, 3800 mmAq vacuum pressure, 1.3 m
3
/min displacement were
used for two providing robots and a grading robot. From pre-experimental results,
it was confirmed that a 30-kPa vacuum force was suitable for sucking peach fruit,
whereas 45 kPa was for pear and apple fruits by use of a blower for six suction pads.
No damage was observed even after peach fruits were sucked twice. The robot sys-
tem can be applied to 11 varieties of peaches, pears, and apples, and is practically
used at agricultural associations in Japan.
A NIR inspector installed on each line measures sugar content and internal qual-
ities of fruits with carriers after image acquisition by a top camera on line. Based
on the inspection results, fruits are sorted into many grades and sizes. Figure 14.6
shows an information flow along grading operations with this robot. Containers from
producers have individual barcodes, which have data of producer ID, field ID, fruit
variety, and number of fruits in the containers. After handling fruits by the grading
robot system, inspection data of each fruit such as size, color, shape, external defects,
and internal qualities are automatically stored in a PC. The data are immediately
sent from PC to RF-ID installed in each carrier through an antenna and an ROM
writer. Based on the fruit size and quality data, the fruits with carriers are sorted into
many lines and are packed into a box. Each fruit data in the PC can be kept to cor-
respond with the fruit position in the box as long as the fruit position is not changed
in the box. The facility issues a “Product ID” to each box to ensure that the fruit data
correspond when fruits are packed into the box.
Packing robot
Grading robot
Sorting
ROM-
writer
IC memory
Size
Color
Shape
Defect
Barcode
reader
Product ID
Producer ID
Field ID
Variety
Fruit number
Transportation data
Environmental condition
Field information
Sales data
Price, quantity
Farming operation
records
Chemicals
Fertilizers
………
Product ID
Traceability
database
FIGURE 14.6
Information flow. (From Kondo, N.,
Environ. Control Biol.
, 44, 3, 3-112,
006. With permission.)
