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Title:
HARVESTING AND LAWN CARE ROBOT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/042789
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
This invention discloses a robot with the form of a wasp which has the function of harvesting fruit, vegetables and also helps with the care of the garden cutting the lawn. This robot has a set of sensors to determine the obstacles, distance sensors, infrared sensors, sound sensors; an internal navigation system which indicates to it the route that should be followed. It is divided into 4 parts: the lower part of the robot with the form of a wasp that is a solar panel which is an energy system for the different motors, the joining part of the lower part and the upper part which gives the robot mobility, and the upper part containing a set of pincers which serve as scissors to cut the fruit, the vegetable or the lawn and a set of limbs for its ground mobility, and a head wherein are housed the sensors and the set of antennas which serve as wireless device.

Inventors:
ODENS MARCOS (PA)
GONZÁLEZ GILL JOSÉ ÁNGEL (PA)
GUEVARA PÉREZ JUAN BOSCO (PA)
GAMALIER MADERO ULISES (PA)
SEGURA MARTINEZ YINO XAVIER (PA)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2016/056450
Publication Date:
March 16, 2017
Filing Date:
October 27, 2016
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
UNIV TECNOLÓGICA DE PANAMÁ (PA)
International Classes:
A01D46/30; A01D34/68; A01D34/685; A01D46/00; G05B13/02; G05D1/02; G05D3/12
Foreign References:
US20160124433A12016-05-05
US6652352B12003-11-25
US20150351309A12015-12-10
US20140303814A12014-10-09
US8666550B22014-03-04
US20060213167A12006-09-28
US20130041526A12013-02-14
US6336051B12002-01-01
US20080109126A12008-05-08
CN102914967A2013-02-06
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Claims:
CLAIMS

1. A robot with the form of a wasp which has the function of harvesting fruit, vegetables and also helps with the care of the garden cutting the lawn, characterized in that it comprises: sensors to determine the obstacles; distance sensors; infrared sensors; sound sensors; pigmentation detection sensors; an internal navigation system configured to indicate to the robot the route that should be followed; a camera, configured to send signals to an external tracking device and to send the information on the harvest status in real time; a set of antennas with a wireless device configured to send and receive signals on the task status; a lower part comprising wings for the process of aerial movement of the robot which, in turn, is a solar panel which is the energy system for the different motors and devices; a joining part configured to join the lower part with the upper part, which gives mobility to the robot; a set of limbs for the ground mobility of the robot; a head configured to store the sensors, the communications device and the camera; an upper part containing the set of pincers or pinchers which serve as scissors to cut the fruit, the vegetable or the lawn; a smart system incorporated inside the robot configured to give autonomy to the robot and to be able to learn by itself; an object recognition system configured to detect the different types of objects such as animals, human beings, solid objects to thus avoid accidents; and an expert system incorporated inside the robot's smart system which is configured to assist the robot in decision-making.

2. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein the pigmentation detection sensors are configured to detect the different types of crops.

3. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein the solar panel is configured to provided constant energy so that the robot has autonomy to be able to travel long distances.

4. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein the object recognition system is placed inside the robot's head.

5. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein the object recognition system is configured to send signals to the expert system which is in turn incorporated inside the robot's smart system with the aim of detecting what type of object it is facing.

6. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is also configured to switch off manually or automatically.

7. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein the pincers can be periodically changed when they wear out.

8. The robot with the form of a wasp according to claim 1 , wherein it also comprises a compass system which allows it to be detected and which is configured to be able to guide the robot when it separates from its point of origin.

Description:
HARVESTING AND LAWN CARE ROBOT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a robot with the form of a wasp which has the function of harvesting fruit, vegetables and also helps with the care of the garden by cutting the lawn. This robot has a set of sensors to determine the obstacles, and distance, infrared and sound sensors, it also has an internal navigation system which indicates to it the route that should be followed, and it also contains a camera which sends signals to a tracking device and a set of antennas which serve as wireless device to send and receive signals on the task status. It is divided into four parts: the lower part of the robot with the form of a wasp that is a solar panel which is an energy system for the different motors, the joining part which, as its name indicates, joins together the lower part with the upper part, giving mobility to the robot, and the upper part containing a set of pincers which serve as scissors to cut the fruit, the vegetable or the lawn; it also contains a set of limbs to enable its ground mobility and a head wherein are housed the sensors and the set of antennas which serve as wireless device, it also contains a camera to send information on the harvest status in real time. It additionally has a set of wings, which also serve as solar cells to capture energy for the process of aerial movement of the robot together with the lower part. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The current state of harvesting and care of the garden needs to innovate to new technologies for collecting fruit, vegetables and also caring for the lawn.

The present invention relates to a new model of robot with the form of a wasp containing a set of sensors and a set of pincers which serve to cut the fruit, the vegetables and the lawn exerting a pressure force on the pincers to cut. The invention seeks to reduce the harvesting time and cleaning the garden since the robot is autonomous and is solar powered, thus reducing its dependence on human beings.

This invention has the purpose of increasing fruit and vegetable collection production, and also decreasing lawn maintenance time. The patent with application number US20060089764A1 , awarded to Filippov, has similarity to the present invention since it presents a system and a method for tracking obstacles by an autonomous vehicle. Said system has a set of elements such as, for example, (an inertial navigation system, a compass, a global positioning system, among others), it also has a set of perception sensors (which could be: light and range detectors or light imaging, detection and ranging (LIDAR), stereo vision, infrared vision, radar or sonar) to assess the environment. The use of these sensors determine the characteristics of the terrain.

The patent with number US8788092B2, awarded to Casey, has similarity to the present invention since it uses an obstacle detection system based on a subsystem that detects the lawn by means of a sensor and it also has a photon subsystem which determines the presence of an object close to the robot and with the signals obtained by the sensors it determines what type of object it is.

The patent with application number US20080091304A1 , awarded to Ozick is similar to the present invention since it relates to a robot with an autonomous navigation system which determines the coverage of a terrain to be able to perform the work of cutting the lawn. The robot may cut the law in a wide coverage area since the navigation system has been developed with sensors that determine the terrain length.

The patent with number US4887415A, awarded to Martin, has similarity to the present invention since it uses an infrared sensor to detect obstacles when executing the lawn cutting process. The patent with number US5165064A, awarded to Mattaboni, has similarity to the invention claimed since it is a mobile robot which is capable of autonomously navigating through urban terrain, generating a map based on the data obtained from the sensor which analyses the surface sending this information to the operator.

The patent application with number US20130231779A1 developed by Purkayastha, has similarity with the invention claimed since it has a system of infrared sensors that receive signals from their environment. These sensors indicate how the inspection should be performed on a certain place based on the processed information previously received by the sensors to thus take a decision based on the results obtained to perform the inspection. The patent with number US5442552A awarded to Slaughter, has similarity to the present invention since it has a frame system which it then uses to generate a digitized image of the visual information obtained from its sensors. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is a robot with the form of a wasp, which assists the harvesting process and also helps take care of the garden, which has autonomy and may learn for itself of through a smart system incorporated inside it, which collects the information from the environment through different sensors to thus take the best decisions when harvesting and cutting the lawn.

Another objective of the invention is that the robot may detect the different types of crops through the pigmentation detection sensors which are placed in its head to determine if the fruit or vegetable is ready to be cut. These sensors send signals to the expert system which is incorporated inside the robot's smart system to take a decision.

Another objective of the invention is that the robot may detect through the different sensors if the lawn is ready to be cut or not. The robot determines by means of sensors placed in its head that stipulate the pigmentation level of the lawn, and also verify if the height of the lawn is suitable to execute the task. These sensors send signals to the expert system which is incorporated inside the robot's smart system to take a decision.

It is another objective of the invention that all the robot's components with the form of a wasp have constant energy and this is achieved through a solar cell which is in the lower part of the robot, with this type of energy source, the robot has autonomy to be able to travel long distances. Another objective of the invention is that the robot with the form of a wasp may send the harvest status through a camera connected in its head towards an external device. Where the real-time information on the process is collected.

Another objective of the invention is that the robot with the form of a wasp may detect the different types of objects such as animals, human beings, solid objects to thus avoid accidents, to do this it bases itself on an object recognition system that will be placed in its head and this sends signals to the expert system which is incorporated inside the robot's smart system. With the data sent, it detects what type of object it is.

Another objective of the invention is that the robot may be switched off manually or automatically (by means of a wireless device). Another objective of the invention is that the pincers of the robot with the form of a wasp can be periodically changed due to the wear of the harvesting process and law maintenance.

Another objective of the invention is that the robot with the form of a wasp may adopt different sizes depending on the need present both of the crops and for maintenance; this is done at the time of its construction.

Another objective of the invention is that the robot with the form of a wasp has a geo positioning system and has a compass system which allows it to be detected and may be guided when it separates from its point of origin. Another objective of the invention is that the set of wings of the robot with the form of a wasp, which in addition to a mechanism which allows it aerial movement, are also solar cells which collect energy to support the process of aerial movement of the robot together with the lower part.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIGURE 1 is a side view of the robot with the form of a wasp.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the robot with the form of a wasp cutting a fruit with its pinchers.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the robot with the form of a wasp.

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the robot with the form of a wasp cutting a fruit, but flying. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows the lower part of the robot 1 , which is a photovoltaic cell, which feeds all other components of the robot. It also shows the joining element 13 which joins the component of the lower part of the robot 1 with the upper part 2, it also shows the head 14 containing the set of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) sensors 9 which detect the harvest status. It also has a set of sensors to determine the level of the weeds 11 and a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor 12. It uses the camera 8 to send the information on crop status. It uses a sensor 7 when it detects obstacles. The wireless system 6 sends signals on the process status to the device receiver. The movement process of the robot is performed on land by a set of limbs 4. To move aerially, it does so through the wings 3 which are also a photovoltaic cell. To perform the harvesting process and care of the lawn, the robot uses a pair of pinchers 5 to cut with. The robot with the form of a wasp has a set of sound sensors 10.

Figure 2 shows the side view of the robot with the form of a wasp cutting a fruit with its pinchers 5 determined by means of the NDVI sensors 9, which indicates to the robot that the object is a fruit which may be harvested, after this, the wireless system 6 sends the harvest information to an external device 15.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the robot with the form of a wasp wherein it shows the components as they are interconnected, indicating the joins between the lower part of the robot 1 , the joining element 13, the upper part 2 and the head 14. Figure 4 shows the side view of the robot with the form of a wasp cutting a fruit but flying, using the wings 3 as method of movement to be able to perform the cutting.