Patent ID: 7540137
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: A01D,B25J

Abstract:
1. An automated fruit harvesting machine for harvesting fruit from a fruit tree, comprising: a harvester base unit comprising a propulsion assembly, a computational assembly, a functional connection to a fruit collection device, and a plurality of arm bases; a plurality of jointed arms attached to said arm bases, with each arm comprising a plurality of rigid tubes attached end to end at a plurality of joints, with each joint including a tube rotation assembly configured to rotate one tube in relation to an adjacent tube, in order to position an arm adjacent to a selected fruit; one or more sensors for detecting fruit to be harvested, with each said sensors configured to send fruit position information to said computational assembly in preparation for picking said fruit, with said computational assembly comprising an algorithm for directing an arm to pick a selected fruit, with said computational assembly guiding said arm into engagement with said fruit using fruit position data from said one or more sensors; at least one fruit transport head movably enclosed within each arm, with said fruit transport head comprising a gripping collar, with said fruit transport head configured to travel inside said tubes of said arm, from a distal end of said arm to said arm base, and to grip and retrieve without operator intervention said fruit at said distal end of said arm, with said fruit transport head configured to release said fruit at said arm base, for placement of said fruit in said fruit collection device; and a fruit stem separator for disengaging said fruit from a fruit tree.