On April 3rd, it was reported by Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University that after nearly three years of research and development, Professor Qian Mengbo and his student team from the School of Opto-Mechatronics Engineering successfully developed a forest fruit harvesting robot—the foldable forest fruit harvesting integrated machine. Once put into use, this equipment will significantly improve the automation level of fruit picking for farmers, potentially alleviating the burden of harvesting, increasing efficiency, and minimizing damage to fruit skins and tree branches during the picking process.
It is reported that the forest fruit industry is the third pillar industry in agriculture and an important means for mountainous farmers to increase income and become prosperous. In recent years, China's forest fruit production has continued to grow. However, due to the lack of practical mechanical equipment, fruit picking in mountainous and hilly areas of China mainly relies on manual labor. The growth in fruit production has led to an increase in the cost of harvesting labor. The demand for intelligent forest fruit harvesting equipment among forest farmers is becoming increasingly urgent, gradually becoming a key topic of concern for mechanical disciplines in agricultural and forestry universities.
"Manual fruit picking is labor-intensive and inefficient, and mechanized harvesting technology is lagging behind. Harvesting is prone to damaging fruit and trees, and fruits are prone to rot," said Qian Mengbo. To address these issues, he led a student team to research and develop solutions starting in 2021. They found that a folding and unfolding harvesting structure could adapt to the forest operation environment in mountainous and hilly areas. Based on this, they guided students to develop the foldable harvesting integrated machine.
The student team guided by Qian Mengbo consists of more than 10 students, including both postgraduates and undergraduates, with majors ranging from mechanical engineering to forestry. They complement each other's expertise and collaborate on research and development. Zheng Hengyi, the student team leader and a first-year graduate student at the university, explained that the robot they developed is equipped with a six-bar linkage folding unit as the fruit collection device, resembling an inverted umbrella. It does not require manual operation on the device but is controlled through relevant programs. Its unique structure gives it a high folding ratio, and by adjusting the telescopic rods, the collection range can be flexibly adjusted, thus enhancing the mechanical universality and making it suitable for harvesting more than ten different types of forest fruits.
In November 2023, the team's foldable forest fruit harvesting integrated machine was granted a national invention patent and has been successfully assembled for production. Recently, the research and development team partnered with Qianyi Network Technology Studio in Zhuji City. While producing equipment, they began practical applications in Yuyao, Ningbo, Lin'an, Hangzhou, and Kaihua, Quzhou. Field tests have shown that one unit of the foldable umbrella-type forest fruit collection device is equivalent to the efficiency of 20 farmers, and one integrated harvesting machine is equivalent to the work efficiency of 48 farmers.
According to reports, the research and development team is currently working on the third generation of harvesting machinery, aiming to enhance the universality of the machinery to a greater extent and better address the challenges of mechanized fruit harvesting. Zheng Hengyi stated.
The multifunctional harvester for tree fruits and nuts, as depicted in the supplied image from Zhejiang A & F University.
