Evaluation of the efficiency of apple picking using a flexible manipulator

Abstract

Abstract Flexible manipulators are a promising executive tool in various technological complexes. In the process of collecting fruits, they can, in addition to their main task of delivering working bodies to the object of labor, also perform the functions of flexible guides. For the use of flexible manipulators in agriculture, namely in the operations of harvesting apples, developments are needed that are relatively cheap to manufacture in comparison with other flexible manipulators. To analyze the efficiency of apple picking using a flexible manipulator, a series of tests was carried out. As part of the tests, the process of picking apples was simulated using a flexible manipulator. The number of apples harvested for branches of various geometries was estimated. Within the framework of the discussion, the prospects of introducing a flexible manipulator in super-intensive gardens in Russia were assessed.