Pneumatic Cylinder-Based Cabbage Harvesting Mechanism with Grasping and Cutting Capabilities

Abstract

The robotic lettuce harvester was proposed in previous studies, but its application to cabbage harvesting poses a challenge due to the larger size and firmness of cabbages compared to lettuces. In this paper, we investigate the potential of a grasping mechanism and cutting mechanism actuated by pneumatic cylinders. We present a mechanical mechanism based on pneumatic air cylinders to ensure adequate power for implementing grasping and cutting motions. To confirm the feasibility of cabbage harvesting powered by pneumatic cylinders, we conducted experimental validation in a real farm. The experimental results demonstrate the reliability of the pneumatic cylinder-based cabbage harvester presented in this paper.