双臂采摘机器人提升苹果收获效率与可靠性。
Advancement and Field Evaluation of a Dual-arm Apple Harvesting Robot
- 采用双机械臂协同与动态吸力分配，降低能耗并提高采摘效率。
- 在两个果园实测中成功率超79%，单次采摘时间仅5.97秒。
- 适合果园自动化场景，尤其适用于复杂树冠结构的商业化应用。
苹果是全球消费最广泛的水果之一，目前采摘仍完全依赖人工，成本高、劳动强度大且存在安全风险。近年来，机器人采摘受到越来越多关注。然而，现有系统在复杂果园环境中的性能、效率和可靠性仍不理想。本文提出并评估了一种双臂苹果采摘机器人。系统集成飞行时间（ToF）相机、两台4自由度机械臂、中央真空系统及采后处理模块。采摘过程中，真空系统动态分配吸力至任一机械臂，实现高效果实分离，同时降低功耗与噪声。相比此前设计，新增平台进退与升降调节机构，显著提升对不同树冠结构的适应性。算法层面，构建基于基础模型的检测-分割-聚类深度估计联合定位流程，增强复杂环境下的识别性能。此外，系统集成压力传感器，并引入新型双臂协同策略，可根据传感反馈响应采摘失败，进一步提升作业效率。在密歇根州两家商业果园进行实地测试，面对不同树冠结构，系统成功率分别为0.807和0.797，平均采摘周期为5.97秒。相较单臂基线，整体采摘时间减少28%。该双臂机器人显著提升了苹果采摘的可靠性与效率，具备向全自主化与商业化演进的潜力。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Apples are among the most widely consumed fruits worldwide. Currently, apple harvesting fully relies on manual labor, which is costly, drudging, and hazardous to workers. Hence, robotic harvesting has attracted increasing attention in recent years. However, existing systems still fall short in terms of performance, effectiveness, and reliability for complex orchard environments. In this work, we present the development and evaluation of a dual-arm harvesting robot. The system integrates a ToF camera, two 4DOF robotic arms, a centralized vacuum system, and a post-harvest handling module. During harvesting, suction force is dynamically assigned to either arm via the vacuum system, enabling efficient apple detachment while reducing power consumption and noise. Compared to our previous design, we incorporated a platform movement mechanism that enables both in-out and up-down adjustments, enhancing the robot's dexterity and adaptability to varying canopy structures. On the algorithmic side, we developed a robust apple localization pipeline that combines a foundation-model-based detector, segmentation, and clustering-based depth estimation, which improves performance in orchards. Additionally, pressure sensors were integrated into the system, and a novel dual-arm coordination strategy was introduced to respond to harvest failures based on sensor feedback, further improving picking efficiency. Field demos were conducted in two commercial orchards in MI, USA, with different canopy structures. The system achieved success rates of 0.807 and 0.797, with an average picking cycle time of 5.97s. The proposed strategy reduced harvest time by 28% compared to a single-arm baseline. The dual-arm harvesting robot enhances the reliability and efficiency of apple picking. With further advancements, the system holds strong potential for autonomous operation and commercialization for the apple industry.
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