Research on holding characteristics of cucumber and end-effector of cucumber picking

In order to design an end-effector for picking the cucumber, at first, the compressibility characteristic of the cucumber, the cutting characteristic of cucumber peduncle and the friction coefficient of cucumber coat were measured. The holding model of cucumber was analyzed with the static mechanical analysis method, the relationship between the pressure value of compressed air in the pneumatic actuator and picking capacity was established. At last, a new type of end-effector, which consisted of a picker and a cutter, was developed. The picker consisted of two flexible pneumatic bending joints, and the cutter consisted of a rotary cylinder and a knife. The mechanical structure of the end-effector was simple, and the output force of the end-effector of cucumber picking was big. The experimental results showed the success ratio of picking cucumber reached 90 percent, the success ratio of cutting cucumber peduncle reached 100 percent, and the time of picking one cucumber was three seconds. The effect of the end-effector of cucumber picking is well, and the end-effector of cucumber picking has a bright application prospect.