Tomato Recognition Algorithm and Grasping Mechanism for Automation of Tomato Harvesting in Facility Cultivation

In this paper, we describe a tomato recognition algorithm and a fruit grasping mechanism for a tomato-harvesting robot that is designed to operate in a horticultural facility. In the tomato recognition algorithm, image processing is performed on the color images captured by a depth camera to detect red ripe large tomato and oval mini-tomato fruits. Then, the spatial coordinates of the fruit center and the diameter of the fruit are calculated using the depth information acquired by the depth camera. For the grasping mechanism, we designed and fabricated a mechanism for grasping an oval mini-tomato, which is necessary in the harvesting process. Experiments using these systems were conducted in a horticultural facility where tomatoes are grown, and the performances of both the tomato recognition and grasping motions were verified.

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