Naslov
Automated Suckering of Vines with a Mobile Robot and a Torque-controlled Suckering Tool

Autori
Stuhne, Dario ; Vatavuk, Ivo ; Hrabar, Ivan ; Vasiljević, Goran ; Kovačić, Zdenko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u zbornicima skupova, cjeloviti rad (in extenso), znanstveni

Izvornik
Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Smart Systems and Technologies (SST) / - Osijek : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2022, 349-354

Skup
2022 International Conference on Smart Systems and Technologies (SST)

Mjesto i datum
Osijek, Hrvatska, 19.10.2022. - 21.10.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
agriculture robotics, autonomous robots, suckering, vineyard, system performance

Sažetak
The research presented in this paper focuses on the development of fully automated and autonomous vine suckering, a seasonal viticulture activity required to remove all unwanted shoots from the vine trunks. This requires human workers to do a lot of strenuous work, often using only their hands or tools such as clippers or shears. The suckering is done during the early growing season (usually April-May) to provide more energy, water, and nutrients to the main shoots. Commercially available suckering machines appear to be a large- scale solution. However, their performance varies between 10% and 85% and their purely mechanical nature can easily cause damage to the vines. In this paper, we present a concept for autonomous suckering using a mobile robot equipped with a special suckering tool driven by a torque- controlled DC motor that protects the vine from damage. The proposed suckering system was designed, analysed and experimentally validated in a real vineyard. The results showed that the system was able to remove about two thirds of the unwanted shoots, reaching a suckering rate of more than 86 vines per hour.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Elektrotehnika, Temeljne tehničke znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA