DEVELOPMENT OF A PERSIMMON HARVESTING SYSTEM

A persimmon harvesting vehicle that can be operated in hilly orchards as well as a manipulator that can be used to harvest persimmons located in remote positions in the trees were designed and developed. The vehicle could be operated with keeping balanced position in an inclined field and its working platform could be moved up and down easy to approach fruits in a remote region with the aids of a hydraulic and a electrical and electronics systems. The weight of the vehicle was 927 kg and the center of gravity was located at 427 mm to the inner side from the center of a right driving caterpillar, 607 mm to a rear axle from the center of a front axle, and 562 mm to upward from ground. The automatic level control sensor for leveling the working platform was activated within 14.5 ∼ 16.5 degrees of slope variation. The total length of the manipulator was 1.39 m and weight is 975 g. It was powered by a 12 V geared motor to detach persimmon fruits with a rotational force. The gripper was made of plastic and rubber to increase a frictional force. In a performance evaluation test, static tipping angle, dynamic tipping angle toward front side when the vehicle was moving downward, climbing angle, driving speed of the vehicle were measured or calculated. In persimmon harvesting tests 24.9% of yield was increased by hand picking with the aid of the vehicle and additional 7% of yield were increased when the manipulator was used. Therefore, 99010 of total possible yield was achievable when both of the vehicle and the manipulator were used for the manual persimmon harvesting. Increase in 22.5% of total yield was achieved with the manipulator only.