3-D VISION SENSOR FOR CHERRY TOMATO HARVESTING ROBOT

A cherry tomato harvesting robot equipped with a 3-D vision sensor was constructed for experimental purposes. The 3-D sensor emitted 3 laser beams with 2 components of wavelengths: a red (wavelength 685 nm) and an infrared (830 nm). Three position-sensitive devices (PSDs) were us ed to detect the light beams which were reflected from the crop. The s hape of the crop was determined by scanning the laser beams. Red ripe tomatoes were detected based on the ratio of the red to the infrared r eflected signals. To avoid a collision, the location of the stems and leaves was also recognized using the image processing software.