Design of beefsteak tomato harvesting robot system in greenhouse

One challenge for tomato harvesting robots is that some of the tomato stems 
were not detectable because they were hidden behind the leaves or other 
obstacles. The primary objective of this research is to design, simulate, and 
experiment with a tomato harvesting robot and propose an improved 
detection algorithm to overcome the above problem. The suggested detection 
algorithm is designed to first detect the tomato fruit itself, and if the stem is 
not visible, the system will automatically adjust the camera's viewing angle 
to provide a better perspective and uncover the hidden stem. Simulation and 
experimental tests were carried out in a real tomato greenhouse to evaluate 
the cutting and holding mechanism, as well as the camera-based detection 
algorithm. These experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the 
gripper and detection system and revealed several challenges in the 
harvesting algorithm. By integrating advanced algorithms for tomato 
detection and harvesting, this robot will reduce damage to the tomatoes, 
ensuring higher quality and yield.