Melon Robotic Grafting: A Study on the Precision Cutting Mechanism and Experimental Validation

Shan Chen, Huan Liang, Qian Zhang (), Qingchun Feng, Tao Li, Liping Chen and Kai Jiang ()
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Shan Chen: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
Huan Liang: Crops Institute, Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430070, China
Qian Zhang: Research Center of Information Technology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Qingchun Feng: Research Center of Intelligent Equipment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Tao Li: Research Center of Intelligent Equipment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Liping Chen: Research Center of Intelligent Equipment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Kai Jiang: Research Center of Intelligent Equipment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: The grafting machine cutting step is the core step of the grafting process. The existing grafting machine cutting mechanism adopts fixed angle cutting and manually adjusts the cutting angle based on experience, and the cutting angle is not definite for rootstock cutting in different growth periods. In this paper, we proposed a method to guide the precise cutting mechanism according to internal and external parameters of melon rootstock at a specific period. First, we constructed a cutting model based on internal and external characteristics of rootstock cutting in the growth period of “two leaves and one core” and clarified the safe cutting area. Second, we designed a rotary precision cutting mechanism for rootstock cutting with automatic angle adjustment and constructed the displacement equation of the cutting trajectory of the cutter according to the cutting model. Last, we examined the cutting effect of the precision cutting mechanism and determined the precise cutting angle of the rootstock cutting mechanism in the growth period. Finally, the cutting effect of the precision cutting mechanism was examined, and the precision cutting angle of the rootstock during the growth period was determined. A comparison test between the precision cutting mechanism and the traditional cutting mechanism was carried out, and visual images of the incision were captured and analyzed. The results show that under the five horizontal cutting angles in the safe cutting area of rootstock, the length of the cut surface is inversely proportional to the cutting angle, and the flatness of the cut surface is directly proportional to the cutting angle. Comprehensive evaluation of the length of the cut surface, the cutting success rate, and the quality of cutting revealed that the average cutting angle of the precision cutting mechanism in the safe cutting area (26°) is better than that of the traditional cutting mechanism. It meets the technical requirements of the cutting technology for mechanically grafted rootstocks. The results provide a reference for studying new rootstock precision cutting mechanisms and cutting angle adaptive control models.

Keywords: rootstock seedling; medullary cavity model; precision cutting; grafting robot; design; comparative test (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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