In Hainan's traditional mango cultivation, low-tree planting leads to sap from branches dripping onto the fruit, darkening its skin and reducing shelf life. This paper presents a solution: a flexible mechanical arm system designed to enhance mango picking. The system consists of three components: (1) a 4-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm for adaptable picking angles and heights; (2) an iris-like cutting device for precise cuts that minimise sap leakage; and (3) a flexible collection device with cushioning to prevent fruit damage. Kinematic and dynamic simulations validate the system's effectiveness, demonstrating its ability to operate flexibly in various environments and reach target positions. Two trajectory planning methods were compared, with the trapezoidal interpolation method selected for improved picking efficiency and responsiveness. The results indicate that this mechanical arm system significantly enhances picking efficiency, reduces fruit damage, isolates sap contamination, and contributes to the mechanisation and intelligence of mango harvesting, offering a new direction for agricultural machinery design.
Liu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.