HARVESTING FRUITS USING A MOBILE PLATFORM: A CASE STUDY APPLIED TO CITRUS

Autor(es)

Ferreira, Marcos D. ^[1] ; Sanchez, Augusto C. ^[2] ; Braunbeck, Oscar A. ^[3] ; Santos, Eduardo A. ^[4]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] EMBRAPA Instrumentacao, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Lab Nacl Ciencia & Tecnol Bioetanol CTBE, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[4] Ctr Univ Salesian Sao Paulo Unisal, Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Engenharia Agrícola; v. 38, n. 2, p. 293-299, MAR-APR 2018.
• Citações Web of Science: 2

Resumo

Harvesting fruits and vegetables has been a challenge. Mobile platforms for harvesting vegetables and fruits have been used, but with some limitations, such as their applicability for a certain time of the year and for a specific crop. A mobile platform was initially developed for harvesting fresh market tomatoes, mainly staked in Brazil. However, after field trials, many problems were identified, such as crop use limitation and machine structure problems. Therefore, the initial project was reformulated to assume different functions, with a retractable and smaller frame and the possibility of adding on other devices, expanding crop harvest and farm use. The concept of a hybrid vehicle with one electric power generator to drive all four wheels with electric motors was kept. The main goal of this article is to describe the development of the mobile platform machine structural details and integration of electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical project and field tests performed in a commercial orange orchard, comparing harvest types, evaluating yield and machine performance. Tests with the mobile laboratory prototype show its potential application to assist harvest and to other farm operations, especially due to its mobility. Harvest productivity through machine was higher, though not significantly different from manual harvest. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 10/51155-6 - Unidade móvel de colheita e beneficiamento de frutas e hortaliças
• Beneficiário: Marcos David Ferreira
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 02/00645-7 - Proposta de um novo sistema (UNIMAC - Unidade Móvel de Auxílio à Colheita) visando a melhoria da qualidade e diminuição das perdas pós-colheita em tomate de mesa
• Beneficiário: Marcos David Ferreira
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Apoio a Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 06/60934-3 - Unidade móvel de auxílio a colheita para tomate de mesa - UNIMAC
• Beneficiário: Marcos David Ferreira
• Linha de fomento: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Pesquisa Inovativa em Pequenas Empresas - PIPE