Controller Design and Implementation of a Multi-Purpose End- Effector for a Cable Robot to Change Tools, in Agri-Horticultural Applications

Cable robots are cable-driven parallel robotic systems that have been used in a variety of industrial applications. In the agri-horticultural industry, they can be used to automate many intricate operations involved in crop production, such as pollination, pruning, frost prevention, pest detection, security surveillance, carrying fruit boxes, and fruit picking. This paper proposes the design of a controller for a tool changer with electromagnetic actuators which is attached to the cable robot end-effector. The general objective of this research is to increase productivity in accomplishing tasks related to horticulture and agriculture by developing the use of the cable robot in gardening and performing difficult and repetitive tasks using different tools by the tool changer to the end-effector. Moreover, to prove the proposed concept, the controller is implemented in a simple tool change test case between spray and camera tools. The results show that the controller can successfully change tools in a timely and accurate manner.