2.4.2. Placing of Grape Cluster

Three different packaging materials (rigid plastic box, corrugated fiberboard, expandable polystyrene) were used to measure the change in force signals during the robotic placing of the grape cluster. The deflection of the berries during placing and the state of the whole grape cluster were observed from the videos and images of a high-speed camera, as shown in Figure 4a. The mechanism of the grape cluster berry drop was observed and explained from these videos and images. The main rachis of the grape cluster was fixed in a gripper, different speed and acceleration excitations were transmitted to the actuator,

and it moved from the start to the stop position. In the robotic placing phase of the grape cluster, the excitation comes from the placing surface, which is measured by the single-axis force sensor, as shown in Figure 4b. During these treatments, the change in force signals during the placing of the three grape cluster samples with different masses (0.48, 0.50, 0.53 kg) was also determined. The behavior of the top berry and the bottom berry was also observed accordingly; the safest packaging material and excitation treatment, at which there are low chances of berry deflection or berry fall, were realized.
