PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a harvesting apparatus and a harvesting method with which fruits to be judged in ripeness based on two or more indexes, including color of the pericarp, softness of the fruit, easiness of the fruit to pick, and the like, can be harvested while continuously evaluating these two or more judgment indexes.SOLUTION: A harvesting apparatus 100 which picks and harvests an fruit B borne on a plant P from a stalk includes: a judgment means that judges whether it is a fruit that should be harvested from the color of the pericarp of the fruit B, a judgment means that judges whether it is a fruit that should be harvested from viscoelasticity of the fruit B, and a harvesting means that picks and harvests the fruit, having the borne strength with its stalk not more than a given borne strength, from the stalk among the fruits judged that they should be harvested by both judgment means.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】果皮の色や果実の柔らかさ、果実のもぎ取り易さといった複数の指標に基づいて果実の熟度判定を行う果実において、これら複数の判定指標を連続的に評価して果実を収穫することのできる収穫装置と収穫方法を提供する。【解決手段】植物Pに着生している果実Bを果柄から採取して収穫する収穫装置100であって、果実Bの果皮の色から収穫すべき果実か否かを判定する判定手段と、果実Bの粘弾性から収穫すべき果実か否かを判定する判定手段と、双方の判定手段によって収穫すべき果実と判定された果実のうち果柄との着生強度が所定の着生強度以下の果実を果柄から採取して収穫する収穫手段と、を備えている。【選択図】図2
