Advancing Agricultural Automation: Innovative Product Design and Research for Carrot Harvesters

Many industrial areas benefit by applying product design strategies in their applications, and agriculture is one of the most challenging of them. We design a novel carrot harvester equipped with an adaptive spring-loaded belt clamping system designed to adjust to varying densities of carrot, thus ensuring effective harvesting without damaging the crop. Our design incorporates a multi-angular soil disruption structure, enabling the harvester to adapt to different soil hardness and moisture levels. This feature is facilitated by linear actuators that adjust the tiller angle, we address the critical issue of soil adhesion which affects the cleanliness and quality of the harvested carrots. Field tests and simulation analysis have validated the functionality of our design, demonstrating notable improvements in harvesting efficiency and a reduction in labor requirements. The design providing a scalable solution that can be adapted for various root crops beyond carrots.