In major pineapple-producing regions of China, conventional manual harvesting is challenged by high labor intensity and cost. Existing mechanical harvesters, still largely in the research and development stage, often suffer from low efficiency and high susceptibility to fruit damage, failing to meet large-scale production demands. This study focuses on the Tainung 16 pineapple, determining that the tensile force required to separate the fruit stem at the calyx ranges from 100.42 N to 165.38 N. Drawing on the biomimetic principles of manual stem-breaking, we designed a harvesting device featuring a curved fixed baffle and a rotating unit. Using theoretical analysis and ADAMS simulation, a mechanical model of the device–stem interaction was established to simulate the force application, bending, and separation processes. This led to the identification of optimal operational parameters: a forward speed of 1.5 m/s, a harvesting unit rotational speed of 37 r/min, and a motion trajectory parameter of 1.3. Field tests demonstrated an average harvesting success rate of 81.23% with a fruit damage rate as low as 9.35%. The device thus effectively addresses the critical industry challenges of low efficiency and high damage. This work provides a direct technical reference and theoretical foundation for the engineering development, refinement, and standardized field operation of pineapple harvesters, facilitating the transition to mechanized large-scale harvesting.
Sun et al. (Thu,) studied this question.