# Design and experiment of spoon shaped clamping chrysanthemum seedling transplanting mechanism

## TL;DR

This paper presents a new spoon-shaped clamping device for transplanting chrysanthemum seedlings that improves transplanting stability and reduces damage.

## Contribution

A novel spoon-shaped clamping mechanism is designed and validated for multi-fibrous root seedlings with MATLAB-based analysis.

## Key findings

- The spoon-shaped clamping device's actual and simulated transplanting trajectories matched the theoretical design closely.
- Under specific operating conditions, the device achieved 84.20% qualified transplanting angle and 90.0% qualified depth.
- The mechanism provides stable spacing and upright planting, meeting agronomic requirements for chrysanthemum seedlings.

## Abstract

This work aims at solving the problems of susceptibility of chrysanthemum seedlings with multiple fibrous roots to damage, poor adaptability of traditional clamping type transplanting machines, and unstable transplanting uprightness. According to the agronomic requirements of chrysanthemum transplanting and morphological characteristics of its seedlings, a spoon shaped clamping transplanting device of chrysanthemum seedlings was designed and optimized. A kinematic model was established based on its working principle, and a human-computer interaction analysis interface of the transplanting device was developed based on MATLAB, and the influence of key structural parameters on transplanting performance was analyzed through this interface, and the optimal parameter combination of the mechanism was determined. The transplanting trajectory was verified by simulation and field experiment. The results showed that the actual trajectory and simulation trajectory of spoon shaped clamping transplanting device were in good agreement with the theoretical design trajectory. Under the operating conditions of crank speed 67 r·min-1 and forward speed 0.19 m·s-1, the qualified rate of transplanting angle was 84.20%, the qualified rate of transplanting depth was 90.0%, the coefficient of variation (CV) of planting spacing was 5.8%. The transplanting spacing is stable, the erect degree is high, and the transplanting meets the agronomic requirements. This study can provide reference for the development of mechanized transplanting equipment for multi-fibrous root seedlings.