Lettuce Harvester Development (Part 1): Present Situation Analysis of Lettuce Harvest Work and Examinations of Cutting Mechanism

摘要

The purpose of this research was to develop a practical lettuce harvester that would save manual labor and improve the work burden. During this research we examined and analyzed the present methods of lettuce harvesting in a main producing area - Nagano, Japan. We did this by referring to the IE technique and then put together the concept to develop a practical lettuce harvester. We also made it clear in a "disc guide method" that it is worth putting the harvester to use as a cutting mechanism. This is the most important technical element for the development of the lettuce harvester.