Structural Design and Analysis of Bionic Shovel Based on the Geometry of Mole Cricket Forefoot

In the mechanized harvesting of root vegetables, loosening is a key factor that restricts harvesting efficiency. Existing mechanical loosening methods have poor loosening effect and high operational resistance. Therefore, more efficient agricultural machinery is needed to reduce energy consumption and improve harvesting efficiency. To this end, based on the efficient excavation mechanism of the first claw toe structure of the mole cricket forefoot, this paper designs the shovel tip structure of the bionic loosening shovel by extracting its contour curve and analyzing the excavation process, constructs the working resistance model and dynamic balance equation of the bionic loosening shovel, determines the optimal working parameters through two-factor and three-level orthogonal simulation experiments, and carries out comparative simulation experiments with the common loosening shovels. The results show that the optimal combination of operating parameters for the bionic loosening shovel is the rotational speed ω = 5 r/s and the traveling speed of the whole machine v = 0.5 m/s. The disturbance performance of the 31 bionic loosening shovel on the soil is improved by 51.59% compared with that of the common loosening shovel, and the working resistance is reduced by 12.17%. The results of this study proved that the bionic structure of the first claw toe of the mole cricket can significantly improve the working performance of the loosening shovel, which can effectively improve the cutting effect of the soil and reduce the energy loss during the working process.