A customized fruit harvest platform design for apple harvest

The aim of this study was to design a customized fruit harvesting platform to be used in apple orchards. With this platform design, which is planned to be pulled by the tractor in medium-sized enterprises, it will be possible for the workers to reach the tree branches above and to adjust their orientations according to the branches. In this way, it will be possible to prevent the mechanical damage of the harvested fruits, to shorten the harvest times and to prevent the muscoskeletal injuries that the workers who will work in the harvesting process may experience during these processes. The designed platform is 4250 mm long, 2500 mm wide, 1500 mm high from the ground when closed, 2600 mm from the ground when open, and 2200 mm in track width. An average harvester will be able to pick the fruits up to a height of 4500 mm. This platform will allow four workers, each with an average mass of 100 kg to work at the same time on the platform. Platform movements in the vertical and horizontal directions are provided by using the tractor hydraulic system. The customized design was made for apple fruit orchards by taking the between row and intra-row distances of apple orchards.