Abstract:To improve picking efficiency of safflower filament harvesting device, a safflower filament harvesting device was developed based on TRIZ theory, which can pick safflower filament without the machine vision, called as safflower filament blind harvesting device. Through analyzing the whole process that people pick safflower filaments, the substancefield models of picking safflower filaments were built to guide how to design safflower filament picking device. The optimized picking method, as a result, was created according to that substancefield. This process existed that as they were moved without looking at safflower filament, two personal fingers were continuously opened and closed to pick safflower filament. Therefore, the probability that safflower filaments were picked without machine vision was very big. Through the above study, the safflower filament blind picking method was feasible. Force of personal fingers picking safflower filaments was flexible, so that the cam and spring mechanism were chosen as drive mechanism of the safflower filaments picking device to imitate soft drive system of personal finger picking safflower filaments. A general cam and spring mechanism only had an moving action along the one direction, however, there were necessary two actions to achieve the function of safflower filaments picking, which were clamping action and drawing action. Hence, a general cam and spring mechanism cannot satisfy the safflower filaments picking requirements. To solve that problem, the useful functions and harmful functions of a general cam mechanism were parameterized based on thirtynine engineering parameters of TRIZ theory, and some principles to solve the problem were gained from the conflict matrix. The dynamic principle and reverse principle from the principles gained were applied to solve the above question. Finally, the existed cam structure can be changed, so that a new cam structure that the pushing bar rotates around the outline of the still cam can be created to simplify the structural complexity safflower filaments picking device. Through analyzing kinetic characteristics of safflower filaments picking device, it took some time that the pushing bar passes the return curve, resulting in that safflower filaments cannot be clamped quickly, making the picking ratio very low. To solve the difficulty of low picking efficiency, the arc shape picking finger shape was developed, filling in the gap of the time spending on clamping picking fingers and improving safflower filaments picking efficiency. Through the kinematical simulation of the safflower filament device, it was successive that the curves simulated the picking finger speed and acceleration, indicating that kinematical characteristics of the safflower filament device were suitable. The physical prototype of the safflower filament device was manufactured, and the picking performance of the safflower filament device was tested. The experiment results showed that picking ratio was about 90%, so that the device can meet picking requirements.