Design and development of high clearance e-vehicle for robotic cotton picker

The development of high-clearance, electrically powered agricultural machinery is essential for improving farming efficiency and sustainability. This study presents the design and development of a high-clearance e-vehicle to support a robotic cotton picker, enabling efficient navigation through densely planted cotton fields. A Python-based computational model was used to determine significant vehicle parameters, including centre of gravity, slope stability, turning dynamics, and moment of inertia. The centre of gravity was located at 585.54 mm longitudinally, 867.47 mm laterally, and 1083.46 mm in height from reference points. Stability analysis revealed maximum upgrade and downgrade slopes of 28.39° and 43.67°, respectively, with critical turning speeds of 24.71 km/h for left turns and 27.26 km/h for right turns. The moment of inertia about the centre of gravity was calculated as 51135.31 kg-mm-s². Additionally, the vehicle's speed performance was evaluated under different motor speeds and gear settings, with a maximum speed of 12.19 km/h achieved in motor speed mode 1 at gear 2. The results confirm that the e-vehicle maintains stability while manoeuvring slopes and turns, effectively operating in fields with row spacings of 900 mm and 675 mm. This study contributes to the advancement of energy-efficient agricultural machinery, addressing challenges in navigating complex crop geometries and supporting the transition to sustainable precision farming.