Product kinematic analysis and optimization for low-carbon footprint

Low-carbon design that reduces the life cycle carbon emissions of products at source is increasingly becoming an important direction in product design to mitigate global warming further. An important design principle should be minimizing the product's weight and movement efficiency while minimizing its life cycle carbon emissions. This paper proposed a product kinematic analysis based on carbon footprint. After that, it developed a flexible picking actuator for tomato fruit based on the Bricard mechanism. Through kinematic analysis of the picking actuator, the optimized design of the mechanism is followed by simulation tests to reduce the carbon footprint over its life cycle. A systematic carbon footprint calculation model for the Bricard mechanism-based picking actuator is also developed and applied in the product design process to verify the design mechanism's feasibility, method and technology.