Quantifying trunk influence on vibration response of Camellia oleifera branches via dynamic equivalence

• Equivalent Dynamic Model of Camellia oleifera Trunk • Quantification of Branch-Equivalent Parameters • Systematic Revelation of the Critical Influence of Trunk on Branch Vibration • Integration of High-Precision Simulation and Experimental Validation This study addresses the uncertainty caused by oversimplified models in predicting the vibration responses of fruit trees by quantifying the influence of the Camellia oleifera trunk on branch system dynamics. An equivalent dynamic model of the trunk was developed to characterize its equivalent stiffness and damping coefficients using known parameters such as branch radius. The vibration testing process was simulated using ADAMS (2020, MSC Software Corporation). The results show that neglecting the trunk effect reduces the branch tip acceleration by 55.17% and the acceleration transmissibility by 16.69%. Simulation results based on the proposed equivalent model exhibited an average relative error of only 2.26 percentage points compared with experimental measurements, thereby validating the accuracy of the model. This dynamic equivalent modeling approach provides a theoretical basis for optimizing vibration-based fruit harvesting systems and supports the development of smart agricultural technologies for efficient and precise mechanized harvesting.