The conventional kelp culture rafts remains in extensive use into the present day. However, such rafts rely on manual harvesting and are associated with a number of problems: a lack of uniform quality standards and dimensions, inconsistent length and spacing between kelp ropes due to the mixed use of old and new ropes, the bending and warping of rafts, and difficulty in controlling harvesting vessels due to the large flow of water during the harvesting process. All of these limit the consistent use of mechanized harvesting practices. In order to enable the systemic mechanized harvesting of kelp, this study thoroughly reviewed a range of interrelated culture rafts and harvesting equipment, and a new, optimized mechanized kelp harvesting model was created, involving ropes connected in series along with harvesting cutter systems. Conventional rafts using kelp ropes connected in parallel were transformed and upgraded into serial-connected ones maintaining the original frame width and spacing between kelp ropes and connecting kelp ropes in a "▪" shape, while the harvesting equipment installed on the vessel is designed to lift the kelp ropes, cut kelp stipes and handholds, transport kelp, reel in and store kelp ropes, etc. Kelp ropes are designed to be quickly run through the hole in the cutting device, after which the stipes and holdfasts are cut off at high speed and separated from the kelp ropes. Sea tests showed that, after a single culture cycle, the average yield of kelp cultivated in series-connection rope rafts was 99.77 % compared to conventional parallel connection rope rafts. The cutting and harvesting equipment for kelp culture in series connection rope rafts had a yield of 12–15 t/h, and required 4 operators with a harvest yield of 3–3.75 t/h/person. However, the conventional manual harvesting method for kelp cultures grown on parallel-connected rope rafts had a yield of 8 − 10 t/h, and generally required a single harvesting team consisting of 16 operators. The yield of the mechanized harvesting system was 1.5 times that of manual harvesting, saving 3/4 of labor, while the per capita yield of mechanized harvesting was 6–7 times that of the manual harvesting system. Tests therefore showed that mechanized harvesting has greatly improved efficiency and significantly reduced labor intensity.