Abstract: According to work requirements of walking-type rice transplanter, backward rotary transplanting mechanism with eccentric gears and non-circular gear was developed, in which planetary gear train with eccentric gears and non-circular gear were used. In this paper, the kinematic characteristics of planetary gear train with eccentric gears and non-circular gear were analyzed and kinematic models of the transplanting mechanism were established. Based on the optimization software, which was developed by the authors, parameters of the transplanting mechanism were optimized and the one which met the work requirements of walking-type rice transplanter was given by the method of man-machine conversation. Virtual prototype test was performed after finishing the 2D and 3D design of the transplanting mechanism, and the results showed that the transplanting mechanism can create static locus which looks like a ‘dolphin’ in shape and meet the work requirements of walking-type rice transplanter.