Addressing the issue of high water content in field corn harvested in the southern region of China, which complicates the peeling process, a peeling device was designed based on an analysis of the peeling process and its underlying principles. The device utilized directional friction to peel the cob after the bracts were scratched. The mechanical and kinematic analysis of the cob peeling process was conducted according to the physical characteristics of the corn cob. Additionally, a scratching device was designed to engage the surface of the cob bracts, facilitating the entry of the cob into the peeling device in a vertical orientation. The structural parameters of the scratching device were optimized through simulation testing by using EDEM software. High-speed camera technology was employed to study the peeling process and verified that the peeling roller effectively captured the bracts at the scratch points. The primary factors influencing peeling performance, identified as the speed of the peeling roller, the speed of the pressure feeder, and the distance between the pressure feeder and the peeling roller, were determined. The Box Behnken experimental design was employed to conduct a three-factor, three-level orthogonal test, with peeling roller speed, pressure feeder speed, and the distance between the peeling roller and pressure feeder as the test factors, and the rates of bract peeling and grain shedding as the response variables. The results demonstrated that at a peeling roller speed of 353.2 r/min, a pressing wheel speed of 81.42 r/min, and a distance of 37.16 mm between the pressing wheel and the peeling roller, the bract peeling rate of 95.67%, with a grain shedding rate of 1.45%. Verification tests under these conditions yielded a bract peeling rate of 93.33% and a grain shedding rate of 1.56%, values that were in close agreement with the optimized parameters and met the requirements for efficient corn peeling. These findings can provide a useful reference for improving the peeling process for high-watercontent corn in the southern region.