HuizingHarvest expects a shift towards autonomous vehicles in the near future. To figure out how to make this work, they are converting a cheap Chinese harvester into an autonomous one. Just to learn.
corner of barley behind the facility, which the team hope to harvest by autonomous means in September when HuizingHarvest celebrates its tenth
birthday.
Drawing lines on a smartphone Nico Huizing will soon be going to Ukraine. The company has contact with a software develop- er there that is able to write an application for smartphones, in which you define a plot and then draw in the guidelines. The combine is meant to follow these lines using a GPS receiv- er. Meetings are being held in the meantime with GPS suppliers. Huizing notes that major, renowned suppliers are quick to decline any involvement due to potential insurance issues. HuizingHarvest is self-funding its project, known as Agrobotix, which allows it to main- tain full control and flexibility. “It is possible to apply for a grant, but you then need to set a course and stick to it throughout. We do not want that, because we have no idea how it will turn out.” The company was likewise not keen to throw in its lot with a major machinery manufacturer, because the machine soon be- comes a branded product and you will have to fall in with the manufacturer’s wishes. The aim
is to keep the machine as universal as possible, and it appears to be succeeding. “On Aliex-
press.com, you can buy basic parking sensors for € 40,” explains Thijs Hidding. “They light up when you need to brake, and we can use that signal to instruct the machine to brake.”
A small, lightweight fleet Nico Huizing deliberately opted for a small
machine. “If you no longer depend on drivers, why would you still choose a heavy machine? If you understand the negative impact of soil compaction, what you want to do is work with a fleet of lightweight tracked combines.” And if that fails? All options remain open. For the time being, the team simply want to learn a great deal in order to use their knowledge in their field of work in the future.
The header reel is meant for rice. The men plan to modify this so they can use their converted machine to harvest barley.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 27 August 2019 31
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