AUTOMATION ▶▶▶ Autonomy, or maybe not just yet? A BY RENÉ KOERHUIS


re we and is agriculture ready for au- tonomous tractors? The answer to that question mainly depends on who you ask. If you asked Dutch ara-


ble farmer Cornelis Sieling that question 57 years ago, he likely have said ‘within a few years’. As long ago as 1962, he developed the Agri-Ro- bot, the world’s first fully automatic autono- mous ploughing tractor using a feeler wheel in the furrow for navigation. Try searching ‘Agri-Robot’ on YouTube (1962). Even then, the shortage of (competent) labourers formed the most important argument for the development. In 1999, it was John Deere that suggested a ca- bleless autonomous version of its 5310 tractor. That tractor can now be found in the manufac- turer’s museum with a video next to it showing its possibilities, such as pulling a multi-row sprayer in an orchard. This is repetitive and ‘haz- ardous’ work on a practically enclosed site. Around this time of year, so exactly 20 years lat- er, John Deere will presumably display an au- tonomous, articulated electric tractor equipped with tracks at the Agritechnica exhibition.


There are numerous projects under way across the world involving autonomous agricultural vehicles. The majority of these concern (small) robots and small to medium-sized tractors. One manufacturer dared to work on large tractors. We took a detailed look at 20 projects around the world.


Another ten years to wait Ask ‘conventional’ tractor manufacturers when they think we will see larger autonomous trac- tors and vehicles appear on fields (in Europe), and many will (officially) say that it will take another ten years. Not because of the technol- ogy, as that has already been mature enough for years. With GPS, autopilot, cameras, lasers (LiDAR), headland management and TIM, all the components required for autonomy are available on board. However, they are currently still used to provide assistance and support to the driver. Not only manufacturers, but also re- searchers are put off mainly because of legisla- tion and safety issues, but also because of the costs of the technology. “The automotive in- dustry is so big and far more advanced than the agricultural sector,” explained researcher


Mikkel Fly Kragh in Future Farming No. 1 2019. “But once the autonomous car becomes avail- able, I think the agricultural sector will soon follow suit, in about ten years or so. From a technical point of view, it is possible tomorrow, but legislation and customer interest still stand in the way.” Nevertheless, all tractor manufacturers, whether they will admit it or not, and in secret or not, are working on the development of au- tonomous tractors. The most visible example can be found in Japan, where autonomous (agricultural) machinery and vehicles are al- ready permitted under the law. That usually means smaller models, but the level of auton- omy is equally suitable for use in larger mod- els. According to a report in 2018 by Global Market Insights, the demand for autonomous


These manufacturers are also developing robotic tractors


All tractor manufacturers and certainly doz- ens of start-ups, are working on robots and autonomous tractors, often still behind the scenes. In 2011, Claas attracted attention with its Etrion 400, a prototype of an electri- cally powered (robotic) tractor with both tyres and a track undercarriage. There was still a seat for a driver. Officially, Claas has said that it will still focus on driver assistance systems instead of autonomy over the next 10 years. SDF/Deutz-Fahr worked together on the ZF Innovation Tractor in 2016, but have not revealed any further information about ongoing projects. Iseki is unwilling to disclose anything more than the fact that it is involved in a number of autonomy pro- jects in Japan. The Hands Free Hectare pro- ject in the UK has already converted an Iseki TLE 3400 into an autonomous vehicle. Lind-


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ner is working with another Austrian compa- ny, PASand ZF on TracLink Pilot. For now, cameras and lasers fitted on a Lintrac 110 provide support for the driver, making it suit-


▶ FUTURE FARMING | 1 november 2019


able for future autonomous operation. Indi- an company Mahindra announced over a year ago that it is working on autonomous tractors at its Research Valley in Chennai, without providing any photos or further in- formation to date. Rostselmash stated it is testing driverless tractors and combine har- vesters, and will not release any photos yet. Production of those is scheduled between 2022 and 2023. Alongside Fendt, Valtra is the only Agco brand to have officially an- nounced that it sent a driverless T254 across the ice in Finland to set the world (speed) record for snow-clearing. Other tractor manufacturers not listed here have not dis- closed any information about robotic trac- tors, but we know for sure that the other groups (certainly the Asian ones) are working on them.


PHOTO: HANDS FREE HECTARE PROJECT


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