PHOTO: HENK RISWICK
PHOTO: AMAZONE
PHOTO: AGROINTELLI
agricultural machinery will exceed three mil- lion items and will account for a market size of $ 180 billion by 2024.
Small but refined Smaller models equipped with a tool or ma- chine no wider than the vehicle itself are also easier to secure with cameras and anti-colli- sion devices to give the vehicle enough time to detect a child playing or an amorous couple amongst tall crops, which are the most fre- quently mentioned causes of concern. Small models are also ideal for use in a more or less enclosed working environment such as an orchard or vineyard. It is usually the numerous start-ups, which tend to think outside the box and in some cas- es have no experience in agriculture, that de- velop small robots for crop-related activities, such as sowing, applying fertiliser or crop pro- tection products, carrying out inspections and hoeing site specifically. Sometimes, these ac- tivities may even target individual plants. At the same time, tractor manufacturers are convinced that in ten to twenty years’ time, large tractors will still be necessary to provide traction during soil cultivation and harvesting. This list, that doesn’t (cl)aim to be complete, is a mix of small and medium-sized autonomous tractors with the familiar exterior, autono- mous implement carriers, swarm robots, and crop-care robots.
Manufacturer: AgroIntelli (DK) Type(s): Robotti and GrassBot2 Kind of vehicle: autonomous equipment carrier
Description/status: AgroIntelli, which was established in 2015 by former Kongskilde employees, has since sold at least six Robot- tis, mostly to research institutions including Wageningen University & Research. The three-point linkage between the two sides, each with a diesel engine inside, is large enough to hold 3-metre wide tools. A version with LiDAR for obstacle detection is due for release in 2020. That function is currently only per- formed by the anti-collision device. Prices start at € 100,000. The GrassBot2 is still under development as a harvesting robot for less tractive soil.
Manufacturer: Amazone/Bosch (D) Type(s): BoniRob Kind of vehicle: swarm robot
Description/status: In 2009, Amazone demonstrated the BoniRob, which it devel- oped in collaboration with Osnabrück Uni- versity of Applied Sciences and Bosch. Bon- iRob is intended to operate together with multiple robots in a swarm. Amazone is no longer actively working on development, and the BoniRob and related robots are now continuing to be developed by Bosch Deep- field Robotics. Not yet on the market.
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