PHOTO: JOHN DEERE
INTERVIEW ▶▶▶
bottleneck. Software is an absolute necessity for managing and controlling projects, and is not only used to develop virtual trac- tors and machines. It is also used for extensive simulation of the operation, and that is crucial for the controllability of projects. Simulation will also help us combine electrical power with auton- omy, and that will enable higher operating speeds. Why not drive (much) faster in the field? If we can drive faster, we can limit the working width and develop more affordable vehicles and ma- chines. I believe that a self-propelled (autonomous) machine can and should be cheaper than a multi-purpose vehicle like a tractor. However, the limited production numbers keep the prices high.”
Why make parts only for a cvt electrical? Jørgen Audenaert: “The eAutoPower transmission we showed at Agritechnica is really different from anything else previously seen, and you can consider that an omen. Being awarded the golden in- novation medal, means that we will have to bring that product to the market before November 2021. It offers a higher productivity than traditional drivelines and will therefore be very interesting for large scale farm enterprises and contractors.” “John Deere be- lieves in electrification. At the next Agritechnica in 2021, we will show a lot more electrified machinery,” Pickel adds. Tarasinski: “Production quantities and economies of scale will set the pace of the introduction, and are a fundamental enabler for manufacturers. I believe that farming will follow the trend cur- rently seen in the car industry. In 10 years’ time, we will see mar- ket introduction and penetration of electrically powered tractors and farm vehicles.”
Do we need disruptive start-ups like Tesla to disrupt the market and radically change it? Tarasinski: “John Deere is the Tesla of agriculture as far as electrifi- cation is concerned! Take for instance the previously mentioned E Premium and GridCON tractors as well as the Joker. The Joker weighs under 5 tons, has a 250 kilowatts electric drive, a 250 kilo- watts PTO drive and two 250 kilowatts power outputs for imple- ments and machines. That’s 1 megawatt combined. GridCON is a concept for how we could power the Joker, with a long power supply cable. In this concept, autonomy is ideal, as for a driver it’s difficult to manage the logistics of the power supply cable. We got inspired by similar technologies from a 100 years ago and from the Dutch, who use a long drag hose to deliver slurry from a depot or tank to an injector in the field.”
Does electric power require additional software development? Tarasinski: “In fact, software nowadays is used right from the start of any research and development project. It isn’t considered a
14 ▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 May 2020
Joker with lowest ground pressure “The Joker isn’t meant to lift any implements,” says Nicolai Tarasin- ski. “It’s designed as a pulling vehicle with the potential of power- ing implements and machines. Maybe we will add another drive axle at the rear. The development is part of the four-year public development Feldschwarm project (
www.feldschwarm.de) and a forerunner of new types of farm vehicles. The articulated concept was chosen as it is easier to construct/build, has a lower ground pressure, and it has a very small turning radius (beneficial on headlands). The modular design offers a cost advantage as we in- tend to sell more modules in the future. Modules that will unite/ combine tractors and implements into one machine. These will
‘Robots are just actuators in a larger automation system’
eventually replace the current day concepts of tractors with separate implements and machines.” “Besides, it enables us to connect machines intended for 8R sized tractors to a 6R sized chassis. Using (electrical) modules and components in numerous vehicles will also offer a cost advan- tage. Nonetheless, hydraulic systems and cylinders will remain, as these can provide much more power and pressure than electrical actuators.” “Robots are just actuators in a larger automation system,” explains Peter Pickel. “Eventually, each plant will be treated individually with the optimum amount of fertiliser, irrigation and crop protec- tion. We will see lighter vehicles with more driven axles to lower the impact on the soil. Trafficability is a major element in this. Yet, the first robots will be able to replace manned tractors, as skilled labour remains to be the limiting factor. Besides, most accidents in agriculture are due to human error. As soon as humans have accepted that autonomous vehicles are safer than manned vehi- cles, lawmakers will follow and that will speed up the acceptance of autonomous vehicles. I believe this will happen.”
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