PHOTOS: JACCO VAN ERKELENS
FIRST PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE ▶▶▶
Fendt demonstrates new generation of Xaver field robots
BY JACCO VAN ERKELENS A
t a Fendt press event on 3 Septem- ber, the German brand presented its latest generation of Xaver field robots. These robots have three in-
stead of four wheels. They are also equipped with a seeding unit with a disc coulter. They serve as a development platform for future technologies on large Fendt agricultural machines.
Lower ground pressure Fendt has been researching future strategies such as robotics and swarm intelligence since 2017. Multiple robots work in swarms on the same field at the same time. According to Fendt, the Xaver field robot ensures lower ground pressure, less energy consumption,
Fendt’s Xaver field robot now has three wheels and it is equipped with a seeding unit with a disc coulter.
noise-free operation and reduced emissions of harmful gases. The robot also reduces labour
costs.The Xaver is now equipped with a seeder with one coulter and a 20-litre seed hopper. This can carry enough seed for sowing approximately 0.5 hectares at 90,000 seeds/ha. Grain seeds are sown with an accuracy of a few centimeters thanks to an electrically driven system. The seeds are sown at a set distance from each other. In the future, Smart Firmer from Precision Planting will be installed. The sensors will measure soil moisture, soil tem- perature, organic matter content and the pres- ence of plant residues in order to determine the correct depth of the seed.
Increased contact surface The robot now has three wheels with the rear wheel in the middle. In addition to driving the robot, this wheel also acts as a firming wheel. The soil above the seed is thus closed and lightly compacted so that moisture remains in the soil and the seed can germinate. The larger wheels of the Fendt Xaver now offer a larger contact surface, increased ground clearance and more precise depth control. The rear wheel is steered and can, in combination with all-wheel drive, turn on a two-metre headland. By placing wheel weights in the two front wheels, the weight of the robot can be in- creased up to a maximum loaded weight of
Each robot is assigned its own plot so that they don’t collide. If one breaks down, another robot can take over and finish both its own and the other robot’s tasks.
44 ▶ FUTURE FARMING | 20 November 2020
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