PHOTO: MATT MCINTOSH
PHOTO: MATT MCINTOSH PHOTO: DOT TECHNOLOGY
FIRST PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE ▶▶▶
Eastern Canada gets its first working Dot Power Platform
BY MATT MCINTOSH H
aggerty Creek Ltd., a grain elevator and farm service provider in South- western Ontario, took possession of a Dot Power Platform and accompa-
nying fertiliser cart unit in May of this year. With plans to use the Dot for both fertiliser ap- plication and − eventually − corn planting, op- erations manager Chuck Baresich says their fi- nal goal is to sell the much-hyped autonomous vehicle to Ontario farmers.
Dot used to apply fertiliser The autonomous machine was assembled at Haggerty Creek on May 12, then used to apply fertiliser on 150 acres the following day. Tweaks might need to be made, but the opera- tors of Eastern Canada’s first working Dot Pow- er Platform say they’re very enthusiastic about its performance so far.
Programming changes needed “Our initial intention is to use it in our own op- erations,” says Baresich, adding that the main reason they are using the Dot for fertiliser ap- plication (on their own land) is because the machine needs to be fine-tuned to fit Ontario field conditions. Long interested in the tech- nology, Baresich observed the Dot working effectively in its native prairie environment
Operators of Eastern Canada’s first Dot Power Platform are very enthusiastic about its performance so far.
during a previous visit to Raven’s Saskatche- wan research farm. However, the wide-sweep- ing turns, speed, and a variety of other small factors that worked so well in the prairie envi- ronment could actually pose problems in the smaller – and sometimes more varied – con- fines of Ontario fields. Those problems, howev- er, derive not from hardware constraints, but from well-intended precautions built into the platform’s standard operating software. “The manufacturers had put restrictions in the pro- gramming to limit how sharply it can turn. It was a safety thing,” says Baresich.
Support Dot manufacturers Their localised research is being conducted with support from the Dot manufacturers. So, when a problem like turn radius is cited, Hag- gerty Creek and the manufacturer engaged in a back-and-forth action to optimise the platform’s ability to get into and manoeuvre within field corners and edges. “The machine
can do it, but the programming needs to be al- tered. Most issues were just little software things like tuning the engine for more appro- priate turning speeds. There are small prob- lems but, if you’re okay with that, its fine. As long as it’s not slowing down the job,” Baresich says. Each field in which the Dot operates at Haggerty Creek is mapped ahead of time using a small all-terrain vehicle. Exclusion zones such as wet or swampy areas within the perimeter are also identified and incorporated in the cov- erage plan. This sets the parameters in which the platform can autonomously operate using its perception system.
Not leaving the Dot unattended But while Baresich observed the perception system working quite well during his Saskatchewan visit – he saw the platform drive itself to the work site and commence the job without issue – he and his Haggerty Creek colleagues are not willing to leave it
Chuck Baresich: “Most issues were just little software things like tuning the engine for more appropriate turning speeds.”
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A physical shut-off system is being used as an additional safety measure. It’s comprised of cables connected to pairs of hinged arms extending outwards from the machine’s four corners – the idea being that any obstruction will hit a cable, opening the arms and triggering a shutdown.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 20 November 2020
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