Labour shortage is an issue for farming around the globe and an expanding list of agricultural equipment manufacturers are looking to autonomous robots to provide a solution for their customers.
At Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, Kuhn rolled out KARL — an autonomous 175 hp robot prototype capable of performing field work in broad acre production. In this report, RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney and Kuhn product line manager David Hild discuss the potential advantages robots such as KARL could bring to the farm and the hurdles they must overcome to reach commercialization.
Hild says KARL is still a work in progress but with a diesel engine to deliver primary power, and the capability to generate electricity to drive electrified implements, Kuhn believes KARL can do things that can’t be achieved with a standard PTO.
Hild says the the power train has delivered strong performance in tillage operations and similar success is expected for spraying and seeding operations. In Europe, the immediate hurdle is the enactment regulations and safety certifications to allow autonomous technology like KARL the freedom to operate on-farm. Watch the full conversation below.
RealAgriculture’s coverage of Agritechnica is brought to you by Optimum GLY, a new canola trait technology from Corteva Agriscience.
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