Before the invention of autonomous tractors all the intelligence needed to operate the machine and implements sat squarely in the tractor seat — the farmer controlled all aspects of the operation.
In the case of tillage, for example, the farmer monitored the speed of the tractor and when the cultivator clogged they were there to raise the implement, clear the blockage and drive on. But what happens when an autonomous tractor no longer has a farmer at the wheel ready to troubleshoot even the simplest challenges encountered in field operations?
As autonomy gains a greater foothold in field operations, machinery manufacturers are now working to implant that farmer intelligence in both the tractor and their implements, allowing them to share information, solve problems and get the job done.
In this report from Agritechnica 23, RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney and CLAAS head of technology management, Christoph Molitor, discuss how three manufacturers — CLAAS, AgXeed and Amazone — are collaborating to connect ag machinery intelligence by establishing the first multi-manufacturer autonomy group.
Simply named 3A (Advanced Automation & Autonomy), the group aims to accelerate the development, standardization and market introduction of semi- and fully autonomous tractor-implement combinations through their combined expertise.
In the interview, Molitor says for automation and autonomy to be successful in agriculture, both tractors and their implements must be intelligent and share information to effectively complete field and farming tasks. He also stresses that multi-manufacturer, multi-brand partnerships are necessary to allow farmers to seamlessly connect different equipment to farm efficiently. Watch the interview 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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