CASE IH last week unveiled an autonomous concept vehicle at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.
The concept vehicle is a cab-less Case IH row crop tractor that can operate autonomously with a wide range of field implements.
"In many parts of the world, finding skilled labour during peak use seasons is a constant challenge for our customers," Case IH brand president Andreas Klauser said. "While we offer auto-steering and telematics on our equipment today for remote management of farm machinery and employees, this autonomous tractor concept demonstrates how our customers and their employees could remotely monitor and control machines directly.
"This technology will offer our customers greater operational efficiencies for tasks such as tillage, planting, spraying and harvesting."
Mr Klauser explained the concept was created to validate the technology and to collect customer feedback regarding their interest and need for future autonomous products for their operations.
Case IH and CNH Industrial's Innovation Group based the cab-less autonomous concept on an existing Case IH Magnum tractor with re-imagined styling.
The vehicle was built for a fully interactive interface to allow for remote monitoring of pre-programmed operations.
The on-board system automatically accounts for implement widths and plots the most efficient paths depending on the terrain, obstructions and other machines in use in the same field. The remote operator can supervise and adjust pathways via a desktop computer or portable tablet interface.
Through the use of radar, lidar (light imaging, detection, and ranging) and on-board video cameras, the vehicle can sense stationary or moving obstacles in its path and will stop on its own until the operator, notified by audio and visual alerts, assigns a new path.
The vehicle will also stop immediately if GPS signal or position data is lost, or if the manual stop button is pushed. Machine tasks can also be modified in real time via remote interface or automatic weather warnings.
AFS global product marketing manager, Rob Zemenchik, said a farm manager could supervise the activities of multiple machines via a mobile tablet interface.
"Multiple autonomous tractors can work as one fleet or simultaneously in multiple sub-fleets assigned to separate fields, each assigned with pre-programmed maps and prescriptions," he said.
Although the autonomous vehicle is presently considered only as a concept tractor, Mr Zemenchik said the technology could function just as well in a standard cabbed tractor where it could use real-time weather and satellite data to optimally apply crop inputs such as nitrogen, herbicides or fungicides.
To watch a video detailing the concept tractor's capabilities, visit the Case IH channel on YouTube.
p More information: Contact you local Case IH dealer or visit www.caseih.com.au