In Ireland, there is the idea that field robots are something that will arrive one day a long time from now, but that day has already arrived – with the Agxeed 5.115T2 being displayed at the recent Kellys of Borris celebration event.
News of this machine comes across as it being some sort of prototype out on the Dutch polders, so it might be surprising to learn that there are approximately 90 of them working autonomously around the world already.
Claas has a significant but undisclosed shareholding in the Agxeed company.
Amazon is also involved, but its holding is much less, and of the two, it is the tractor company that appears to have picked up the ball and is now running furiously with it.
Other tractor manufacturers are certainly looking to produce autonomous versions of their current products, but the Agxeed machines are new from the ground up, designed to be robots from the start rather, than tractor conversions.
Deutz power for Agxeed
This has led to some interesting design features.
Unencumbered by the need to keep an engine and bulky transmission running along the axis of the tractor, the four-cylinder 150hp Deutz unit is mounted transversely at the front of the machine, reducing its wheel base, or track length, to just 2.55m.
This arrangement was last commonly used by John Deere up until the 1960s, and the introduction of its new generation models and the return of the format, marks just one departure from standard tractor design.
This is no lightweight machine, with 7.8t in standard trim, which immediately calls for tracks to reduce ground pressure to a tolerable level.
The distance between tracks is also adjustable by 1.1m to suit various tramline and widths of growing beds.
With an approximate price of €300,000, there has to be some advantage to using an Agxeed – and the main one is the saving on labour costs.
There is enough fuel carried on board to keep it running for 20 hours at 75% engine load, and although it cannot be operated 24/7 due to refuelling and maintenance, there is scope for much longer days.
Depending upon the country it is working in, it may well be possible to recoup the higher purchase price within three years – possibly a good deal less in some regions where employment costs are high.
Field operation
The rationale of the Agxeed 5.115T2 is to replace present manned tractors with an unmanned unit that can provide a platform for conventional implements and farming methods.
This it does, by having both a rear and optional front linkage. The rear is capable of lifting 8t, if suitably ballasted, and to reduce transport length the implement can be further tilted to 90°, a unique feature for any tractor as far as is known.
The need to transport it for road movements was one of the major design considerations, hence its overall compactness.
Another notable feature built into the firmware from the start, was Tractor Implement Management (TIM), enabling it to coordinate fully with ISOBUS equipped implements, in addition to just pulling standard cultivation equipment.
This feature further reduces the need for the human component.
Safety
Allowing robots to roam the fields unsupervised is a situation that has been poorly catered for in legislation, a situation which is presently being addressed at EU level.
In the meantime, Agxeed believes it is operating within the frame that already exists, claiming that each robot has €50,000 worth of safety equipment aboard.
The systems include lidar, radar, ultrasonic and a big spongy bumper on the front that immediately stops the machine should it encounter an object.
Other measures include geofencing, audio and visual warnings, as well as emergency stop buttons.
Agxeed leading the way
Tractor manufacturers have long boasted of their engagement with digital technology, yet now that the baby has grown up, they are scrambling to contain and direct it to their advantage.
Rather than attempt to convert a conventional tractor to autonomous running, Claas has adopted the strategy of getting in on the ground floor with a company that has built a machine to run autonomously as its core design principle.
With nearly 100 machines already out in the field working on a commercial basis it is well ahead of other manufacturers, who will find themselves chasing the market.
Will farmers accept these machines and will future legislation allow them in their present form?
These are two big questions, but the Agxeed is here and is already working, and giving notice that answers will be needed sooner rather than later.
