Case IH concept vehicle breaks cover

Farm machinery giant Case IH has given the public a glimpse into the future at the recent Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa (USA), with the unveiling of its futuristic concept vehicle designed to work autonomously with a wide range of farm implements.

The concept tractor was jointly created by Case IH's parent company, CNH Industrial and its long-standing technology provider – Utah-based Autonomous Solutions Incorporated (ASI).

CNH Industrial’s Innovation Group based the 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 operator can remotely 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 concept machine 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.

Case IH Brand President Andreas Klauser says the machine can address labour shortages on farms around the world.

"In many parts of the world, finding skilled labour during peak use seasons is a constant challenge for our customers," he says.

"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."

He adds Case IH would like to gather feedback from customers about its concept vehicle and their need for future autonomous products for their operations.

"It is very exciting for us to explore the possibilities that this technology can provide to our customers," Klauser says.

"We look forward to getting their input regarding this concept and how it can help them achieve new production efficiencies."

Case IH precision farming arm Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) Global Product Marketing Manager Rob Zemenchik says the autonomous concept presents endless possibilities for workers on the land.

"A farm manager can supervise the activities of multiple machines via a mobile tablet interface while he tends to other tasks or even operates another vehicle," he says.

"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.

"So you could have one tractor pulling a chisel plow followed closely by another one operating a planter. The opportunities for efficiency are substantial."

While the autonomous vehicle is currently only a concept, Zemenchik says the technology could function just as well in a standard cab tractor where it could use real-time weather and satellite data to optimally apply nitrogen, herbicides, or fungicides.

"These enhancements really become interesting for our customers when weather comes into play,” Zemenchik says.

"Because if it starts to rain in one field, the tractor will automatically stop what it’s doing and head over to another field that is dry to work on that provided it can access that field via private roads."

Prior to the concept’s unveiling at the Farm Progress Show, company executives presented a video demonstration of the tractor tilling and planting on land in the Southeastern United States earlier this summer.