News Technique
Nothing runs like a Deere without a driver
John Deere is launching a new version of their 8R tractor that can operate without a driver. A first series of 410 hp heavy machine will start working in the United States this year. The 360-degree camera technology should become the driver's eye. He follows it from his lazy chair with the help of an app.
Deere & Co has been exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas for several years now. In addition to smartphones, televisions, coffee makers and all kinds of things, you will also find John Deere combine harvesters, tractors, field sprayers and implements for several years now. This year it is the turn of the autonomous 8R. It was launched on Tuesday evening, January 4.
The first copies of the modified 8R410 are already in the field in the Midwest. A limited first series will follow this year, which will be sold through a number of selected dealers. The company has not disclosed exactly how much. At the same time as the tractor, a 'chisel plow' – a sort of cultivator – is delivered. It is GPS controlled and must be used in conjunction with the tractor. Further sensors on the implement are missing.
Not the first
Deere is certainly not the first to introduce an autonomous tractor on the market. That honor may belong to the Dutch Precision Makers, which previously converted tractors from John Deere and Fendt. The company stopped doing that because the flood of software updates that made it impossible for the autonomous systems to work properly. Before the company gave up completely, a partnership with Deere announced. In August last year, the world's largest machine manufacturer bought the startup Bear Flag Robotics with the same purpose.
More players are active. Tech specialist Raven (owned by CNH) has OmniDrive, which fits multiple brands. This mainly concerns tractors that stand in front of a transfer truck and autonomously transport grain between the combine harvester and the truck.
Feeding mouths
Still, the launch of John Deere is significant. It is the first major manufacturer of the 'big five' in tractor country to come up with a turnkey solution. Every manufacturer is busy with it. CNH (Case IH and New Holland) already showed autonomous tractors in 2006, but they have not yet produced a practical example. According to Jahmy Hindman – responsible for the technology at the company – the step between the current 8R and the autonomous one is relatively small. "The preparation was there."
The reasons for a driverless cab are clear, according to the American: "The world population will grow from eight billion to ten billion people by 2050. The demand for food will increase by 50%. Farmers have to feed them mouths and need us to do so." For the first test users, finding staff for the farm is a crime.
How does the 8R do the trick of autonomous driving? The heart of the system are twelve so-called 'stereo cameras', which are mounted in duos all around. The video images are sent to two super-fast processors that - Deere reports - make a decision within 100 milliseconds. The cameras see depth, just like the human eye, and that provides obstacle detection. All those images are merged into one image that you can call up via My Operations Center. Swipe the image to the left and the trigger will start.
Quick offer
This sets the manufacturer apart from competitors and companies in the automotive industry. There, among other things, 'lidar' is widely used, ordinary radar or ultrasonic sensors. Hindman admits that driving a tractor through a crop cannot escape that technique, but now it chooses the simple way. In their own words, to offer users the technology as quickly as possible. In the future, the technology will be offered as an 'after market kit' for retrofitting to existing tractors. He is also interchangeable. It cannot or will not say yet what the costs are. An estimated 10% of the total machine price. For an 8R410 and $500.000 cultivator, that's $50.000. Converted more than €44.000. Incidentally, a type of subscription is still being considered instead of a one-time payment.
John Deere is not entirely uncontroversial, certainly in its own country. It refused employees to pay a fair wage increase and pension, while the costs of the machines do rise sharply. This resulted in lengthy strikes. In addition, a growing group of American farmers are dissatisfied with the manufacturer's stance. Those who want to repair their tractor themselves are not allowed to do so. The chunk of electronics that the autonomous 8R carries with it will certainly not help.
Rather at night
Another big challenge, Hindman points out, is finding a stable internet signal. If the 5G signal drops, the tractor will stop immediately. The same goes for the GPS signal. In rural areas this is sometimes a problem. If the twelve cameras see an obstacle, the tractor will of course also stop. According to the makers, the system is very reliable and only stops when it is really necessary. Incidentally, the system works better in the dark, because the conditions are more even. After all, the intensity of the light varies considerably more during the day. So working 24/7 is no problem.
Anyone who starts working with an autonomous 8R will receive a special helpdesk that is also available 24/7 to help with problems. Incidentally, it is possible with software - again from your lazy chair - to have the tractor steer around a large obstacle in one piece. You don't always have to go into the field. If the diesel tank is empty, it will automatically drive to a predetermined point. Before you start cultivating, you first set a boundary. You do that manually by driving around. The tractor does not deviate from this limit.
Fully autonomous in 10 years
Step by step, John Deere will launch new functionalities for the system. These come in the form of software and hardware updates. Hence the subscription structure. According to Hindman, it is realistic that within ten years all work (for a Midwest grain company) in the field can be performed autonomously. This involves cultivation, sowing, harvesting and transport. There has been no mention of plans for a launch outside the United States.
Niels van der Boom
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
