Automatic Driving system for agriculture

[eSurvey]

 

[Northern farmer]

Do you sell the electric steering wheel separately? Could you provide interface specifications? Price?

 

[eSurvey]

Do you sell the electric steering wheel separately? Could you provide interface specifications? Price?

Hi, Northern farmer, thanks for your interest in eSurvey. Please let me know which city/country do you live, so our sales engineer in that region can contact you and give you a detailed answer.

 

[steveR]

Hi, Northern farmer, thanks for your interest in eSurvey. Please let me know which city/country do you live, so our sales engineer in that region can contact you and give you a detailed answer.

I think you will find that as this is predominantly a UK forum, the vast majority of users are also from the UK!

I too would be interested and intrigued in the steering wheel. Based in Midlands, UK

Any website?? I could not find anything...

 

[Barleycorn]

I'm convinced that future arable tractors will be automated, electric, and the size of a T20, working 24 hours a day except for automatic charging periods. The Small Robot Company and others will revolutionise farming.

 

[steveR]

I'm convinced that future arable tractors will be automated, electric, and the size of a T20, working 24 hours a day except for automatic charging periods. The Small Robot Company and others will revolutionise farming.

But until that date, I'll keep on buying diesel....

However, a move to smaller lighter tractors will only be good. I reckon we may see some smaller leccy tractors before too long, but for me, they will need removable battery packs, one charging, one working. Almost a return to horses, changing a team 3 times a day...

 

[TripleSix]

It'll never catch on.

 

[v12cat]

Hi, Northern farmer, thanks for your interest in eSurvey. Please let me know which city/country do you live, so our sales engineer in that region can contact you and give you a detailed answer.

There are probably many here that would be interested in a detailed answer.

Maybe try giving one, here.?‍

 

[ptd006]

But until that date, I'll keep on buying diesel....

However, a move to smaller lighter tractors will only be good. I reckon we may see some smaller leccy tractors before too long, but for me, they will need removable battery packs, one charging, one working. Almost a return to horses, changing a team 3 times a day...

The mini electric trundler tractor thing only really works for relatively time insensitive jobs. I don't expect them to take over soon and the trend for increasing average hp will continue for now. There'll be slow fragmentation in the market as the ~20hp electric (or more likely hybrid/quasi electric) market develops. I think the mid-segment of workhorse tractors (say 60hp-75hp, Ford 5600 - 6610) I grew up on is already gone.

When you take time out of the equation there's a lot that low power autonomous robots can do if designed for a specific task. As a fun project I am working on a bale collection robot. I reckon 15hp, maybe even 10hp will do. There's a thread on the fast.ai forums by a guy playing with a small sprayer for dock leaves. It'll be a while before they're ready for production usage though.

 

[steveR]

The mini electric trundler tractor thing only really works for relatively time insensitive jobs. I don't expect them to take over soon and the trend for increasing average hp will continue for now. There'll be slow fragmentation in the market as the ~20hp electric (or more likely hybrid/quasi electric) market develops. I think the mid-segment of workhorse tractors (say 60hp-75hp, Ford 5600 - 6610) I grew up on is already gone.

When you take time out of the equation there's a lot that low power autonomous robots can do if designed for a specific task. As a fun project I am working on a bale collection robot. I reckon 15hp, maybe even 10hp will do. There's a thread on the fast.ai forums by a guy playing with a small sprayer for dock leaves. It'll be a while before they're ready for production usage though.

I am amazed still at the lust for power that some farmers seem to have. That 60-75hp sector is not well served by mainstream manufacturers here in teh UK, but are still widely bought around the world. I have been running a 50hp Kioto for 7 years now and I am still surprised at the lads who come through and cannot belive the work it will do... Costs a fraction of the mega HP beast they are on to buy and run. A fraction of the compaction too.... If we survive the next couple of years in Ag, I will swap it for a 60hp of the same model and spec BUT, if there was a electric equivilant available, I would loook long and hard at it.

The wee autonomous machines are going to be a while coming, but I am sure they will be here in my lifetime for some jobs ? and I think targeted weeding using physical or chemical means will be a winner in row crops. I can see the little line of robors, wending their weary way home at dusk, ready for a charge up from the PV and battery array on the barn roof!

 

[SinisaB]

Have you seen this before:

 

[steveR]

Anyone get any response from Jacob then....?

Vaporware???

 

[Briantee]

Have you seen this before:

Neat video. You mean you don't have to spend 15,000 on a Trimble or JD?

 

[SinisaB]

Neat video. You mean you don't have to spend 15,000 on a Trimble or JD?

It doesn't look pretty. I've contacted them and a lady says: 11000 of greens it costs in China. If I want a demo to try, 5000. It is still a lot of money.

 

[Briantee]

Wow that is costly!!

 

[Bruce_D]

Hey @Northern farmer, what are you trying to achieve with just the electric steering module. You will still need some kind of guidance sensor to give you direction information to control the steering? I’ve done some work with hacking COTs steering controllers. Happy to help if I can.

 

[Northern farmer]

Hey @Northern farmer, what are you trying to achieve with just the electric steering module. You will still need some kind of guidance sensor to give you direction information to control the steering? I’ve done some work with hacking COTs steering controllers. Happy to help if I can.

If the electric steering wheel did not cost too much more than a Phidgets geared motor with installation material, I would use the wheel with AgOpenGPS instead of building the steering wheel drive myself (mainly considering friends of mine).

 

[Bruce_D]

I’ve personally helped someone install and implement an MDU-G4 unit. Lots of people are selling them, rebranded as their own. Not sure if you can purchase direct from the manufacturer, but they’re usually about £4500. So not cheap. But they do work.

cheaper steering controller you could look at is the Trimble EZ steer. A cheeper implementation and method. But not as accurate, as the wheel can slip while being controlled.

 

[Bruce_D]

I’ve personally helped someone install and implement an MDU-G4 unit. Lots of people are selling them, rebranded as their own. Not sure if you can purchase direct from the manufacturer, but they’re usually about £4500. So not cheap. But they do work.

cheaper steering controller you could look at is the Trimble EZ steer. A cheeper implementation and method. But not as accurate, as the wheel can slip while being controlled.

@Northern farmer

 

[ptd006]

@Bruce_D - I hadn't seen the MDU-G4 but had thought of a similar (but simpler) design with a separable collar to make it easier to swap between tractors (and loadall.. but that's another story ). £4500 is too much IMO.

Brian and others' open source projects with cheap commodity hardware just make the cost seem bonkers, especially for people mainly tinkering on small farms.