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Driverless tractor a runaway success
Driverless system is packed with safety features and eDrive diesel-electric system
Posted Mar. 24th, 2016 by Ron Lyseng
0
For about US$10,000, the company will add its fully autonomous control system to an existing tractor that’s already been converted from conventional diesel-mechanical drive to its eDrive diesel-electric system.
The system, called AutoDrive, can be installed only on an eDrive tractor.
It should not be confused with the widely available AutoSteer, which requires an operator in the cab at all times.
AutoDrive allows a tractor to continue working when the cab is vacant. The operator can be on a second machine, mapping the next field, napping in the truck at the side of the field or be kilometres away refilling a tender.
The system’s four stages are in-stalled one at a time as farmers gradually become acquainted with the new technology. The tractor can operate independently of a human by the time Level 4 has been reached.
As well, it can be stopped at anytime so that a human can jump into the cab and take over, said Terry Anderson, vice-president of ATC and chief designer of the technology.
He said AutoDrive relies on the company’s Laser-Radio Navigation System for sub-inch positioning data and FieldSmart artificial intelligence software, which allows the tractor to be “trained” without programming.
“Sonar systems provide full perimeter safety, and pan-tilt cameras communicate via cellular to allow you to monitor progress and remotely resolve issues at any time.”
Anderson said he decided years ago that he could convert any tractor to diesel-electric and then add an autonomous control system. However, that’s a big chunk to bite off all at once, so he split the system into four stages:
Level 1: The basic system requires the operator to manually drive the diesel-electric modified tractor.
Level 2: This advanced GPS guidance system puts two RTK transponders at the edge of a field on tripods. As well, two units on the tractor are a fixed distance apart, who allows the system to create four triangles.
“Four positioning triangles lets you be pretty damned accurate.”
Anderson said this doesn’t solve the problem of total GPS failure, which is usually caused only by major solar disruptions rather than by problems in the ionosphere.
Level 2 has major advantages over other GPS based systems, he added.
“What’s typically done by Trimble and John Deere and others is they use a (filter), which takes all the data up to a point and process it to arrive at a uniform average. That’s garbage in, garbage out,” he said. “With two fixed RTK stations in the field, we know whether or not the signal we’re receiving is legitimate. In the same way, two units on the tractor provide a check to see if we have valid signals.
“If we position the two tractor units precisely seven feet apart and the equipment suddenly says they’re nine feet apart, then we know there’s a problem. So rather than let the tractor take off on a 90 degree turn and hit something, we can determine ahead of time that we have faulty signals so we alert the system to stop the tractor.”
The field RTK tripods are typically located at opposite ends of the field to minimize the impact of the ionosphere. Anderson said the ionosphere changes thickness, which is why GPS signals are refracted and become unstable.
Level 3: The next step is to install a gyro mounted laser to steer the tractor, using GPS to check it for accuracy.
Laser-gyro uses two electronic beams moving opposite to each other over the same path. Interference between the two beams indicates patterns of rotation. This data can then control the guidance of anything from a tractor to a jet liner or a submarine.
ATC is working with Advanced Navigation, an Australian company that’s been working with laser gyro guidance. Anderson said they have done research showing how the laser gyro can enhance the accuracy of GPS.
Level 4: ATC takes it one step further when it installs a radio system on top of the RTK GPS and laser gyro systems. This final step provides a fully autonomous driverless tractor that the farmer can set up in a field and leave it to do its work.
“When we go fully autonomous, we need absolute knowledge of where that tractor is in the field. When we took that to Big Iron in Fargo (North Dakota) last September, we found a lot of people weren’t ready for it yet,” Anderson said.
“We’ve found we need the first three steps so the farmer develops the confidence to let the tractor work on its own. We won’t install Level 4 until the farmer is comfortable with the first three.”
He said his quoted price of $10,000 includes the RTK GPS, laser gyro and radio signal system. Each system is applied over the previous system, so that all systems are working together in Level 4.
“For example, the two units on the cab roof give you Level 2. Then you simply add something inside them to get to Level 3. Then you add something else inside them and that puts you at Level 4.”
For more information, contact Anderson at 701-429-3964 or company president Kraig Schultz at 203-993-0828 or visit www.autonomoustractor.com.
http://www.producer.com/2016/03/driverless-tractor-a-runaway-success/
Driverless system is packed with safety features and eDrive diesel-electric system
Posted Mar. 24th, 2016 by Ron Lyseng
0
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Affectionately named Big Jim by ATC engineers, this eDrive converted JD 8760 now has two diesel engines and two generators that power the drive motor at each wheel. The diesel/electric system allows precise control of the four drive tires. | ATC photo
For about US$10,000, the company will add its fully autonomous control system to an existing tractor that’s already been converted from conventional diesel-mechanical drive to its eDrive diesel-electric system.
The system, called AutoDrive, can be installed only on an eDrive tractor.
It should not be confused with the widely available AutoSteer, which requires an operator in the cab at all times.
AutoDrive allows a tractor to continue working when the cab is vacant. The operator can be on a second machine, mapping the next field, napping in the truck at the side of the field or be kilometres away refilling a tender.
The system’s four stages are in-stalled one at a time as farmers gradually become acquainted with the new technology. The tractor can operate independently of a human by the time Level 4 has been reached.
As well, it can be stopped at anytime so that a human can jump into the cab and take over, said Terry Anderson, vice-president of ATC and chief designer of the technology.
He said AutoDrive relies on the company’s Laser-Radio Navigation System for sub-inch positioning data and FieldSmart artificial intelligence software, which allows the tractor to be “trained” without programming.
“Sonar systems provide full perimeter safety, and pan-tilt cameras communicate via cellular to allow you to monitor progress and remotely resolve issues at any time.”
Anderson said he decided years ago that he could convert any tractor to diesel-electric and then add an autonomous control system. However, that’s a big chunk to bite off all at once, so he split the system into four stages:
Level 1: The basic system requires the operator to manually drive the diesel-electric modified tractor.
Level 2: This advanced GPS guidance system puts two RTK transponders at the edge of a field on tripods. As well, two units on the tractor are a fixed distance apart, who allows the system to create four triangles.
“Four positioning triangles lets you be pretty damned accurate.”
Anderson said this doesn’t solve the problem of total GPS failure, which is usually caused only by major solar disruptions rather than by problems in the ionosphere.
Level 2 has major advantages over other GPS based systems, he added.
“What’s typically done by Trimble and John Deere and others is they use a (filter), which takes all the data up to a point and process it to arrive at a uniform average. That’s garbage in, garbage out,” he said. “With two fixed RTK stations in the field, we know whether or not the signal we’re receiving is legitimate. In the same way, two units on the tractor provide a check to see if we have valid signals.
“If we position the two tractor units precisely seven feet apart and the equipment suddenly says they’re nine feet apart, then we know there’s a problem. So rather than let the tractor take off on a 90 degree turn and hit something, we can determine ahead of time that we have faulty signals so we alert the system to stop the tractor.”
The field RTK tripods are typically located at opposite ends of the field to minimize the impact of the ionosphere. Anderson said the ionosphere changes thickness, which is why GPS signals are refracted and become unstable.
Level 3: The next step is to install a gyro mounted laser to steer the tractor, using GPS to check it for accuracy.
Laser-gyro uses two electronic beams moving opposite to each other over the same path. Interference between the two beams indicates patterns of rotation. This data can then control the guidance of anything from a tractor to a jet liner or a submarine.
ATC is working with Advanced Navigation, an Australian company that’s been working with laser gyro guidance. Anderson said they have done research showing how the laser gyro can enhance the accuracy of GPS.
Level 4: ATC takes it one step further when it installs a radio system on top of the RTK GPS and laser gyro systems. This final step provides a fully autonomous driverless tractor that the farmer can set up in a field and leave it to do its work.
“When we go fully autonomous, we need absolute knowledge of where that tractor is in the field. When we took that to Big Iron in Fargo (North Dakota) last September, we found a lot of people weren’t ready for it yet,” Anderson said.
“We’ve found we need the first three steps so the farmer develops the confidence to let the tractor work on its own. We won’t install Level 4 until the farmer is comfortable with the first three.”
He said his quoted price of $10,000 includes the RTK GPS, laser gyro and radio signal system. Each system is applied over the previous system, so that all systems are working together in Level 4.
“For example, the two units on the cab roof give you Level 2. Then you simply add something inside them to get to Level 3. Then you add something else inside them and that puts you at Level 4.”
For more information, contact Anderson at 701-429-3964 or company president Kraig Schultz at 203-993-0828 or visit www.autonomoustractor.com.
http://www.producer.com/2016/03/driverless-tractor-a-runaway-success/
