Case IH’s autonomous tractor is to make its European premiere at this year’s SIMA. The Driverless Magnum concept, first revealed in North America in the fourth quarter of 2016, will be presented to the European market at the show in Paris, France, on February 26-March 2.
Intended to offer relief for the tractor’s operators from the need for long hours in the field, the next-generation agricultural vehicle can also automatically adapt to variable weather conditions as well as work competently alongside existing machines.
“While auto-steering and other automated machine functions are already helping to improve circumstances for operators on currently-available machines, long hours in the field are often still essential, while sourcing staff sufficiently qualified and prepared to work them is becoming difficult,” a Case IH spokesperson said.
“The Driverless Magnum is designed to relieve drivers from long hours in the tractor seat and allow farm businesses to make better use of labor, while making possible unmanned work around the clock.”
Retaining its conventional engine, transmission, chassis and implement couplings, and using RTK GPS to provide sub-2.5cm steering repeatability, the autonomous vehicle allows for programming, control and monitoring of the tractor to be carried out remotely via a tablet or PC. The use of in-built sensor, radar and laser-based lidar technology, integrated into the restyled cable-less design, ensures operations are performed safely.
February 3, 2017
