AgroBot Pilotless tractor

In the middle of on about one September, 2016 from agricultural complexes of the Ryazan region a series of tests of the pilotless AgroBot tractor began. Within the next year the company assumes to carry out a series of test implementations of Agrobot and working off of the main transactions in the pilotless mode due to use of scenarios of independent operation.

The project assumes implementation of the complex pilotless management system consisting of an automation set for each tractor, the dispatching center and a number of the auxiliary systems. This solution can be widely applied to automation of works in the agricultural or utility sphere, such as preseeding processing of the soil, crops, landing of different cultures, care of crops, interrow processing of cultures and gardens, cleaning and cleaning of the territory, transport works.

As envisioned by developers, all electronics, antennas, sensors and ancillary equipment of Agrobot are mounted and placed on the fiberglass body which is installed instead of a usual cabin on the new or existing tractor basis. The present possibility allows to reduce considerably implementation cost at already existing park of the equipment.

According to the director of Avrora Robotics Vitaly Savelyev, in the battery life of "AgroBot" is guided thanks to sensors and scanners, and the computer with artificial intelligence placed in a back part of the tractor is responsible for solutions. The control of the robot can be intercepted by the dispatching center or the operator who is nearby and one operator is capable to control operations at the same time of several robots. Feature of Agrobot is also that it can work at any time.

The expected cycle of tests is directed to working off of a system in different conditions both at automatic the movement on scenarios, and in manual control mode the manager. The purpose of the first stage of the project is mastering of process of collecting and processing of a harvest, distribution of fertilizers and watering. In the coming months developers are going to begin tests of second Agrobot which is adapted on solving of tasks in the utility sphere.

The developed management system which is the cornerstone of Agrobot can be installed practically on any special equipment or the tractor, at the same time on all governing bodies special drives which are managed by the central processing computer are mounted. For the first test series as the tractor platform the unit of the Vladimir tractor plant equipped with the two-cylinder diesel engine and the mechanical reverse transmission was selected. Engine capacity in this complete set of the tractor is 25 hp, and the lump of the tractor of 1400 kg. The tractor is equipped with a back hinged system with a hydraulic actuator and shaft of output coupling. Thanks to this system on "AgroBot" it is possible to install practically any hinged equipment intended for tractors of this class. Construction of the tractor allows to change an agrotechnical gleam and width of a track, allowing to set different wheels. The body developed to modern design and technology measures has convenient hatches for service of all nodes and is universal for the majority of tractors in the traction class.

During tests the agreement with Federal public budget scientific institution by the All-Russian Research Institute of mechanization of agriculture, (FGBNU WIM) about cooperation in the field of creation of pilotless vehicles of agricultural purpose and technologies of their application was signed.

According to developers, further such systems can automate completely both small agricultural enterprises, and large agroholdings.

On the next stages of tests developers assume working off of a system in different weather conditions, working off of scheduling and a possibility of cooperative work with several similar machines in one territory, process optimization of management and simplification of the interface.

Avrora Robotics is the company, the resident of Skolkovo Foundation. The company specializes in creation of the software and management systems for pilotless transport and robots. Management systems of Agrobot are the cornerstone of development of Avrora design office which are conducted since 2008 together with Ryazan state the radio engineering university.

The Case IH company together with CNH Industrial provided in the summer of 2017 the pilotless Case IH Magnum tractor which can perform the main agricultural works. The Case IH Magnum tractor has no cabin where the driver could sit down.

Robotics