Search Results

There are many unique aspects related to implementing unmanned agricultural vehicles. Automated navigation systems, drive by wire electronics and implement control are already widely available in the marketplace providing a firm foundation for unmanned vehicles. Variable environments, harsh weather conditions, large vehicles and implements and high costs present challenges to bringing unmanned systems to the agriculture marketplace. The lack of existing standards is another limiting factor that calls for a united effort from industry, academia and government. Despite these factors, unmanned vehicles will be part of the future of agriculture, providing increased productivity and helping to meet the world's growing food needs.

A transformation of agriculture reached commercial reality at the beginning of this century as automated steering of agricultural machine systems increased the productivity and convenience in crop production systems. Following guidance, additional technologies have resulted in increasing optimized machine productivity. Today, integrated worksite solutions through machine and information management continues to transform agriculture. This is the precursor to autonomous worksite solutions that lead to the optimization of the worksite ecosystem. This paper will review the progress from the perspective of the customer value provided by increasing automated systems and the industry execution of autonomous driving technologies and will enable the pathways to autonomous worksites.

Autonomous agricultural vehicles are entering the marketplace, performing jobs that current equipment cannot do or are too dangerous for people to perform. They offer the prospect of greater farm productivity, and they will help to feed the world’s growing population. Commercialization of Autonomous Agricultural Vehicles looks at several topics that impact the commercial success of autonomous agricultural vehicles: Economic benefits Machine utilization rates Job quality Labor savings Reliability Standards and regulations Click here to access the full SAE EDGETM Research Report portfolio.