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KARL, new robot for crop production.
The KARL Concept: An Autonomous Solution for Crop Production.
French manufacturer Kuhn has released details of a developmental concept offering new technical possibilities and working flexibility for farmers seeking to deal with widespread issues of recruiting, training and retaining staff.
An autonomous tracked vehicle with 175hp, KARL is designed to meet the demands of most farm sizes by offering flexibility in their fleets. KARL carries out work without human intervention but is controlled and monitored by an operator.
Once a paddock has been selected and its boundaries have been identified, the operator creates a work mission, places KARL in the plot, adjusts the work parameters, and starts the mission to run automatically.
Adding a second or even a third KARL vehicle can be carried out during the mission to increase work output, administered from the system’s mobile application.
KARL has the technology to transmit information for proper work performance and adjusts its parameters according to differences in soil and vegetation. Currently, the KARL Concept is being tested with power harrows for autonomous tillage, although further testing with differing types of implements is in the pipeline.
Testing is striving to deliver a successful cultivation operation within an optimal working window, for example, to achieve the right tillage depth, adequate seed application rate, or even regular and fine shredding of any residues.
During operation KARL is able to detect any malfunctions and deploy corrective actions independently.
With soil preservation being a major driver in the development, KARL has limited size and weight. Tracks of different sizes can be installed to limit ground pressure and minimise compaction. Less compaction is said to result in reduced runoff, especially in high rainfall events, improved soil life and improved root development potential.
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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