Pöttinger: From grassland machinery to global innovator
Formed in 1871, Austrian agricultural machinery manufacturer Pottinger originally focused on producing grassland machinery for a little over a century.
SensoSafe was first revealed in 2017 when it took a Silver Medal at that year’s Agritechnica Event.
Designed to detect and save the lives of animals hiding in crops, particularly in heavy first cuts, the optical sensor mounted on the company’s front mowers works by converting differing light wavelengths to an electrical signal.
When a deer fawn or other small animal is detected in the crop, the hydraulic system automatically lifts the mower to protect the animal, while at the same time sending an audible alert to the driver, allowing them to bring the tractor to a stop. Said to work in direct sunlight, the system can differentiate between fawns, other animals and even molehills.
Currently, a second system is being tested for rear-mounted mower setups, covering the whole working width of the machine, mounted on an intermediate frame between the tractor and the mower. When an animal is detected, the operator can lift the rear mower, leaving an uncut area to protect the animal, or stop and move the animal out of the danger zone.
