CNH Tech Chief on Autonomous Machinery, AI in Farming

That data may include location, date and time, weather conditions, fuel consumption, hours worked, individual bale weights and dry matter. They are also likely to encompass operating parameters on individual and fleets of machines, looking at location, preloaded job details and the ability to pass details and data between machines on the go.

A recent visit to Australasia by CNH’s chief technology officer, Jay Schroeder, allowed Rural News the opportunity to understand where technology might be heading. Schroeder leads the company’s global R&D community which includes technology, innovation, vehicle & implements, precision technology, user experience and powertrain.

Having visited CNH’s breaking new ground event in Phoenix Arizona in 2022, which showcased where the multi-national might be heading in the tech space, Rural News asked Schroeder which of the ideas we were shown had reached commercialisation.

Currently, those include autonomous operation of prime movers, tandem operation of machine, green on green targeted spraying operations and a greater interest in electrically powered tractors and tractors featuring generators to power electrically driven implements.

Schroeder also spoke about the group’s flagship combine harvesters, which featured impressive technology to maximise output and remove mundane tasking away from the operator. After setting pre-loaded harvesting parameters around losses, the machines are now able to autonomously look at the standing crop, then adjust forward speed drum and cleaning systems to meet the desired parameters, over real-time changing crop conditions.

Noting that CNH invested around US$750 million annually on R&D, around 25% was focused on agriculture. He also compared adoption rates of the latest technologies.

“In North America, we see adoption rates of around 95%, it sits at about 75% across much of Europe and currently, we see about 50% adoption in New Zealand,” he said.

Given that NZ is a largely pastoral landscape, Rural News asked how the latest technology could help livestock farmers justify a sizeable investment. Schroeder explained, “I understand the reluctance, as my father is an 80-year old dairy farmer back in the US. Even using basic systems such as row guidance and maybe automated steering can save up to 30% of input costs of fertiliser or sprays, when compared to application by eye.”

At the same time, Schroeder pointed out reduced operator stress, alongside peripheral savings in fuel and operating hours and a payback on the investment of typically around three years.

As me move into the increasing realm of artificial intelligence (AI) noted the role of the technology played in designing and developing new products more quickly and highlighted by the recent substantial investment at its San Matteo R&D hub in Modena, Italy.

As well as optimising supply chain logistics through highspeed robotics, a new simulation hub establishes a virtual-first methodology, meaning it identifies machine design anomalies early in the product lifecycle, reducing time-to-market by over 30%.

The operation, as an integrated digital twin, is said to minimise engineering risks, optimise field validation, and reduces testing emissions across three technological pillars, including a Dynamic Simulator, Multi-Dyno Test Cell and an Advanced Sensor Test Track.

At the same time, Schroeder acknowledged the apparent risks of access to its systems but confirmed that a dedicated resource team had establish secure and robust procedures and firewalls to thwart unauthorised use.