Agrishow Special: Case IH defines autonomy categories and announces pilot program

Since introducing its autonomous concept tractor, Case IH has evolved technology and further defined automation and autonomy in agriculture. The brand has been talking to customers around the world to find out how this technology can be implemented to ensure maximum benefit from their operations. Now, through the autonomy and automation program, Case IH is researching and pioneering autonomous technology in real scenarios, developing field tests with production tractors on farms in the United States. All these results will be presented during Agrishow, the largest agricultural fair in Latin America, which will be held from April 30th to May 4th, in Ribeirão Preto (SP).

“The autonomous concept vehicle revealed in 2016 showed the world what is possible with this technology. Because it was functional, the concept provided us with a platform to advance conversations with farmers and industry about the technology needed for high-efficiency agriculture operations today and in the future,” says Silvio Campos, director of Product Marketing at Case IH. “We are evolving to show how automation and autonomy are applicable in agriculture today and how the precision agriculture solutions that our customers use on their properties can advance,” he adds. 

Five categories of automation for agriculture

Diverse agricultural operations around the world require varying levels of automation. Using extensive customer-focused product design research, Case IH found that current and future technology needs fall into five automation categories for field agricultural applications. The categories and activity types associated with them include: guidance, coordination and optimization, operator-assisted autonomy, supervised autonomy, and full autonomy.

These five categories start with automating specific tasks on a piece of equipment. The first category uses autopilot; the second, in addition to the autopilot, has coordinated action between machines; the third encompasses autonomous vehicles with artificial intelligence; in the fourth, they are coordinated and unmanned and the last is the fully autonomous vehicle, focused on better productivity and low consumption.

 “It’s very exciting to explore the efficiencies that full automation can bring to every agricultural operation,” says Campos. “The logic of the categories is to bring a vision of what is possible to do. They are not linear, and a fleet can even be part of more than one category at the same time. At the moment, many of our customers already operate in the operator-assisted guidance and/or autonomy categories”, says the director of Case IH. 

Case IH led the way by being the first to offer automation technology to growers in the 1990s with its AFS Autopilot and Precision Farming system.

Researching and pioneering autonomous technology in the field In 2018, Case IH continues with the development of autonomy. Steiger tractors were equipped to work autonomously in a pilot program in the United States. The aim is to understand how new autonomous technology can be used and how it responds to the real needs of the property. 

“The only way to validate the uses of autonomous technology on the farm is, literally, with field pilots, with producers using it on their properties, integrating it into their fleets and conducting their daily activities,” says Campos. 

Tractors are working on a property preparing soil and cultivating crops. This will help evaluate the control of autonomous machines across a range of crop applications, soil types, weather conditions, and sensing and perception activities. 

“One of the goals is to receive agronomic and operator feedback regarding the use of autonomous technology in real field conditions so that Case IH can further develop and refine our machine optimization technology control systems,” says Campos.