Intelligent tractors today - the American "humble" and the Russian "monster"

According to experts, in 2021 the global fleet of unmanned tractors consisted of 30 vehicles. This refers to cars that do not use fully artificial intelligence and, if you use automotive terms, have a “second scale of autonomy”. It is assumed that by 2025 the number of "smart" agricultural machinery will grow to 61 thousand units with a dynamics of 25% per year. At the same time, the market volume by 2028 may reach $7,5 billion. The release of "smart" cars is being established in many countries, where the United States and Russia occupy one of the leading places.

Startup Monarch Tractor

At the end of the year before last, the company of the same name delighted farmers with the world's first tractor powered by electric traction and equipped with intelligent solutions. As Monarch Tractor is sure, such equipment "in one person" is designed to solve problems such as low productivity, lack of workers and environmental pollution.


The head of the company, Pravin Penmets, said that during the development and implementation of the project, the opinions of not only the leading engineers in the robotics industry, but also ordinary farmers were taken into account. The startup's advertising has paid off: hundreds of farmland owners are already in line for the "miracle tractor".

Tractor design and features

The Monarch Tractor is an all-electric machine that does not emit exhaust gases into the atmosphere. The design of the equipment allows you to quickly turn it into a quad bike or an autonomous generator that “produces” electricity in an open field. Main technical characteristics:

✅ constant power (peak) - 40 (70) "horses"
✅ carrying capacity - 1 ton
✅ continuous operation time - over 10 hours
✅ battery recovery rate from a 220 V household network - up to 5 hours
✅ drive - rear (optionally full)

The manufacturer does not report torque, but claims that the parameter will be twice as high compared to a similar class diesel counterpart. The robotic tractor can work with a driver, through an operator, or completely autonomously using a three-point suspension.




The tractor is equipped with security systems that operate at any time of the day. Roll, collisions are prevented, the operation of the power take-off shaft is under vigilant control.


All this is provided by sensors, panoramic cameras with 360° visibility.

Deep Learning & Sensing Suite

This is an electronic package used on a tractor to collect and analyze information about crops and their "interaction" with the implements mounted on the tractor. The latter can be of the classic type or new, with intelligent control. Information from cameras and sensors helps to correct the position of agricultural implements online. Also, the package is able to evaluate the yield in the long term, shows the dynamics of plant growth and their health.


The longer Monarch Tractor works in a particular field, the more accurate the collected information and forecasts will be. The data is stored in the cloud storage. Through a special application and a smartphone, users can monitor the operation of the machine, receive reports about it, and weather information. The program will also offer the most effective options for crop production in a particular area.

Sales

Monarch Tractor's stated minimum starting price is $50. Of course, optional versions will cost more. Today, the collection of pre-orders from American farmers continues. Deliveries of robotic equipment are scheduled for autumn this year. However, the American “smart” tractor cannot be called the only one in the world and adapted for large farms. Although here there is a serious step forward towards fully automated processing of farmland. Tractors with a low degree of autonomy, but greater power, are no less in demand.

"Kirovets" K-7M

Since 2021, the Russian company Cognitive Pilot, which is a “joint subsidiary” of Sberbank and Cognitive Technologie, has been developing an innovative management system. "Smart" "Kirovets" K-7M will be assembled in St. Petersburg at the PTZ, which is part of the Kirovsky Zavod Group of Companies. Its head, Sergey Serebryakov, said in July of this year that at this stage, the complete absence of a person in the tractor cabin is impossible. Another thing is innovative systems that greatly facilitate the work of the machine operator. However, the development of a fully autonomous machine continues.


A "smart" tractor with the simplest version of the autopilot has not so much functionality, when compared with the American "colleague" described above, which boldly lacks even a cab. "Kirovets" K-7M:

✅ manages traffic and moves along a given route
✅ "observes" the speed
✅ "sees" obstacles
✅ slows down and stops completely

At the same time, the built-in artificial intelligence sends to the owner of the equipment through high-precision positioning (GNSS) "reports on the work done", information about the technical condition of the machine, illustrating the data with the attached videos and photos.


At first glance, Kirovets is no different from its "brothers", except for the many cameras, radars and sensors.


The degree of autonomy, speaking in the "automobile language", corresponds to the third level (for agricultural machinery, such a classification has not yet been provided).

The second stage

The plant will switch to it after passing the first one. Further, it is planned to expand the autonomous capabilities of Kirovets. In particular, he will be able to make turns himself, calculate the route and refine it using visual landmarks.


Their role can be played, for example, by a track or the edge of an already cultivated land. "in passing" the intellectual system will collect and systematize information about the state of the soil and crops. This implies the "accounting" of stones in the ground, the health of plants.

The third stage

This refers to the creation of a completely unmanned vehicle. Features such as the possibility of group work will be added, where the “tempo” will be set by the “leader”. The robotic tractor will work together with the harvester, which is controlled by a "live" machine operator. It also provides for the widespread use of agricultural attachments equipped with electronic control.


Plus, the “Kirovets” of the “third generation” will be able to independently move along non-public roads.

Price

Today it is planned to release a tractor of the first degree of autonomy. The difference in the cost of a conventional Kirovets and an unmanned one today will be approximately 1 million rubles. The price of currently produced tractors is 15-17 million rubles. However, the use of a machine equipped with an intelligent system, according to preliminary calculations, will allow:

✅ increase overall productivity up to 20%
✅ save on repairs (including trailed implements) up to 80%
✅ increase the profit of farmers by an average of 20%

With the cost of American analogues of 30-35 million rubles. Kirovets has clear competitive advantages. On the other hand, the same Monarch Tractor, designed for small farms and being fully electric, costs only about 3 million rubles. And yet he has nothing to oppose.

When will we see a tractor in the fields?

This year (closer to autumn) in St. Petersburg it is planned to produce the first experimental batch of cars in the amount of 50 copies. After testing in Russian fields, the data obtained will be analyzed. Further, the system will be finalized and in 2023 the tractor is planned to be launched into mass production.