American developer Trimble and German agricultural machinery manufacturer Horsch have announced a partnership aimed at developing solutions for autonomy in agriculture.
The goal of the companies’ cooperation is building the future for autonomous agricultural machinery and workflows in the industry.
The cooperation goes beyond autonomous control of machines such as self-propelled sprayers for crop protection, and covers full workflow automation from the office to the field. This relationship combines Trimble’s expertise in autonomous guidance-system control, route planning and field-operation automation with Horsch’s fleet of machines.
according to a Trimble statement
The first stage will make it possible to automate the complex planning, machine-management and logistics tasks sprayer operators face, in order to improve machine productivity and reduce work errors. This functionality can significantly ease the operator’s workload, while still allowing them to intervene in the work at any time. In the long term, this technology will become the foundation for operating fully autonomous machines.
Combining Horsch’s forward-thinking approach with Trimble’s advanced autonomous technology gives businesses the ability to develop innovative programmes for Trimble’s OEM and agricultural network. We’re creating new, customer-focused solutions within the existing integrated agricultural ecosystem, to deliver a unique, compelling solution for our customers — simplifying the complex logistical and operational tasks of modern agriculture.
Finlay Wood – Director of Autonomous Solutions, Trimble.
Horsch CEO Theo Leeb noted that his company sees automation in agriculture as one of the next key technologies, with the goal being to build a platform of various applications to help farmers handle future challenges.
