German company Horsch has confirmed field trials of its new autonomous, self-propelled seeder are planned for this year.
According to one of Horsch’s Co-CEOs, Philipp Horsch, the machine’s prototype can for now be seen in videos on social media.
Horsch’s hydraulically driven autonomous self-propelled seeder is fitted with a 400 hp diesel engine. A version with a hydromechanical Vario transmission is planned for series production.
The prototype is built on the base of a Claas Terra Tracs tractor with rubber tracks (like on the semi-tracked Axion 900) without a steered front axle.
At Horsch, using small robots is considered impractical when it comes to heavy work such as feeding seed and liquid. What’s more, they’re expensive and complex to maintain.
The goal of the invention is to create an autonomous agricultural machine that doesn’t reduce efficiency, doesn’t require an additional tractor to pull the implement, and, furthermore, doesn’t require the operator’s constant presence during fieldwork.
Horsch
A prototype of Horsch’s new autonomous self-propelled seeder
