如今，精准农业与机器自动化技术已经开始在农业生产中发挥重要作用。CNH工业（CNH Industrial）的创新集团注意到，在每年的农忙季节，农民仍需要在田间进行长时间劳作，特别是在收种玉米的时期。为了应对这一挑战，CNH创新集团已经通过与犹他州的ASI公司（自动解决方案公司）合作，成功研发了一种概念性的自动技术。目前，集团正在通过Case IH Magnum和New Holland T8大马力拖拉机进行自动技术演示。

“如今，多家公司和产品平台已经推出了一系列拖拉机自动驾驶技术，正是在这些系统的基础上，我们才能推出这个非常成功的自动设备概念设计。”CNH工业集团的农业设备创新技术部主管John Posselius表示，“只要简单地为拖拉机装备ISOBUS Class 3功能，我们就可以与液压、液压遥控、三点悬挂、动力输出、转向、变速器和发动机控制等系统进行有线通信。”

这款概念拖拉机有两个截然不同的配置：一款为没有配备驾驶舱的Case IH Magnum；一款是保留驾驶舱的New Holland T8 NHDrive。这两款配置均采用了传统发动机、变速箱、底盘和执行联轴的设计。

公司还开发了一款全互动接口，实现拖拉机控制。该接口共有三个界面，分别为：路径绘制界面，可显示拖拉机的工作进展；实时摄像头界面（最高可支持四个视角，包括二前二后）；监控界面，可显示/修改发动机转速等关键设备参数。

一旦路径绘制完成后，用户就可通过预先编程的菜单选择任务、选定设备、划分工作区域，然后设备就可以出发执行任务了，这一系列操作大约需要30秒。

总的来说，这两款概念拖拉机均采用了完整的传感器套装，包括雷达、激光雷达和视频摄像机等，可实时监测拖拉机工作线路上的障碍物，保证工作顺利进行。一旦在行进线路上监测到障碍物，系统可以向设备控制接口（平板或笔记本）发送视觉和声音警告，并提供一系列建议选项——等待驾驶员操作；手动或自动操作绕过障碍物；或直接碾过障碍物（如果没有危险隐患）。

“传感是真正的挑战，”Posselius表示，“我们的概念设备已经整合了一些很不错的系统，表现良好。但进一步优化的重点将集中在传感系统，我们的传感系统必须变得更加智能。”

此外，系统还会通知燃料不足或种子不足等情况，只要出现任何关键设备报警或关键设备控制受损，拖拉机均会停止自动运行；此外，操作员也可通过控制接口上的“停止”按钮手动停止设备运行。

另外，如果出现暴雨天气即将来临等情况，操作员还可以实时修改设备任务。CNH集团表示，未来，这些概念拖拉机还可以利用实时气象卫星信息等大数据来源，根据实际情况自行制定最理想的工作计划，整个过程无需驾驶员参与。例如，当设备预判未来天气将影响其运行时，就会自动停止运转，而后在情况好转时重新启动，也可将设备调配至其他条件适宜的田地继续工作。

最后，公司还可以将概念拖拉机的平板电脑接口安装在其他设备的驾驶舱内，方便操作员进行实时监控。举例而言，操作员坐在一台联合收割机或拖拉机的驾驶舱内，就可以监控在同一块田地或邻近田地自动拖拉机/播种机工作进展，并在有需要时进行调整。这样一来，自动驾驶拖拉机则可以“无缝融入”现有的农业机械车队，并不会给车队的原有操作带来太大影响。

根据CNH表示，未来，公司将继续开展自动技术研发，将其应用拓展至所有农用设备产品线中，包括各类拖拉机、收割机及喷雾机等支持性设备。

作为一家多元化的公司，CNH的业务范围主要涵盖三个领域：商用车、农业机械及建筑机械。可以想象，这家公司完全可以在不同领域进行技术的转移，难度并不会很大。目前，CNH的建筑机械部已经开始在一些小型设备中应用自动化技术，目前仍处于早期阶段。

“无论哪个领域取得发展，我们都很容易对其进行调整并应用至其他领域。”一位公司发言人表示，“卡车领域已经出现了列队行驶等自动驾驶技术，我们则可以像挑樱桃一样从中选择最适合我们的经验设计，然后将其应用至农业和建筑机械领域，而不会闭门造车。”

目前，CNH公司已经开始与一些美国客户合作，计划在美国部分工况与环境变化较多的农场进行初步的试点项目。按照计划，该试点项目将于明年开始，向公司展示这些产品在现实环境中的真实工作表现以及在困难条件下可能出现的问题。

“到目前为止，研发工作是严格控制在设计部门，特别是在创新集团中进行，但我们有扩大其范围的计划。”Posselius表示，“当我们在与客户合作时，我们是想看看他们的真实使用环境，是否还有我们还没意识到的具体需求？如果不紧密联系客户，这些问题单凭我们是无法完成的。”

Precision farming and machine automation already play a significant role in agriculture. CNH Industrial’s Innovation Group is focusing on key times of the year when farm work still requires long days in the field, particularly when harvesting a crop or planting the next one. Working with Utah-based technology provider Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI), the Innovation Group developed concept autonomous technology to meet this challenge and demonstrated it via tractor concepts based on the existing Case IH Magnum and New Holland T8 high-horsepower conventional tractors.

“There have a been a number of groups and product platforms that have been involved with automation of some of the tractor onboard systems, and those are all enablers that allowed us to put together a very successful autonomous concept vehicle program,” John Posselius, CNH Industrial Head of Agricultural Innovation Technology, told Truck & Off-Highway Engineering. “Things as simple as having ISOBUS Class 3 capabilities on our tractor allows us to communicate by wire to all of the important functions on the tractor such as the hydraulics, the hydraulic remote, the three-point hitch, PTO, steering, transmission and engine control.”

The concept tractors are configured as two distinct versions: the cab-less Case IH Magnum and the New Holland T8 NHDrive concept that maintains its cab for operating flexibility. Both use a conventional engine, transmission, chassis and implement couplings.

A fully interactive interface has been developed to control the tractors. Three operating screens include a path-plotting screen that shows the tractor’s progress, one that shows live camera feeds with up to four views (two front, two rear), and a screen that enables monitoring and modification of key machine and implement parameters such as engine speed and implement settings.

Once path plotting has finished, the user can choose a job from a pre-programmed menu by selecting the vehicle, choosing the field and then setting the tractor out on its task. The sequence takes about 30 seconds.

The two tractors have a complete sensing and perception package in common, which includes radar, Lidar and video cameras to ensure obstacles in the tractor’s path or that of the implement are detected and avoided. If an object is detected in the tractor’s path, visual and audio warnings appear on the control interface—either tablet interface or desktop—which offers a choice of how the tractor should respond: by waiting for human intervention, driving around the obstacle using either a manually or automatically plotted path, or driving onwards if the object is not a danger.

“The fencing and perception is a real challenge,” said Posselius. “We’ve built in some nice systems in our concept vehicles and they do what we need right now. But one of the real challenges to truly move forward is our sensing and perception has to get much smarter.”

When operating parameters become critical, as in the case of low fuel or seed levels, the same notifying system is employed. Any critical machine alarms or loss of critical machine control functions cause the autonomous vehicle to stop automatically, or a stop button on the control interface can be activated manually.

Machine tasks can be modified in real time, such as if a storm is approaching. In the future, these concept tractors will be able to use “Big Data” such as real-time weather satellite information to automatically make best use of ideal conditions, independent of human input, regardless of the time of day, the company claims. For example, the tractor would stop automatically should it become apparent weather would cause a problem, then recommence work when conditions have sufficiently improved; or they could be sent to another field altogether where conditions are better.

The tablet interface also can be mounted in another machine whose operator can supervise its activities. As an example, from the seat of a combine or tractor, the operator can monitor the progress and eventually modify the performance of an autonomous tractor/planter combination working in the same or neighboring field. This allows autonomous tractors to “seamlessly integrate” into an existing farm machinery fleet, with minimal operational changes.

According to CNH, the autonomous technologies have been designed so that, in the future, they could be further developed to enable their application across the full range of equipment in a farmer’s fleet. This could encompass the full range of tractors, harvesting equipment and support vehicles, such as sprayers.

Being a diverse company with operations in three segments—Commercial Vehicle, Agricultural and Construction Machinery—transfer of technology from one application to another is not only possible but an actuality. CNH’s construction business is in the early stages of applying autonomous technology to some of its smaller equipment.

“What we develop in one sphere we can very easily adapt and apply in the others,” a spokeswoman told TOHE. “You’ve got truck platooning [by Iveco] and all the technology behind that, which we can sort of cherry-pick what we can from the experience there and then apply it to the Ag sphere and Construction business. We’re not operating in silos.”

With the autonomous tractors, the company is already working with some customers in the U.S. to set up an initial pilot program over a small group of farms with diverse operating conditions and environments. The program, which is expected to start next year, will help to determine how these products work in the real world and where some of the snags might be when operating in different conditions.

“So far, work has been strictly under the engineering organizations, specifically the Innovation Group, but we are broadening that,” said Posselius. “As we work with our customers, what we’re trying to see is how they would use something like this if it was a production piece of equipment. What specific needs do they have that we may not have foreseen yet? A lot of that work will not be done by our other organizations that deal closer with our customers.”

Author: Ryan Gehm
Source: SAE Truck & Off-highway Engineering Magazine