John Deere was been awarded an Agritechnica silver medal for an intelligent management system which, depending on axle load, wheel slip and actual tractor speed, automatically engages or disengages 4wd. Called Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive, the system uses sensors to measure the torque inside the four-wheel drive clutch. Depending on the tractor’s specification, the system is able to detect the tractor’s current wheel slip by using either the radar signal, GPRS data or the differential speed of the front and rear axles. John Deere says the system helps reduce material wear and operator fatigue.