Previewed at last week’s Expoagro Argentina farm machinery show, the Terran is not only autonomous but also electrically-powered.
Developed by Plantium, a precision agriculture company based at Santa Fe, north of Buenos Aires, the Terran is claimed as the first agricultural robot made in the country.
Fitted with a 10m boom, the selective use of chemicals is claimed to result in a saving of up to 90% and the company reckons that the 600-litre spray tank is sufficient to cover around 50ha.
The batteries are reported to provide enough power for eight hours of continuous operation. A re-charge takes 3-4 hours.
Travelling at a maximum speed of 18km/hr, the Terran navigates using uploaded route maps and task cards.
The robot automatically regulates spraying stop and start and also alters flow rates and pressure and size and quantity of spray droplets. The plan is to mount a weather station on the vehicle for real time information on wind speed, relative humidity and temperature.
This will allow the job computer to automatically change the parameters for the best application rate and drift control. The autonomous vehicle could also be fitted with other kit in the future. There are no price or availability details.
Source: Mechaman
