CIMAT

Closed

This project develops various system concepts for small, light semi-autonomous electric tractors that can be used for various agricultural tasks as a direct solution for small-scale farming. Innovative elements from mechatronics such as electric drive, robot systems, AI and sensors are applied. A group or swarm of these small semi-autonomous tractors can also handle larger tasks by working together. To prove the feasibility of this paradigm, this project also provides a prototype that can be used, for example, for mechanical weed control, seeding, non-turning soil tillage, fertilization and harvesting crops. The agricultural sector in Flanders and the Netherlands is constantly under pressure from international competition. The answer, so far, to improve operational efficiency was to scale up. Agricultural machines are given more installed power, so that the cultivating or processing speed is increased in order to cultivate larger areas with fewer operators faster. This trend, however, leads to larger, more expensive and heavier diesel-powered machines that are often task-specialized. The available agricultural area in Flanders and the Netherlands is smaller and more fragmented than in neighboring countries, Germany and France: the limits of scaling up are quickly reached for these densely populated regions. Scaling-up also does not offer a solution for smaller agricultural and horticultural companies in the region, which focus on organic cultivation or on specific niches (vegetables, fruit, berries, tree cultivation). Small-scale companies of this kind benefit especially from smaller machines that can be used for various purposes. In addition, from the awareness that agriculture must become more sustainable, there is a strong movement to integrate agricultural activities into the ecosystem management. This is reflected in the minimal use of chemical pesticides, the minimization of soil compaction, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The paradigm as proposed by this project is at odds with the current trend towards larger and heavier machines - it is an incentive for ecosystem management and allows us to work towards "zero emissions".

Medium