Corematic Engineering recently showcased its automated navigation system to regional growers with the innovation set to save time and energy on mundane but important tasks like mowing.
Bundaberg-raised mechatronic engineer and Corematic director Scott Hansen said KITT technology was an automated navigation system that could be fitted on to a mower, making the machine do the work instead of the farmer.
“The idea is to be able to automate farm machinery to simplify or shift people into more useful roles where they can bring the real value,” he said.
“Mowing is an excellent example of this.
“It is quite a high frequency task that has to be done on any type of farm.”
Scott said to be able to remove the person from the seat of the mower was an excellent way to optimise business operations.
And he said the technology wasn't limited to just mowers.
“Being that it is tractor mounted, it can ultimately perform any type of tractor-mounted job,” Scott said.
“So we're now looking towards spraying, we're looking towards canopy management and we're looking forward to canopy monitoring as well.
“Because the machine has got so many sensors on it, when it moves through the field it can actually start to monitor the health of your trees and everything around it to help you forward predict issues and problems and ideally, to optimise the way that you are farming as well.”
Scott said automation technology had already been introduced in America and Europe for broadacre operations but there was little available for orchard cropping.
“And more importantly, you have to buy the entire machine so it can often make it quite cost prohibitive for people,” he said.
“That's the benefit we see with our kit, it's quite cost effective and it means you don't need to decommission what could possibly be a brand new tractor.
“The system can be fitted to a brand new tractor to optimise its operations.”
About Corematic
Corematic Engineering provides tailored solutions in robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision technology and machine learning.
The team are also the brains behind a next generation macadamia nut harvester that will improve the capabilities and efficiency of the entire industry.
Visit the business website here.
Surprised they don’t just simply kill the grass… easily done put some newspaper down then a top layer of mulch to block the sunlight. No grass no mowing…
No grass means all the water & furtlizer goes to the crops.