Case IH autonomous concept vehicle, a cabless tractor, coming to AgQuip

CASE IH’s autonomous concept vehicle (ACV) is coming to Australia for the first time and will appear at AgQuip in Gunnedah, NSW, later this month.

Rare sight: Case IH’s autonomous concept vehicle will be on show at AgQuip in Gunnedah, NSW, later this month.

CASE IH’s autonomous concept vehicle (ACV) is coming to Australia for the first time and will appear at AgQuip in Gunnedah, NSW, later this month.

The driverless concept ­vehicle, a cabless tractor based on the Magnum, which can operate autonomously with a range of field implements, made its debut a year ago at Farm Progress in the US.

“The ACV is a glimpse into the future for agriculture and proof of the impact technology is having on our industry,” said Case IH Australia New Zealand marketing manager Pete McCann.

“No one could have imagined a driverless tractor 10 years ago, but the ACV shows us that one day they could be a reality.

“It’s the perfect example of the possibilities before us and the fact the next big revolution in agriculture could be just around the corner.”

The tractor was developed as a sample to show to the public for feedback to help shape a commercial version, which could be on Australian farms within five years.

Case IH’s global product manager for Advanced Farming Systems, Rob Zemenchik, told Crop Gear the concept had been “shifted into the pilot phase”.

“It is plausible that we will see some aspects of our autonomous technology commercialised within the next five years,” he said.

Mr Zemenchik said the machine offers producers more control, monitoring capabilities and cost savings through efficiencies with tasks such as tilling, planting, spraying and harvesting.

He said an operator could potentially supervise the activities of multiple machines via a tablet or desktop computer while completing other tasks, and a number of autonomous tractors could work together on the one task or on multiple tasks simultaneously.

Mr McCann said the chance to view the ACV at this year’s AgQuip was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

“You don’t have to come from the land or own a tractor to appreciate just how special this concept vehicle is,” he said.

“Autonomous operations are being considered across many industries and the Case IH ACV is one of the finest indications of what we may see in the not-too-distant future.”

At this stage AgQuip has been earmarked as the only Australian show where the concept machine can be viewed.