EP&T: Hexagon/NovAtel integrates autonomous solutions for farm tractor OEMs

Source: NovAtel

We hear a lot about self-driving vehicles. Technology has arrived that makes their deployment affordable and, likely one day, straight forward. Self-driving cars and trucks have been put through rigorous testing over the years and it will only be a matter of time before they become mainstream.

For years, Calgary-based NovAtel, part of Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division, and part of the Swedish Company, Hexagon, has been focusing on automation in agriculture, providing OEM tractor manufacturers with technology like their SMART7 antenna which detects tractor position and directs tractor manoeuvers.

The impetus for building autonomous tractors came from the recognition of how hard farmers have to work, a desire to deliver the full potential of sensors, and accurate positioning capability to enable independent farm operations. West Coast Report recently interviewed Mike Martinez, segment manager, agriculture at Hexagon | NovAtel, about its autonomous tractor technology and questioned how they plan to navigate through some challenging safety considerations.

Read more on EP&T, one of Canadian Manufacturing‘s sister publications.