Robotic Following Cart to Replace Light Duty Tractor Tasks?

[daugen]

Pretty sure this is a tool for production farming, not us hobby farmers who are always looking for more seat time.
automation and gps mapped field software is standard above a certain point in big tractors.
so stands to reason anything labor intensive on a farm is going to be looked at to automate.

the availability of historic farm labor may soon change dramatically.

when your social reality is you have to pay 20 bucks an hour, or more, for harvest labor, in places like the Northeast,
minimizing worker count makes a lot of sense financially.

they now have fully automated driver-less tractor software. I was watching a YT video on farmers attending a trade show with
new equipment and they were joking they would soon be automated out of the drivers's seat, and they didn't like that idea at all.
But I bet their accountants would.

I think anyone in Salinas California who isn't automating is nuts. Farm tech is here and all farmers know you have to invest
to get a return, but show good ROI, completing same tasks with less manpower, unless you're Amish and need to employ your ten kids,
most progressive farmers will embrace automation, if only to keep up.

if the availability of seasonal/migrant labor dries up due to politics, someone or some thing has to get the avocados harvested.

do we need a robotic following cart on our properties?
I think I'd buy a grapple first.

but if I had a grapple and just about all the other implements I wanted,
would I pick one of these to follow my Kubota RTV to haul sticks?
maybe

I'm not sure Gen A is going to learn how to pick up sticks.
much less work for ten hours a day in a hot field

 

[candersen10]

We are increasingly towing in nurseries. Below are two images - one shows our smaller Burro with a mower, the other shows our larger Burro Grande towing about 5000 lbs. Below, also, is a survey.

At the same time, we keep having customers put mowers behind these things, and are trying to figure out how to hit what people want (here's an example of a customer putting a mower behind a Burro

).

Should we build an autonomous mower for a system like this (Could dock to charge, and run 24/7, perpetually in rougher ag / area type areas)?

If yes, should it be smaller (i.e. something like 36 inches wide), and fit on a smaller Burro? Or larger, and only fit on a larger Burro Grande (i.e. something like 48 inches wide)?

Any / All feedback hugely appreciated!! Below is a survey link too. The nos and negatives are very helpful also!!

Burro Autonomous Mowing Survey

We are interested in your feedback to help our team develop and refine the product for this new attachment! This mowing attachment is for commercial use, not residential.

docs.google.com

 

[workinonit]

I saw one at my dealer that just looked like a mower deck but it was an automated RC mower. Program it via GPS to do the job or run it like an RC toy. Made by a popular mower and implement manufacturer. Only difference is it was diesel. I was going to price it but I figured if I did I would probably bring it home. So to answer your question, yes there are people that want them. They are already being produced and sold.

 

[candersen10]

I saw one at my dealer that just looked like a mower deck but it was an automated RC mower. Program it via GPS to do the job or run it like an RC toy. Made by a popular mower and implement manufacturer. Only difference is it was diesel. I was going to price it but I figured if I did I would probably bring it home. So to answer your question, yes there are people that want them. They are already being produced and sold.

Any idea which brands? Certainly see autonomous Zero Turns (Scythe, Greenzie, etc.), then see a lot of smaller residential stuff like Husquvarna, but not as much in the just a bit smaller than a small tractor range doing area / row mowing in ag / row to row type settings.

On my family farm, there is about 50 hours of mowing to be done a week (i.e. something like $2K/week in labor)...
Zero turns can do some of it, but are not ideally suited for a lot of it - mostly done with little BXs or 1025Rs etc.

 

[candersen10]

Mowing steep slopes with a Burro Grande

Has a 48 inch electric deck. Base batteries do 4-5 hours of mowing in thick grass. Can double up.

Has a remote control but in this video is running autonomously.

 

[candersen10]

Anyone mowing stuff like this with their tractor?

Can do above, and autonomously fill in the main areas without touching it

This is all jenky prototype stuff show. Production one:
1. wireless remote control
2. autonomous docking to charge
3. 48 inch electric deck with a ton of power
4. 4 hours of run time in thick grass before charge on base batteries (easy to double)
5. Cost per acre mowed about 20-30% lower than a Kubota BX/L or Deere 1E/R series - and no labor in the mix

 

[MossRoad]

Yes, I mow stuff like that fairly often. It takes about 10 seconds. But I have a 60" front mounted deck on FEL arms that allows the deck to tilt forward and backward, left and right, and up and down independent of the machine. And, I have to be on it.

Pro Tip: Make sure it doesn't take out the wife's petunias. (ask how I know that)

 

[candersen10]

Yes, I mow stuff like that fairly often. It takes about 10 seconds. But I have a 60" front mounted deck on FEL arms that allows the deck to tilt forward and backward, left and right, and up and down independent of the machine. And, I have to be on it.

Pro Tip: Make sure it doesn't take out the wife's petunias. (ask how I know that)

I have mowed many petunias by mistake...all the people in my family that like plants don't think about how to put those plants out of the way of machines....


In this case, what this thing is:
1. Costs $10-12 an acre to run (Burro Grazer likely to list for around $40K + 3800/year for autonomy/rtk/cell/warranty + whatever electricity costs - at .15/ kwhr would cost about $110 bucks to mow 100 acres 8 passes in a year) - more running lowers that cost
2. Can do extreme slopes, and big areas
3. Autonomous for areas and rows, including ones where canopies cover GPS signal entirely
4. Autonomous Docking to charge
5. other modes possible (like see a person, send you a text - patrol overnight, etc.)
6. 12 HP on drive wheels, 7.2 HP on mower motors, 48 inches wide, so can fit in pretty tight places


Really designed for production ag (grapes, apples, berries, tree nurseries) where there is access to power for docking, and the hour meters on mowing macheins peopel are running goes up by like 1K / year. I.e. if you love sitting on a mower in the heat, this thing is not for you. If you have a big crew, and want to cut costs, this would be for you...

 

[candersen10]

Here's how it is looking now (deck obviously is a test variant):

Unlocked faster speeds so now running 5-6 MPH while mowing autonomously.

 

[candersen10]

Setup tool (draw perimeters, or train them on machine, if there are rowsd (GPS denied) mark starts where you have GPS, and autonomy fills in.

Basiclally, Roomba for mowing for a farm.

Deck setup (ballparkish)

basically scaled as a fully autonomous Kubota BX with docking to run also.

 

[MossRoad]

That looks similar to the map on a robotic vacuum that my employer tried out a couple years ago. The little thing was slower than humans, but didn't need any supervision or ask for time off. Did all the hallways and common areas. About the only assistance it needed was for someone to push the elevator buttons for it.

It was interesting to look at the map on the screen on the back of the thing and see where it had been and what was left.

 

[Xfaxman]

Deck setup (ballparkish)

Looks OK for level ground, but I like the deck out front and linked so it can mow uneven ground:

 

[candersen10]

How steep are you doing? A lot of our testing has been on 25-30 degree slopes to make sure we can do rough stuff and areas

 

[Xfaxman]

How steep are you doing?

Steep is no problem. What I mow has uneven ground where the machine is still on the flat level, but one side of the mower deck is going up or down in the uneven area. It has to twist to keep the wheels on the ground.

The linkage on this deck lets that happen.

 

[MossRoad]

Steep is no problem. What I mow has uneven ground where the machine is still on the flat level, but one side of the mower deck is going up or down in the uneven area. It has to twist to keep the wheels on the ground.

The linkage on this deck lets that happen.

Likewise on our PowerTrac. The mower deck or brush cutter can do pitch and roll as well as up and down, all independent from the tractor that's pushing it while keeping 4 wheels on the ground.

 

[candersen10]

In our case, we are generally pulling not pushing (only pushing if you are using a remote control), so the design principle you guys are describing applies. Said another way, this is functionling like any bush-hog on a 3 point.

 

[MossRoad]

In our case, we are generally pulling not pushing (only pushing if you are using a remote control), so the design principle you guys are describing applies. Said another way, this is functionling like any bush-hog on a 3 point.

Yep, we see that.

 

[big bubba]

You're onto something good, keep working it.

Just a comparison, an 8 cubic foot muck truck is cheaper.

4 Wheel Power Drive and Dump Wheel Barrow - 8 Cubic Foot

bought one of those barrows years ago under under different name, etc. for 1800.
great machine, but the price on your site is ridiculous. there are other vendors such as Muck Truck, but don't know much about them. i use the machine landscaping around large pond dams, etc.
the product would be great for masons too, regards

 

[candersen10]

bought one of those barrows years ago under under different name, etc. for 1800.
great machine, but the price on your site is ridiculous. there are other vendors such as Muck Truck, but don't know much about them. i use the machine landscaping around large pond dams, etc.
the product would be great for masons too, regards

Not sure what you are looking at. We are a 15K to 28K autonomous vehicle used to replace small tractors towing, and to automate labor. In short, I think you are looking at something really different. Burros are fully autonomous farm vehicles that carry / tow / patrol / mow.

 

[candersen10]

Some more video of what this is starting to look like: