Automated Mercedes-Benz vehicles are getting used within the Brazilian sugar cane harvest since 2019. Mercedes-Benz do Brasil has configured the Mercedes-Benz Axor particularly for automated harvesting operations as a part of a growth partnership with the Brazilian agricultural expertise producer Grunner.
By the tip of this yr, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil could have already delivered a complete of round 640 autos to Grunner for modification. Of those, round 580 autos will already be in buyer palms.
The Axor, which has confirmed itself within the Brazilian market, is supplied with all of the technological elements that allow automated driving: The automobile independently takes over velocity and distance management in addition to longitudinal and lateral steering.
Though the motive force retains management of the truck always, palms wouldn’t have to be completely on the steering wheel. Along with the automated driving features, the Axor has an extra entrance axle, prolonged tire spacing, so-called “excessive flotation” tires for agricultural use and antennas to obtain satellite tv for pc alerts.
Earlier than the truck can actively assistance on the plantation, the harvesting route is set beforehand on the pc, correct to the centimeter. The automated journey is managed through cruise management, GPS and geo-referencing. The Axor works at the side of a sugar cane harvester, which additionally drives routinely and conveys the harvested sugar cane straight into the truck physique. The common velocity is round six kilometers per hour. As soon as filling of the Axor is full, the motive force takes over the truck once more for items dealing with.
In contrast with a traditional tractor unit, important benefits may be achieved by way of gasoline consumption, lubricant consumption, in addition to upkeep and servicing prices. Exact preset routing additionally will increase productiveness: a automobile can harvest round twice the quantity in the identical time due to larger common working speeds.
The automated Mercedes-Benz Axors with Grunner’s expertise are tailored for his or her function; with expertise particularly tailored to harvesting work, they don’t seem to be a part of Daimler Truck’s twin technique on autonomous driving.
Via its impartial subsidiary Torc Robotics, Daimler Truck is driving the event of SAE Degree 4 autonomous trucking in america. The answer developed from this partnership is specialised and designed to deal with visitors between distribution facilities on highways. On the similar time, Daimler Truck is working with Waymo. The objective: to mix Waymo’s autonomous driving expertise with the Freightliner Cascadia, anticipated to be out there within the US within the coming years.
