CASE IH LEADS FARMERS INTO NEW ERA
(April 2006) – Almost 10 years after Case IH first introduced precision ag technology to the industry they are again leading farmers into a new era, with the introduction of new user-friendly products with the potential to deliver accuracy to within 1cm.
The latest offerings in the CaseIH Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) range, due to hit the market over the next 12 months includes the AFS Pro 600 colour touch screen, the highly accurate Steering Sensor and the FieldManagerTM touch screen.
The AFS Pro 600 colour screen monitor will provide the common link between Case IH tractor, harvesting, implement and sprayer products. It’s portability between these product platforms will reduce system complexity and allow farmers to easily process application data gathered by these products.
On the steering front, the AutoSenseTM steering sensor measures highly accurate wheel angle information on all terrains. “The sensor obtains this information and sends it to the AutopilotTM system to keep the vehicle on line and potentially provide accuracy to within 1cm,” Case IH Marketing Manager, Phil Withell said.
“We have a saying that accuracy is addictive so we’re expecting these new options to be highly sought after as farmers strive for higher levels of repeatable accuracy and ease of operation in their precision farming techniques,” Phil said.
Farmers looking for other features can move to the 10.4 inch LCD touch screen FieldManagerTM
that provides three dimensional viewing. The preloaded software provides GPS guidance information, automated steering controls, multiple field patterns and record keeping.
“All of these components are of rugged design, and built to withstand extreme temperatures and humidity, making them ideal for farmers in Australian conditions.”
The strength behind Case IH’s new portfolio of products and its Advanced Farming System is the development philosophy. “We design our AFS products with a future upgrade path allowing the addition of future features at minimal cost to customers. Our Guidance technology, which is developed in partnership with GPS leader, Trimble, offers farmers the option to add-on systems to provide increasing levels of accuracy as required. “We see this as a real strength enabling operators to start with a basic unit and build up from there as their accuracy needs grow,” Phil said.
Beyond the current technology, the future looks exciting for Case IH.
“We’re working on a range of new technologies, including the development of slave technology. This builds on the concept of automated vehicles, and creates a relationship between two or more machines in which one machine, the ‘master’, controls the operation of the others, the ‘slaves’. For example, there may be three automated combines in the field, one of these driverless machines is your control centre and the other two driverless vehicles are the slaves, mimicking what the master combine is doing.” They’d mimic functions such as guidance, and machine setting changes including rotor and sieve settings.
The time will come when we see a farm manager working in an office some distance away while the machines do the work. This sort of technology, which is probably around five to ten years off, will certainly change the nature of farming as we know it and may offer a unique solution to the skill shortage facing the industry.”
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For more information contact:
Gemma Butler-Fleming Sue Hardman
Case IH Hardman Consulting
Communications Manager Case IH Media Relations
61 2 9673 7711 0405 269 145
gemma.butlerfleming@cnh.com sue@hardmanconsulting.com.au
11-Aug-2006