January 30, 2020
THE WITNESS
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19
WHEELS
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TRANSPORT TRENDS
Japanese tractor builder Kubota launched its first futuristic “comfort” tractor in 1970, (TOP), but its latest selfsteering, height-varying crawler (LEFT) has no driver. Instead an artificial intelligence steers the crawler on Japanese farms, which are growing in size as more farmers reach retirement age and sell their land to corporate growers. While John Deere has long proven its self-steering agricultural machines on mega farms with access to mega finance, the Kubota X tractor is aimed at smaller farmers on a budget.
Farmyard revolution Volocopter drones spray crops while Kubota’s crawlers uses artificial intelligence to plan jobs ALWYN VILJOEN
a farm vehicle. Wheels predicts Australia’s reckless bush pilots, who regularly crash while nudging wayward cows with the landing skid of a Robinson R22 helicopter, will be early adopters of this safer way to farm from the sky.
AGEING farmers and high input costs around the world are driving several changes in farming equipment, best represented by a new self-steering tractor from Japan’s Kubota Corporation, and Volocopter’s collaboration with John Deere to turn giant drones into flying crop sprayers. CROP-SPRAYING DRONE Drones are already used to inspect crops and shoot tree seeds into the soil, but the German-based Volocopter will be the first to lift off with heavy liquid loads to spray over crops. To this end, Volocopter adapted its two-seater drone, which can fly for 30 minutes using lithium-ion batteries that drive 18 rotors via electric motors. Like a mini drone, the craft can be remotely piloted by the farmer or set to follow a designated flight path during the night or day. The Daimler-backed Volocopter said
German company Volocopter has adapted its two-seater drone to work as a crop sprayer, in collaboration with John Deere’s precision farming systems. its sprayer could also be used for frost control and sowing seeds. John Deere is the ideal partner for Volocopter, as the American agricultural corporation’s precision farming systems have been proven to increase
production and lower costs on mega farms around the world, including South Africa. Because the automated John Deere spraying system just bolts on, the farmer can easily turn his Volocopter into
NEW ROBOTS FOR OLD FARMERS Japan’s ageing farmers led that country’s tractor builder Kubota, whose hardy little tractors are popular in narrow vineyards, to add the concept X tractor to its Agrirobo tractors range. Kubota said at a product exhibition in Kyoto City last month that more Japanese farmers are reaching retirement age while the average size of farms is growing. This created a labour shortage, solved with new labour-saving technologies and precision farming systems. Their X tractor comes with artificial intelligence (AI) and an electric powertrain. The AI allows the tractor to operate with no driver. Based on data inputs — ranging from
the weather predictions to growth rates and market prices — the AI chooses the which task to complete first on a busy farm, be it weeding or harvesting. The tractor has sensors that monitor the crop and environmental data, which is automatically shared with other smart agricultural machines at site to realise centrally-managed efficient operation. The tractor is also carbon negative, with lithium-ion batteries charged by solar. Tracks instead of tyres spread the load to allow the tractor to traverse deep mud in rice paddies without sinking, and provide a stable platform on uneven surfaces. The tractor’s suspension also changes its height to keep the tractor at the optimal level for tilling or spraying, adjusting the height as it traverses the fields. Hub-wheel motors enable the tractor to turn in its own footprint or power over most obstacles. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
Unimogs set new altitude record on world’s tallest active volcano A 10-strong expedition team led by Matthias Jeschke have climbed the highest volcano in the world, the Ojos de Salado in Chile, with two Unimog U 5023 vehicles. The team’s task was to install four emergency radio units at various highaltitude camps on the volcanic mountain. In an emergency, each of the four units can be used to create a radio connection with the three other base camps of the Ojos del Salado. This system will improve safety both for mountaineers and scientific researchers. The Ojos de Salado measures 6893 m and is thus the tallest active volcano on our planet. The volcano is part of the Atacama Desert — one of the driest places on Earth and part of the notorious Pacific Ring of Fire. After the expedition team made it to the Amistad high-altitude camp at 6100 m with the two Unimog U 5023s and had completed the installation of the fourth emergency radio unit there,
One of two Unimog’s that installed emergency radio units at various high-altitude camps on Chile’s Ojos de Salado, at 6893 m the tallest active volcano on our planet. Note the heavy wheel extended far in front of the nose to help balance the truck up steep slopes.
the team set about achieving another milestone: breaking the altitude record for wheeled vehicles. This was achieved by one of the two Unimog trucks at an altitude of 6694 m. Never before had vehicles climbed to such heights anywhere around the world. The expedition was supported by Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks which provided two extreme off-road Unimog U 5023 vehicles of the latest generation to carry the expedition team and all of their equipment required to these extreme altitudes. Both trucks had special tyres, strong winches and special bodies with variable centre of gravity balancing developed by the specialists at the Unimog Museum, Unimog bodybuilder AS Söder and by engineers from the Unimog development team. With this, the owner of the Extreme Events company, Matthias Jeschke, and his team didn’t just beat their own record with a Mercedes-Benz Zetros in 2014, they also set the absolute world record for a wheeled vehicle driving at altitude. — WR.
FAKE SOUND FOR NEXT MASERATIS
Bloodhound’s ‘green rocket’ will be steam powered
MASERATI has started testing its new full electric propulsion systems developed at the new Innovation Lab in Modena. The main aim of the tests is not just to check the parts do what its says on the side of the box, but to develop an internal combustion engine’s sound for the full electric models. Maserati said the aim is to make “a distinctive signature sound” so that customers will benefit from 100% electric propulsion vehicles that will combine driving pleasure, comfort and performance with a unique “and unmistakable sound”. The new Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio will be the brand’s first cars to adopt 100% electric solutions and will be built at the Turin production hub. — WR.
FOLLOWING successful high-speed testing programme of the Bloodhound (pictured) in the Kalahari Desert in November 2019, the vehicle has now returned to the UK Land Speed Record Centre, Bloodhound’s HQ in Gloucestershire, to be prepared for the next phase of the project. The jet-powered straight-line racing car reached 1 010km/h (628mph) and to go faster, the jet car will next get a rocket to provide extra thrust. The rocket will be provided by Norwegian rocket specialist Nammo’s compact, zero-emissions rocket, originally designed to launch small satellites into space. The Nammo rocket is a “monopropellant” design that uses concentrated hydrogen peroxide (water with an extra oxygen molecule –
no fuel ‘combustion’ and therefore no flame nor any chemically harmful waste generated by the rocket from each run. Bloodhound LSR will be steam powered. Work is also underway to optimise the auxiliary power unit needed to pump the rocket’s oxidiser. Rather than the originally specified V8 engine, this will be an electric motor and battery pack of comparable power. — WR.
CV JOINT SPECIALISTS
H2O2) as the oxidiser. This is pumped at high pressure through silver gauze, which acts as a catalyst, causing it to decompose (split
apart) into super-heated steam (600°C) and oxygen. The steam and oxygen are channelled through a nozzle to generate thrust. There is
for CV joints, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings.
341 GREYLING STREET Pmb. 033 342 9174/75
To deliver loads up to a ton in greater luxury, drivers need not look any further than the new Peugeot Partner. The proven 1,6 HDI diesel makes 68kW and 230 Nm and is very efficient. Standard comfort features include air conditioning, six airbags, an electric parking brake, an 8” touch screen rear parking sensors and and cruise control. The service plan, warranty and roadside assistance are all five years or 100 000 km. The Partner lists for R389 900. U.S. start-up Agility Robotics has sold two of its Digit robots to Ford, which will use them to research lastmile package delivery in the U.S. The Digit can pick up and carry parcels weighing up to 18 kg, but is only semiautonomous, meaning it needs a human to help navigate new environments. Agility Robotics says it can be put to a range of uses, including in logistics, warehouses, telepresence, and industrial inspection, with runnning costs currently roughly R365 per hour. By comparison, Amazon currently pays its independent courier drivers R263 per hour, meaning the robot researchers will have to sharpen their pencils a lot to compete with cheap humans — but Ford’s research will help further this aim. EVENTS February 7: The Wheels club’s next social at the club is a Valentine’s Bring and Braai at the Vintage Sports Car Club on Oribi Road from 6 pm. All welcome February 9: Wheels fans host a drive out to Beach Bums in West Brook, Durban, for a meet and greet with other motor enthusiasts on Sunday. Departure from the KFC parking lot at on Armitage Road at 8.30 am to leave at 9 sharp for Beach Bums. All welcome. February 29: The KZN WFO enduro riders kick start the 2020 series with Mr T PMB, the first of seven rounds in the 2020 season, which this year incorporates interprovincial challenges and the junior enduro, as well as hosting a national enduro and a national extreme enduro series event that will form part of the National Enduro Super Series.
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