Retrofit Turns Tractors Autonomous
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Fleets of autonomous tractors and implements operating in the same field may not be here yet, but they may be soon. OutRun from PTx Trimble is paving the way with its autonomous tractor retrofit and grain cart solution. Unlike most new technologies, OutRun focuses on small to mid-sized farms with limited available labor.
“A lot of farms in the Midwest are one and two-person operations, struggling to find help during harvest,” says Dinen Subramaniam, PTx Trimble. “They lose a lot of productivity and yield as the harvest drags on.”
Subramaniam points to a husband-and-wife operation in Nebraska. The wife drives the combine, and the husband drives the semi. When one or the other needs the grain cart, left parked in the middle of the field, they walk to it, fill or empty it, park it, and return to the combine or semi.
“With the OutRun kit mounted to the roof of the grain cart tractor, the combine driver can call the tractor to them to fill the grain cart on the go and then send it back to the semi’s staging area,” says Subramaniam. “No walking and no lost productivity. We’ve also tested OutRun with three-person operations. With it, two people can drive semis while the third runs the combine. No grain cart driver needed.”
Once at the combine, the tractor and grain cart automatically sync with the combine but are under the combine operator’s control. Once sent back to the semi, the tractor and grain cart wait for the semi-driver to climb into the cab and unload the grain cart. For 2024, manual unloading is required.
The OutRun kit utilizes a GPS/GNSS RTK receiver for positioning. The processor provides autonomy and perception applications and interacts with the tractor control system. Perception uses radar and LIDAR sensors to perceive field obstacles and activities.
“We use radar, as it works well in dusty conditions, as well as LIDAR, which works well at night if not as well in dust,” says Subramaniam. “When an obstacle is detected, the system slows down, and if the obstacle doesn’t clear the path, the tractor stops.”
Once the tractor has downloaded the field map from a farm management system, no other contact with the internet or cloud is needed.
“This is important in areas with no cell phone or internet coverage,” says Subramaniam. “In addition, the system is learning as it operates. For example, it uses a repeat path when traveling between the combine and the semi to reduce compaction in the field.”
OutRun was introduced in 2024 as a very limited retrofit on Deere 8R and Deere 8000 Series R tractors with IVT (infinitely variable transmission). It’ll be commercially available for those tractors in 2025, with other models and brands soon to follow. Subramaniam reports it’s been alpha-tested with Fendt 900 Series tractors and will be available up and down the Fendt line.
“In the next 2 to 3 years, we’ll support mixed fleet tractors,” says Subramaniam. “It’s a matter of working through the different OEMs to ensure capabilities. However, it means that a farmer will be able to have autonomous tractors without buying new.”
Subramaniam and his team have worked towards autonomous tractor operation for over 10 years, initially with JCA Technologies until AGCO purchased it.
When AGCO purchased the company, the mandate shifted to developing a product to sell directly to farmers. Early this year, the division was renamed PTx Trimble, a joint venture between AGCO and Trimble. OutRun, to be used with Deere tractors and grain carts, is the first product.
The company has alpha-tested using multiple autonomous tractors with grain carts, each serving a single combine or multiple tractor/grain cart combinations serving a single combine.
Subramaniam reports that the use of the autonomous tractor system for tillage has also been alpha-tested.
“We’ll get to the point where autonomous systems will be used to get the crop off the field, as well as doing fall tillage or drilling a cover crop,” he says. “It could be with the same tractor when the combine isn’t operating or with a different tractor. With some extra sensors, OutRun can help farming operations throughout the crop cycle.”
PTx Trimble is trialing a multi-step pricing structure for OutRun. Initial costs include a dealer’s setup of the kit on the machine and activation. A farmer then pays an annual subscription fee and an hourly fee based on actual use.
“A grain cart may only be moving for 30 percent of the time a combine is harvesting,” explains Subramaniam. “The farmer will only pay for those active task hours, not when just sitting in the field. We project a positive payback of the subscription and hourly fees through increased productivity for farms as small as 900 acres in the first and second year.”
Subramaniam explains that the one grain cart and combine product is focused on the 900 to 2,000-acre operation. Initially, the technology group had expected to help larger producers and custom operators.
“We found OutRun was most effective for smaller family farmers struggling to get their crops harvested,” says Subramaniam. “That’s been the most fulfilling part of the project.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, PTx Trimble, 50 Fultz Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3Y 0L6 (www.OutRun.ag).
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Retrofit Turns Tractors Autonomous TRACTORS Modifications Fleets of autonomous tractors and implements operating in the same field may not be here yet but they may be soon OutRun from PTx Trimble is paving the way with its autonomous tractor retrofit and grain cart solution Unlike most new technologies OutRun focuses on small to mid-sized farms with limited available labor “A lot of farms in the Midwest are one and two-person operations struggling to find help during harvest ” says Dinen Subramaniam PTx Trimble “They lose a lot of productivity and yield as the harvest drags on ” Subramaniam points to a husband-and-wife operation in Nebraska The wife drives the combine and the husband drives the semi When one or the other needs the grain cart left parked in the middle of the field they walk to it fill or empty it park it and return to the combine or semi “With the OutRun kit mounted to the roof of the grain cart tractor the combine driver can call the tractor to them to fill the grain cart on the go and then send it back to the semi’s staging area ” says Subramaniam “No walking and no lost productivity We’ve also tested OutRun with three-person operations With it two people can drive semis while the third runs the combine No grain cart driver needed ” Once at the combine the tractor and grain cart automatically sync with the combine but are under the combine operator’s control Once sent back to the semi the tractor and grain cart wait for the semi-driver to climb into the cab and unload the grain cart For 2024 manual unloading is required The OutRun kit utilizes a GPS/GNSS RTK receiver for positioning The processor provides autonomy and perception applications and interacts with the tractor control system Perception uses radar and LIDAR sensors to perceive field obstacles and activities “We use radar as it works well in dusty conditions as well as LIDAR which works well at night if not as well in dust ” says Subramaniam “When an obstacle is detected the system slows down and if the obstacle doesn’t clear the path the tractor stops ” Once the tractor has downloaded the field map from a farm management system no other contact with the internet or cloud is needed “This is important in areas with no cell phone or internet coverage ” says Subramaniam “In addition the system is learning as it operates For example it uses a repeat path when traveling between the combine and the semi to reduce compaction in the field ” OutRun was introduced in 2024 as a very limited retrofit on Deere 8R and Deere 8000 Series R tractors with IVT infinitely variable transmission It’ll be commercially available for those tractors in 2025 with other models and brands soon to follow Subramaniam reports it’s been alpha-tested with Fendt 900 Series tractors and will be available up and down the Fendt line “In the next 2 to 3 years we’ll support mixed fleet tractors ” says Subramaniam “It’s a matter of working through the different OEMs to ensure capabilities However it means that a farmer will be able to have autonomous tractors without buying new ” Subramaniam and his team have worked towards autonomous tractor operation for over 10 years initially with JCA Technologies until AGCO purchased it When AGCO purchased the company the mandate shifted to developing a product to sell directly to farmers Early this year the division was renamed PTx Trimble a joint venture between AGCO and Trimble OutRun to be used with Deere tractors and grain carts is the first product The company has alpha-tested using multiple autonomous tractors with grain carts each serving a single combine or multiple tractor/grain cart combinations serving a single combine Subramaniam reports that the use of the autonomous tractor system for tillage has also been alpha-tested “We’ll get to the point where autonomous systems will be used to get the crop off the field as well as doing fall tillage or drilling a cover crop ” he says “It could be with the same tractor when the combine isn’t operating or with a different tractor With some extra sensors OutRun can help farming operations throughout the crop cycle ” PTx Trimble is trialing a multi-step pricing structure for OutRun Initial costs include a dealer’s setup of the kit on the machine and activation A farmer then pays an annual subscription fee and an hourly fee based on actual use “A grain cart may only be moving for 30 percent of the time a combine is harvesting ” explains Subramaniam “The farmer will only pay for those active task hours not when just sitting in the field We project a positive payback of the subscription and hourly fees through increased productivity for farms as small as 900 acres in the first and second year ” Subramaniam explains that the one grain cart and combine product is focused on the 900 to 2 000-acre operation Initially the technology group had expected to help larger producers and custom operators “We found OutRun was most effective for smaller family farmers struggling to get their crops harvested ” says Subramaniam “That’s been the most fulfilling part of the project ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup PTx Trimble 50 Fultz Blvd Winnipeg Manitoba Canada R3Y 0L6 www OutRun ag
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