Continental will demonstrate new technology for agriculture at Agritechnica including an autonomous greenhouse robot, a boiling water sustainable weed control system, a 360-degree tractor camera, new harvester draper belts, tyre sensors and wide illumination LED lights foragricultural machinery.
Continental has made significant investments into the agriculture sector. The brand launched a new range of tyres in 2017 and has since delivered over 100 lines including VF, hybrid, and specialist loader tyres. Many tyres can also be fitted with ContiConnect which has been updated with a Lite version.
Tyres such as the VF TractorMaster Hybrid are fitted with a sensor inside to monitor the tyre using ContiConnect Lite which provides temperature and pressure data to a mobile device or terminal in the machine. The bluetooth enabled Lite version is free of charge and only requires a sensor to be fitted or retrofitted to the tyre.
Despite launching new tyre technology, Continental is taking Agritechnica as a launchpad for agricultural technology that is not tyre related. Amongst the new products is a tractor mounted ‘Weed Control System’ that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and boiling water to control weeds. The system, designed and engineered by Continental Engineering Services (CES), is based on optical sensor technology, supported by automotive grade software and AI to pinpoint areas in crops that need attention.
Continental has also entered the autonomous robot sector with a greenhouse robot capable of treating plants with ultraviolet light (UVC), selective harvesting and scouting activities. In partnership with Octiva, the robot is being readied for sale in 2024 and will be capable of operating multiple implements 24/7 for greenhouse operations looking to automate crop management.
For harvesters, Continental has developed the new Raptor draper belt that provides greater protection against debris thanks to a patented cleat design called Edge Defender. Continental suggests this improves crop flow and significantly reduces the overall cost of ownership by reducing downtime.
ProViu 360, a retrofittable 360-degree camera system developed by Continental to improve overall visibility, and NightViu working lights, demonstrate further technological developments that expand on existing tyre technology to make tractor operation safer.
ProViu 360 captures images using four cameras with HDR (High Dynamic Range) and a resolution of 1.3 megapixels and combines them to produce a perfect bird’s eye view of the vehicle. It also features Pedestrian Detection, Clean Camera Assistant and Transparent Chassis technology.
NightViu working lights offer 100 lumens per watt LED lights for tractors to operate more safely and efficiently in the dark. The lights come with flux options ranging from 1.500 to 4.500 lumens and light beams covering a wide variety of lighting scenarios and beam patterns, ranging from highly focused spotlight illumination to floodlighting and an extremely wide illumination field.
Source: Tyretradenews
