Fendt's swarm robot concept gets new seeding unit and three wheel design

In collaboration with Agco owned company Precision Planting, the seeding unit for Fendt’s Xaver swarm robots has been replaced with a vSet unit. This electrically driven unit places individual seeds at predefined spaces along the rows with a ‘flexible firmer’.

However, the manufacturer is looking into ways it can integrate Precision Planting’s Smart Firmer, which can alter the seed depth based on moisture, temperature and humus levels, using sensors.

In contrast to previous iterations of the robots, the new design features three wheels. In doing so larger diameter wheels have been used, providing more ground contact, clearance and depth control. The rear wheel provides drive, steering, depth control and consolidation of the seed slot.

The robots have also had a power boost. The capacity of the lithium-ion battery has been increased to 2.6kWh, providing enough energy for about 1.5-hours of work. The seed tank capacity has been extended to 20-litres, enough for around 0.5ha at 90,000 grains per hectare. The company says a swarm of six robots can cover three hectares per hour.

Robots measure two metres in length and have an unladen weight of 150kg. The manufacturer says wheel weights can be added to the front wheels for greater coulter pressure, taking the maximum total weight to 250kg.