iVT CONCEPT
JOHN DEERE’S COMMAND CAB
Not quite a full vehicle, but the
brains of one. Agritechnica saw the
presentation of this unusual piece
of high-end technology: the future
vision of a cab offering new possibilities
for artifi cial intelligence. With its
joystick control, touchscreen
display and networking of all
machine components, John
Deere offers a completely
new operating concept. By
integrating real-time
weather data, individual
pre-settings and job
management procedures, the
cab becomes the command centre
for agricultural operations.
The cab consists of a large, centrally-mounted
touchscreen LED dashboard offering a high-level
view of vehicle, farm, multiple farms or multiple
operations in multiple fi elds. In other words
a bird’s eye view of work and effi ciencies. Above
the windscreen and embedded into the wall of the
cab is a further, wrap-around digital display. In the
absence of a steering wheel, a joystick is found to
the right of the seat.
The cab monitors the fi eld, from soil temperature
to moisture, as well as the rest of the fl eet. Jobs
can be assigned to other tractors within the fl eet,
and performance is monitored. If there is a fault or
problem a drone can be dispatched to survey the
issue, then recommended a course of action. Any
action can easily be verifi ed via video call into and
out of the cab. Weather warnings will fl ash up,
alerting the driver to possible job disruption and
a suggestion for rescheduling.
“This really is a cab of the future,” says Neil
Mason, product manager for John Deere. iVT
MANITOU CONNECT
Manitou group, world-leader in
rough-terrain handling,
presented their new Connect
vehicle at Agritechnica. Though
less futuristic and eye-catching
than other concepts at the show,
the company’s telehandler
displays many major
innovations in one machine.
These were divided into three
distinct areas: performance,
comfort and profi tability.
In terms of performance,
Manitou’s HighView camera is
the fi rst active vision system
installed on a telehandler boom
head, and has been introduced to increase productivity
and accuracy in loading and handling application.
As a result, it offers a 10% increase in loading
productivity without the need for a second
person to monitor the trailer fi lling level. It also
memorises load positions.
From a comfort perspective, the company’s
patented Comfort Steering System (CSS) is the fi rst
intelligent adaptive steering solution on a four-wheel
steering telehandler. This means a complete change
of direction can be accomplished in one steering turn
instead of four, equating to 12% more productivity on
loading applications. The comfort extends with an
adaptive suspension for all terrains along with an
improved ergonomic straight-back seat to lessen
fatigue. 360-degree cab visibility helps the operator
focus on the job in hand.
Lastly – and regarding profi tability – the EcoStop
automatically shuts down the engine when the driver
is out of the cab. This means a 12.5% reduction in fuel
consumption, saving €1,500-3,000 per year on the
machine TCO (total cost of ownership) and a return on
investment in two to four months.
ABOVE: Manitou’s Connect machine at Agritechnica
BELOW: The vehicle features the fi rst intelligent
steering on a four-wheel steering telehandler
BELOW: John Deere
performed several
live displays of the
cab’s capabilities
20 iVTInternational.com February 2020
/iVTInternational.com