Innovative Iron Award: Bobcat’s AT450X Autonomous Tractor Combines AI and Electric Power
The off-highway equipment industry has made significant strides in 2024, introducing machines that are smarter, greener and more efficient and powerful than ever before. Compact Equipment‘s 2024 Innovative Iron Awards celebrate these advancements, highlighting equipment that sets new standards in performance, sustainability and operator comfort. See all the winners here. Now, let’s celebrate…
Bobcat’s AT450X Autonomous Electric Articulating Tractor
The Bobcat AT450X, enabled by Agtonomy, made its debut at CES 2024. It is the industry’s first autonomous and electric articulating tractor, showcasing a bold leap in farming technology. This cutting-edge machine combines autonomy with sustainability, designed to revolutionize compact farm applications like vineyards and orchards. With embedded AI and Agtonomy software (a hybrid autonomy and tele-assist platform), the AT450X automates critical tasks such as mowing, spraying and precision weeding, all while producing zero emissions. Its electric powertrain makes it ideal for use in enclosed spaces or indoor work. Electric offers lower operating and maintenance costs compared to traditional tractors.
I caught up with Tim Bucher, CEO and cofounder of Agtonomy, at CES early this year. Bobcat and Agtonomy established a partnership in 2023 to develop autonomous equipment innovations that increase ag productivity and performance.
“Bobcat really started in agriculture,” said Bucher, during an interview on the show floor. “That’s their history, but not all agriculture is the same. [The AT450X] is good for specialty crops. Specialty crops are the crops that are not done in rotation. They’re also referred to as permanent crops or high value crops. Your fruit and nut trees, your vines, your caneberries, your raspberries and whatnot. Big ag is easier. If you and I took out 10 ears or 10 stalks of corn with our autonomous vehicle, it’s a disappointment, but it’s not the end of the world. If our solution took out 10 orange trees, that’s a problem. The AT450X is ideal for operating in olive orchards and in vineyards. This vehicle is great at steep slopes. It’s being used for mowing, for precision mechanical weeding, for spraying and even for harvesting.”
Bobcat AT450X’s Navigational Options
Bobcat’s AT450X electric and autonomous tractor is built off of Bobcat’s AT450 articulating tractor chassis. These cool articulating tractors (some with eight wheels) were rebranded from the Steiner brand which Doosan Bobcat acquired in 2020.
The AT450X is designed to autonomously or remotely carry out critical farm tasks in compact applications. Farmers can remotely direct the tractor to execute a wide range of labor-intensive tasks.
“The way that the user interfaces with the job and unit is with the application suite called TeleFarmer,” said Bucher. “There’s still an on-vehicle user experience that we developed with Bobcat. Everything you can do on a touchscreen, you can do on the joystick. So yes, this does have manual mode because there are still those jobs. You want to do just a quick cleanup here and there or get it off the trailer, get on the trailer.
“Then it also has advanced remote control. So it uses [Bobcat’s] MaxControl, and it broadcasts the video. So now on your smartphone, you can basically see the rear camera right here, the front camera, the one that’s way up on the implement or the attachments so that you can see the precision work and you don’t even have to look at it. You get the real time videos just like a drone. So that’s really helpful.
“But everybody — all the customers that Bobcat and Agtonomy have been working with in the pilot programs — they all want to skip manual. They want to skip remote control, and they all desperately need automation because of their labor challenges and big ag — corn and the soy. They have labor challenges, but especially crops, which is only a $2 trillion market. There are a lot more labor challenges than big ag because you and I could farm about a thousand acres of corn, but you and I could only farm about 50 acres of grapes or citrus trees.”
Autonomy and Machine Learning
As Bucher mentions, the real innovation lies in the AT450X’s navigational autonomy and AI-driven decision-making. Using Agtonomy’s mobile app, farmers can remotely plan, execute and monitor tasks across multiple machines simultaneously, maximizing productivity and precision. The AI constantly learns and adapts to its environment, detecting obstacles through vision-based systems and automatically stopping if necessary. Capable of 24/7 operation, the AT450X autonomously swaps batteries when needed, returning to base for a quick recharge before heading back to work. While this unit is not available for sale, it is out in the field working and being tested.
“We’re are currently piloting these units with farmers,” explained Joel Honeyman, vice president of global innovation, while giving me a tour of Bobcat’s CES booth. “We’re going to have these in some vineyards with some key customers and start to get feedback. There’s a lot of excitement. We’ve met with these customers, and they’re very excited about this to save on labor or more efficient operations or a lot of times they can’t hire the labor in some of these areas. So, being able to have a machine to do some of the tasks and have one person manage multiple machines is a real advantage for them.”
The machine leverages AI to constantly learn and dynamically react to its environment. For example, through vision-based systems, it can detect known and unknown objects to auto-stop operation if needed. It can also detect crop stems from weeds, for more precise spraying applications and reduced chemical usage.
Electric Power and Swappable Batteries
Because the AT450X’s zero emissions, the autonomous tractor can also be operated in food storage facilities and other enclosed farm structures. Like all electric equipment, this battery-powered tractor also boasts lower operating and maintenance costs for owners. Read about the advantages of electric equipment right here. The AT450X is capable of 24/7 operation with the ability to swap batteries when it needs to replenish its energy source. It does this by returning to its home base when its battery is low, switching to a fully charged battery and placing its drained battery back to its charging station.
“There’s a specialty camera right here that is used for the battery swap,” explained Bucher. “So inside here is the small battery and the computer system knows when the main battery is getting low. So it will actually switch the power from the rear battery to the front small battery. It will then maneuver the vehicle back to the charging station. It drops it onto the charging station, and there’s basically a module on the charging station that hits this, unlocks the mechanical connection, then it unlocks the electrical connection and then the vehicle, because it’s running on the internal battery, will navigate over to the next battery that’s fully charged. Now, you’re doing another 10 hours of work.”
Bobcat AT450X’s Articulating Tractor
The Bobcat AT450X has all the same impressive specs and features as the Bobcat AT450 articulating tractor, which is a powerful and versatile piece of compact equipment. The units unique articulating and oscillating frame enhances traction and maneuverability, enabling the operator to navigate through tight spaces and rough terrain with ease. As mentioned, the AT450X is great for hill climbing or slope work. Like almost all Bobcat equipment, attachments are the name of the game. Premium attachment options and an intuitive QuickHitch system allows for four-season operation and versatility. Switch from bucket to mower to sprayer to accomplish a variety of tasks. The AT450X boasts four-wheel drive, the ability to take both PTO-driven and auxiliary hydraulic attachments, LED works lights and a dual wheel kit.
Future Farming with Bobcat’s AT450X
The Bobcat AT450X articulating tractor exemplifies the innovative strides the off-highway equipment industry has achieved in 2024. By combining electric power, autonomous capabilities and AI-driven functionality, this groundbreaking machine redefines productivity, efficiency and sustainability for specialty agriculture. As the industry continues to evolve, machines like the AT450X set the benchmark for what’s possible — delivering smarter, greener and more capable solutions to the field. Stay tuned as Bobcat and its partners shape the next era of compact equipment excellence.
Keith Gribbins is publisher of Compact Equipment.
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