The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy allows for one or more driverless machines in the field without an operator present in the cab, providing the flexibility of full control in or out of the cab.

Case IH, Raven Industries collaborate to deliver an advanced, driverless spreading solution

Case IH and Raven Industries have introduced the agriculture industry’s first autonomous spreader, the Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy.

Unveiled at Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, the machines helps solve labor challenges and increase productivity.

The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy combines driverless technology with an agronomically designed spreading platform for a flexible autonomous solution. The technology stack is powered by guidance and steering, propulsion control, perception and path planning software developed by Raven.

CNH Industrial acquired Raven in late 2021.

“The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy allows us to do more work in tight time frames, run our operation efficiently and combat operator fatigue — it’s a huge benefit,” said Brady Fahlman, owner-operator of Fahlman Acres in Holdfast, Saskatchewan, Canada. “Autonomous equipment can perform a consistent job each time, which is very important to me, as we’ve built our farm’s reputation on being flawless and doing high-quality work.”

From a mobile device, operators can plan and complete an entire field operation based on mapped field boundaries. The Raven Autonomy perception system, through a series of advanced cameras and radar system, is constantly sensing a 360-degree environment around the machine for obstacles and motion initiation while operating. With artificial intelligence, Raven’s perception controller processes the continuous stream of images, which interprets and detects obstacles. The remote operator can view the cameras through the mobile device at any time.

If an obstacle is detected, the machine will safely come to a stop and an alert will pop up on the mobile device. From there, the operator can evaluate the situation and determine the next course of action. A variety of machine tasks and functions can be viewed remotely through the mobile device, including but not limited to fuel level, Diesel Exhaust Fluid level, speed, revolutions per minute (RPM), bin-level status, Universal Terminal information and diagnostic trouble codes.

“The Raven Autonomy perception system provides an advanced, reliable solution for autonomous operation and is tailored specifically for the spreading application with a self-propelled machine,” Raven general manager Eric Shuman said.

This first-to-the-market innovation comes as a result of ongoing research following the Case IH autonomous concept vehicle launch in 2016 about the desire for and priority of autonomous technologies. Findings concluded that spreading is among the most utilized autonomous tasks that customers would adopt.

The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy allows for one or more driverless machines in the field without an operator present in the cab, providing the flexibility of full control inside or outside the cab. By operating at a constant speed and with precision, the autonomous applicator provides the ultimate spreading consistency — with no human error — and allows for repeatable performance with sub-inch accuracy.

Raven’s Sensing and Perception Program, focused on understanding the diversity of data sets for growing its artificial intelligence, expanded to Scottsdale, Arizona, providing the engineering team with direct access to two local testing sites and the opportunity for more rapid integration and testing capabilities.

The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy will be operating in the North American market with limited availability in 2023.

“This is the first of many integrations that automate the established iron platforms of Case IH as we continue to craft a fully autonomous crop production cycle,” said Scott Harris, Case IH global brand president.

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Face-to-face interactions seem rare in today’s technology-driven society, but Husker Harvest Days facilitates the personal connection between …

It may be inching closer to pheasant season, but there’s one member of the pheasant family that might surprise you: the peacock.

The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy allows for one or more driverless machines in the field without an operator present in the cab, providing the flexibility of full control in or out of the cab.

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.