By Charles Carter, 15/09/22
U.S. industrial and agricultural equipment manufacturer Vermeer has developed an autonomous hay bale collector to save farmers’ precious time.
The Proof-of-Concept innovation, nicknamed ‘Bale Hawk’, has been tested in Iowa and surrounding states, but is not currently available for purchase.
How does it work?
To start with the operator programs a drop-off location for the Bale Hawk to move all the hay bales to.
The bot then gets to work, using a range of sensors including lidar and on-board algorithms to locate the hay bales within the field. The machine travels around using a dual track system, similar to that used on military tanks.
It also uses two loading tracks to pick up each bale and can carry three at at time.
Next, it conveys the bales to the drop off location arranging them in a neat row for easy loading. The row direction and length is also programmed by the operator.
Tangent box (hay -> burning man): The Burning Man festival, held in Nevada each year, culminates in the burning of a large wooden effigy. Originally the figure was placed on top of hay bales but this has since been replaced with elaborate wooden structures. (Hmm…OK, but why is this in the middle of the article? Tangential thinking is essential for creativity and innovation, and Superinnovators promote it!)
What are the potential benefits?
This technology helps farmers get their bales moved to their storage location faster, releasing time for other pressing tasks and boosting productivity.
Combined with other agricultural automations the Bale Hawk could also help alleviate farming labour shortages reported in many countries, including the U.S.
The gentle method of collection minimises damage and prolongs the life of the bale compared with the conventional spearing method.
Most farmers collect hay bales with an attachment to the front of a tractor which drives a spear into the bale. This reduces thEe density of the bale and exposes more of the bale to oxygen, speeding up decomposition.
Questions for you. Comment below
- First thought that comes into your head?
- Pros and cons according to you?
- Other applications of this approach?
- What could this be combined with?