On the New Holland stand at Germany’s Agritechnica show back in November, New Holland unveiled its R4 autonomous robot series, designed to address a Europe-wide labour issue within the speciality crop sectors ie vineyards, and orchards etc.
The new series comprises two models; R4 Electric Power and R4 Hybrid Power. Both R4 robots are managed via an app, and are controlled via a combination of GPS, LIDAR and vision cameras.
The Electric Power model is a solely electric battery powered unit featuring a 40kWh battery pack, targeted primarily at high-end narrow vineyards. With a 1.38m maximum height and overall width of just 0.7m, the R4 Electric Power can work in 1.0-1.5m crop spacings and weighs just 1,000kg. It features a compact hitch with a 500kg lift capacity, while offering the ability to power electrically driven implements.
The R4 robots were unveiled on the New Holland stand at Agritechnica.
The R4 Hybrid Power is designed for orchard and fruit processors, offering more power and more autonomy. Power is provided by a 59hp diesel engine which drives an electric generator pack for transmission and implement power. When suitable, the R4 Hybrid Power can run in full-electric mode, supplied by two 4kWh batteries.
Units feature a Cat I/II hitch and mechanical 540rpm PTO. Meanwhile, a 48V/12kW e-PTO socket can power future electrically driven machines.
The R4 Hybrid Power has a power-to-weight ratio double that of a conventional specialty tractor with similar output. Weighing 1,400kg and measuring 1.2m wide, the machine is optimized for row spacings of 1.5m and above.
“High-value crops have huge market potential, but growers face production challenges including skilled labour shortages for highly repetitive work during seasonal peaks,” says Thierry Le Briquer, Grape, Olive & Coffee Global Manager at New Holland.
On the New Holland stand at Germany’s Agritechnica show back in November, New Holland unveiled its R4 autonomous robot series, designed to address a Europe-wide labour issue within the speciality crop sectors ie vineyards, and orchards etc.
The new series comprises two models; R4 Electric Power and R4 Hybrid Power. Both R4 robots are managed via an app, and are controlled via a combination of GPS, LIDAR and vision cameras.
The Electric Power model is a solely electric battery powered unit featuring a 40kWh battery pack, targeted primarily at high-end narrow vineyards. With a 1.38m maximum height and overall width of just 0.7m, the R4 Electric Power can work in 1.0-1.5m crop spacings and weighs just 1,000kg. It features a compact hitch with a 500kg lift capacity, while offering the ability to power electrically driven implements.
The R4 robots were unveiled on the New Holland stand at Agritechnica.
The R4 Hybrid Power is designed for orchard and fruit processors, offering more power and more autonomy. Power is provided by a 59hp diesel engine which drives an electric generator pack for transmission and implement power. When suitable, the R4 Hybrid Power can run in full-electric mode, supplied by two 4kWh batteries.
Units feature a Cat I/II hitch and mechanical 540rpm PTO. Meanwhile, a 48V/12kW e-PTO socket can power future electrically driven machines.
The R4 Hybrid Power has a power-to-weight ratio double that of a conventional specialty tractor with similar output. Weighing 1,400kg and measuring 1.2m wide, the machine is optimized for row spacings of 1.5m and above.
“High-value crops have huge market potential, but growers face production challenges including skilled labour shortages for highly repetitive work during seasonal peaks,” says Thierry Le Briquer, Grape, Olive & Coffee Global Manager at New Holland.
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