This document discusses trends in precision agriculture and smart machines. It outlines several megatrends driving technological development, including sustainability, automation and autonomous operation, reliability, electrification, and the internet of things. The guiding principle for new agricultural technologies is to achieve more production with fewer resources. John Deere is developing smart systems for tasks like crop management that use automation, sensors, and data analysis. There is a shift toward more electrically powered and electronically controlled machines that can use renewable energy sources. The future involves networked, adaptive farm management systems that optimize operations using cloud-based services and data from both on-farm and off-farm sensors. The goal is intuitive, reliable systems that help address grand challenges in food security and the environment

1. Precision Agriculture &
Smart Machines
DIGITAL AGRICULTURE
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Pickel
John Deere GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
Brussels, Jan. 2016
AET

2. | Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 20162
• Sustainability
Agricultural Technologies Megatrends?

3. “Our Agricultural” Grand Challenges
Food Security
(Protein Security)
Climate action &
environment
(GHG emissions)
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 20163

4. | Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 20165
Guiding Principle for Agricultural Technology
More with less

5. | Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 20166
• Sustainability
• Automation and
autonomous operation
• Reliability
Agricultural Technologies Megatrends?

6. John Deere
Cutting
Management
System

7. | Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 20169
• Sustainability
• Automation and
autonomous operation
• Reliability
• Electrification?
Agricultural Technologies Megatrends?

8. Why Electrification?
• Efficiency
• Controllability and dynamic response behaviour
• Using Renewable Energy

9. | Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 201611
• Sustainability
• Automation and
autonomous operation
• Reliability
• Electrification
• Internet of
(almost every)thing(s)
and services
Agricultural Technologies Megatrends?

10. Smart Automation
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 201612
Industrial
Production
Smart
Mobility &
Operation
Smart
Logistics
Smart
Grids
Smart
Product
Smart
Building
Internetof
…Things…Services
Source: Westkämper (modified)

11. Smart Automation
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 201613
Agricultural
Production
Smart
Mobility &
Operation
Smart
Logistics
Smart
Grids
„Smart
Product“
(Traceability)
Smart
Building
Internetof
…Things…Services
Source: Westkämper (modified)

12. Cloud
&
External “Sensor” Systems
Future Systems
E/FRP
MES (AES)
Process
Control System
Controller Level
Sensor / Actor Level
Adaptive Agricultural Production Systems providing
• technical intelligence (such as self optimisation)
• self reconfiguration
• defect compensation / zero defect operation

E/FRP
MES (AES)
Process
Control System
Controller Level
Sensor / Actor Level
Workshop level

13. Dispatcher is informed about
approaching thunderstorm
and can trigger new
optimization criteria
Vehicles “order” fuel,
spare parts, transfer
trailers
Central system calculates
routing on field and road.
Source: Hahn (modified)
Development of Farm Management System
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 201615

14. Future Operation
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 2016
User Interfaces
Farmer / Contractor
Messages,
execution proposals, plans
New plans,
adjusted results
Selected plan
for execution
Farm Management System Services in the Cloud
Service 1 Service 2 Service 3 …
External or
Distributed
Services
…
…
….
…
…
Event
16
Make it
intuitive &
reliable

15. Connected Crop Protection /
Pesticide Application Manager

16. Smart Automation
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 201618
Agricultural
Production
Smart
Mobility &
Operation
Smart
Logistics
Smart
Grids
„Smart
Product“
(Traceability)
Smart
Building
Internetof
…Things…Services
Source: Westkämper (modified)

17. Smart Automation
| Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 201619
XY-
Production
Smart
Mobility &
Operation
Smart
Logistics
Smart
Grids
Smart
Product
Smart
Building
Internetof
…Things…Services
Source: Westkämper (modified)

18. dass man die „die Landwirtschaft als eine
Fabrik, aber als eine sehr verwickelte
Fabrik [betrachtet] und bei ihrer
Betreibung alle Regeln [unterlegt], worauf
der glückliche Erfolg der Fabriken
beruhet.“
Qutotation from 1801 / Zitat von 1801
Agriculture shall be done in a way as if being
an industrial manufacturing system,
considering the processes of complex industrial
production which have to be applied similarily
to achieve the same fruitful success as the
healthy manufacturing enterprises have
Albrecht D. Thaer wollte, ...
Quotation of a Grandfather of
Agricultural Engineering
| ETIC 201520

19. 21 | Prof. Dr.- Ing. Peter Pickel | Jan. 2016