CROPLANDS has launched its first autonomous optical spot sprayer, developed in partnership with SwarmFarm to suit broadacre farming conditions in Australia.
The Robot Ready Pinto, released this month, integrates with SwarmFarm's autonomous robot, the SwarmBot.
It features a suspended gooseneck attachment, 3000 litre tank, and option of 18 or 24 metre booms.
Croplands WEED-IT product lead, Lachlan Coom, said the Robot Ready Pinto has been tested in numerous soil types and terrains across Queensland, including heavy black soils in the Darling Downs.
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"Apart from the excellent manoeuvrability of the gooseneck design, we were also impressed by the boom's stability with the auto height control exceeding expectations," Coom said.
"We were also very happy that the integration went smoothly between the sprayer and robot when setting it up for its initial test run. SwarmFarm really know their stuff."
In addition to its fully hydraulic steel boom, key features of the Robot Ready Pinto 3000 include a 3m axle with rubber block suspension and newly designed gooseneck attachment fitted with a unique suspension system. It includes an additional poly mounted tank fitted to the gooseneck of the chassis, which can be used as a high-capacity flush tank or for extra spraying capacity.
The boom delivers a high specification liquid system accurately, which compliments its robust chassis. The chassis features 1-inch stainless steel boom plumbing, triple nozzle bodies and standard boom recirculation- supplied by a stainless-steel centrifugal pump.
Dual flow meters are fitted as standard to allow for highly accurate PWM blanket spraying, in addition to WEED-IT Quadro's renowned standard spot spraying system.
Other features include left and right fence row nozzles, a standard 1000mm clearance for in-crop capabilities and easy-to-use fill panel with 2-inch fill capacity, tank rinse, agitation and a handwash tank. Blue lights for nighttime spraying also come as standard.
Coom said Croplands specifically designed the boom on the Robot Ready Pinto to enable twin line plumbing and sensors, which are pointing directly to the ground. This feature impressed Queensland grower, Braydon Bullock, who saw the sprayer in action after it was integrated with the SwarmBot at his Oakey property during testing.
"The unit looks solid. I like how the WEED-IT sensors are mounted at a right angle to the boom, facing straight down into the stubble. I note there is also plenty of room for the boom plumbing to be mounted," he said.
Croplands said the robot ready unit is suited to broadacre growers looking to introduce new farming methods and efficiencies only possible with autonomy. It said autonomous solutions reduce driver operational costs, allowing a single operator to multitask and making more efficient use of existing farm labour.
More information can be found on the Croplands website.
