Autosteering Just Got Safer and Easier
Raven’s Ben Voss talks with Larry Aylward of Meister Media Worldwide’s Custom Media division about the company’s new DirecSteer retrofit technology for tractors and self-propelled farm machines.
A Stable, Stress-Free Autosteer Solution
Raven’s DirecSteer offers high-precision, noise-free guidance on the Path to Autonomy
It’s known as “simple, silent, and powerful.” It’s also a key element in precision agriculture. DirecSteer™, which Raven says is its most intuitive retrofit autosteer solution for tractors and self-propelled farm machines, is giving farmers simpler automatic guidance. “When you install this kind of technology, you are installing the building blocks that lead toward more automation and autonomy,” says Ben Voss, Raven’s Director of Sales for North America and Australia.
Voss says autosteer technology is gaining popularity with agriculture retailers and farmers. “It’s an extremely important piece of the precision farming equation,” he adds. “They want autosteering for tractors, sprayers, swathers, combines, forage harvesters, and more.”
Easy Installation and Use
While Voss says DirecSteer offers state-of-the-art, top-grade steering performance, it is also an intuitive product. “It’s essentially a steering wheel with an electric motor built into the middle of it,” he explains, noting DirecSteer is compatible with all equipment brands. “When you install it on a farm machine it allows the motor to turn the steering wheel the same as if someone was turning it, but the wheel is turned through the control system that exists in the steering and guidance computer.”
The off-the-shelf aftermarket solution is simple to install and operate, Voss says. “Two things are needed when designing products like this: the hardware parts and the software parts for the control system. The physical parts are designed to be more compact, easy to install, and have better durability, which are things people want.”
The equipment’s existing steering wheel must be removed to make way for DirecSteer. “There’s a center hub with a spline that connects to the shaft the old steering wheel was on,” Voss says. “That’s replaced with a new center hub. Then, a smart mounting bracket is installed with a wire harness. We made it as plug and play as possible.”
Once installed, the steering wheel is connected to a field computer or tablet in the cab, the antenna on the roof, and a simplified steering controller. DirecSteer requires a Raven CR7® or CR12® display, an SC1™ steering controller or an RS1™ GNSS receiver/steering controller. A wiring harness connects everything and powers it. The operator can then drive the machine hands free.
Quiet and Powerful
DirecSteer also functions quietly. It doesn’t make a “humming, whizzing motor sound” like other autosteer devices, Voss says, noting that such features on today’s farm labor equipment can be differentiators.
“It’s nice to have a quiet cabin experience because something that’s loud can be stressful and a distraction,” he adds. “It’s also a sign that it’s not as efficient. Modern electric motors are quieter because they have less friction and operate on different principles than older electric motors.”
DirecSteer’s high-torque electric-drive motor is powerful and can turn the steering wheel effectively and dependably. It can operate at higher speeds with more accuracy, which is necessary for autonomy, Voss says, noting that DirecSteer also reduces operator fatigue.
There are many GPS-based autosteer systems on the market, but many are limited by speed. “So, the faster you go, the accuracy of the control system starts to drop off and the machine begins to wander,” Voss says.
But speed is becoming more critical because of the push to cover more acres to increase yield, Voss adds, meaning the tractor must maintain its course and not wiggle. “The desire now is to see upward of 10 to 12 miles per hour (mph) as an accurate operating speed for many activities,” he adds. This is achievable with DirecSteer™, as it can operate at these desirable speeds in the right conditions.
Consider a tractor pulling a fertilizer spreader. The operator needs to go up and down the field and use the fertilizer spreader’s features, which include varying the width for minimal overlap and accurate placement of the fertilizer. The operator must go in straight lines. If the field is smooth, the operator will be able to drive 10 mph with DirecSteer.
“The spreader would be limited to an accurate top speed of 6 to 8 miles per hour if it was using a GPS-based system, and the operator would have to slow down,” Voss says, stressing that being able to drive 20%-30% faster with DirecSteer means more acres will be covered per hour.
Speed isn’t DirecSteer’s only powerful attribute. When driving through rows of standing crops, where operators need to avoid trampling, DirecSteer will maintain its course if the tractor hits a rock, whereas older autosteering systems might be thrown out of whack and off-line, potentially causing crop damage, an experience that can be chaotic and stressful for operators. DirecSteer will also disengage if the operator grabs the wheel after hitting a rock, something older designs don’t do.
When driving down crop rows, operators can also take advantage of Raven’s VSN® visual guidance system, which can feed precise, instantaneous crop row information to the DirecSteer system, allowing the machine to adapt to row variances in real-time, Voss says.
Why DirecSteer Stands Out
In terms of its side-by-side performance to other autosteering devices, DirecSteer contains elements that set it apart, Voss says, including the motor’s power and the compactness and modernness of the wheel itself. “But the more important thing is Raven’s software and ecosystems capabilities to use the power and modern features of the motor, including the display, the antenna, and the software package to control automatic steering,” he says. Competitors offer similar software packages with their autosteer devices, but Voss believes Raven has the edge. “It comes down to high-speed performance, accuracy, and compatibility with the rest of our systems. That’s where we shine.”
As a CNH Industrial brand, Raven continues to deliver robust precision technology solutions like DirecSteer that easily integrate with market-leading platforms.
Learn more about DirecSteer by visiting www.ravenind.com/products/guidance/direcsteer.
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AGRITECHNICA attendees can visit Raven at Hall 8 | Stand B11 to learn more about DirecSteer and Raven’s latest innovations.