Acres Machinery
Student: Ellen Joyce, 2019-2020
Sponsor: Acres Machinery, Roscommon, Ireland
The world's population is increasing from 7.5 billion to 9 billion people by 2030. Food demand will increase, hence, land must become more productive and machinery more efficient. As a result, Acres Machinery are developing an autonomous hybrid tractor which is capable of providing a constant supply of electricity to existing machinery. My role is to identify what technologies are required for the tractor and to integrate these technologies. This will include a GPS component which is necessary for field mapping, a VR/AR component for monitoring the tractor and a system for telematics which will allow one to log into the tractor’s engine and diagnose problems if they exist. The tractor will be on exhibition at two trade shows, Agritechnica & ConExpo, and therefore, there will be ample opportunity for customer feedback before the product goes to market.