Feldschwarm® ÖkoSystem

The Feldschwarm® ÖkoSystem (ecosystem) is a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (Bundesministerium Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt - BMFTR) to develop a technology platform for highly automated and semi-autonomous machines. It is an easily integrated system that enables the semi-autonomous operation of various agricultural machines and robots in a working network. The collaboration between humans and robots is easy to use thanks to intuitive interfaces and is designed to be human-centered.

Background and idea behind the project:

The ongoing need to increase productivity in agriculture while reducing the use of pesticides, soil pollution, energy consumption, and CO₂ emissions has led to the dynamic development of innovative, highly automated machine concepts such as Feldschwarm® and other agricultural robots, due to the dramatic increase in labor shortages in rural areas in recent years.

The Feldschwarm®-ÖkoSystem project focuses on establishing a technology platform for implementing system concepts for highly automated agricultural technology. The spectrum ranges from assistance for human-operated systems to monitored semi-autonomous agricultural machinery with adaptive degrees of autonomy. All of these can be equipped with the ability to operate both individually and in swarms. A key focus is the integration capability of this platform, i.e., compatibility with existing machinery and farm management information systems on frams.

Its integration capabilities, system compatibility, and ability to be customized give the Feldschwarm®-ÖkoSystem unique selling points compared to existing robotics solutions worldwide.

Seven companies and four research institutions are involved in the alliance.

In addition to highly automated/autonomous field robots, automated tractors are also used. The work tasks and parameters are planned by the higher-level Feldschwarm® system and transmitted to the units via a wireless data connection similar to an application map. The tractor is controlled via the ISOBUS TIM protocol and monitored via the Feldschwarm® system. The (swarm) operator in the tractor takes over control functions and intervenes when process automation reaches its limits or when malfunctions occur.

Projektpartner:

BITSz electronics GmbH

Eidam Agrarsystem GmbH [Booth 05A14]

ESTINO GmbH

Hydrive Engineering GmbH [Booth 25B17]

LACOS GmbH [Booth 21E11]

LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG [Booth 11B51]

WELP Holding GmbH

Fraunhofer IVI - Fraunhofer-Institut für Verkehrs- und Infrastruktursysteme IVI [Booth 17B11]

Fraunhofer IWU - Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik IWU [Booth 17B11]

TU Dresden – Professur für Agrarsystemtechnik & Professur für Technische Design [Booth 24F15]

Universität Leipzig - Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik