Autonomous Ag Platform Live Demo With 100 Possible Implements

Three years ago, founder and president of SeedMaster, Norbert Beaujot started to pursue developing an autonomous seeding machine.

That is how Dot Technology Corp, now a sister company to SeedMaster, was formed. This summer, the company is unveiling the DOT Power Platform.

DOT is a U-shaped, diesel-powered, hydraulically driven platform designed to be equipped with seeding implements as well as others designed to be “DOT-Ready”. Implements are mounted to the platform via four hydraulic lift arms.

The DOT machine can be programmed to move and complete fieldwork autonomously or by remote control. When in the field, DOT uses RTK to operate within preprogrammed field boundaries and farmer-approved routes. Its transport width is 11’ 10”. The platform is powered by a Cummins QSB4.5 Tier 4i engine rated at 163 hp.

Beaujot, says, “As a farmer and an engineer I wanted to design it with efficiency in mind. DOT will be a platform that can accomplish limitless tasks for a farmer, and its abilities will be endless as other implement manufacturers collaborate with us. Part of the efficiency comes from using the acres one combine can cover, around 2500, as the baseline for DOT Ready implements to cover. And then farmers can scale from there by adding more DOT units and implements.”

This year, a prototype unit is powering a seeder, sprayer, land roller, and grain cart on research farm fields. In 2018, a limited release will be made available to select farms in Saskatchewan directly from Dot Technology Corp.

The company has a list of more than 100 implements it may pursue—ranging from agricultural, construction, mining and other industries.

The first field demonstration will take place during Ag In Motion July 18 to 20 and include a seeder that was developed by Dot Technology Corp’s sister company, SeedMaster. There will also be a 60-foot sprayer, a 500-bushel grain cart, and a 41-foot crop roller on display.