Michibiki satellites used to run unmanned harvester
KIZUGAWA, Kyoto Prefecture--Using location information from satellites, an unmanned combine harvester automatically maneuvered through farmland here in an experiment Nov. 22 that could radically change agriculture work in Japan.
The information was received from the Michibiki satellites during the experiment at a Kyoto University farm. About 40 people, including employees of agricultural machinery makers, attended the test.
The satellites can detect deviations from designated courses within centimeters. Guided by satellite information about its location, a combine harvester can avoid unnecessary maneuvers while heightening efficiency of its work.
The system is expected to help ease the workload at farms, which face the problems of worker shortages and aging owners.
Michibiki is a series of satellites that take quasi-zenith orbits, enabling at least one to be above Japan at all times.
In the experiment, the harvester moved at a speed of 1 meter per second. While sometimes making turns, it ran a total of 300 meters.
The experiment confirmed that the harvester proceeded on a designated course at high accuracy.
“The accuracy of the location information from Michibiki is so high that it can be used for automatic operations,” said Michihisa Iida, professor of agricultural machinery at Kyoto University. “The system will be able to reduce the burden of agricultural work.”
The government plans to operate four Michibiki satellites on a full-fledged basis from fiscal 2018.
In a growth strategy approved at a Cabinet meeting in June this year, the government plans to realize operations of unmanned agricultural machinery with remote monitoring by 2020.
Michibiki satellites used to run unmanned harvester?The Asahi Shimbun