Valtra and Elisa present remote driving of tractors
A major step towards autonomous vehicles
Valtra and Elisa have joined forces to develop a solution enabling a tractor to be operated remotely using the 5G network and a 360° camera. This is a world first for this kind of technology.
In March, Valtra and Elisa unveiled a remote-controlled tractor using the new 5G network technology. The collaboration was presented at the opening ceremony of the Elisa 5G showroom in Helsinki, Finland. The solution, still at the prototype stage, enables real-time, safe control and operation of a tractor hundreds of kilometers away. ?Radio-controlled tractors have been used for years, but you always have to stay within range of the machine. 5G revolutionizes this solution, because now a tractor can be driven remotely from anywhere,? explains Mikko Lehikoinen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Valtra.
?Elisa is a pioneer of 5G technology, in Finland and internationally. The remote-controlled tractor developed in collaboration with Valtra and presented at the Elisa 5G showroom has generated a great deal of interest. 5G services and solutions will bring efficiency and new, innovative ways of operating for businesses and individuals. The remote-controlled tractor is a very concrete example, as the driver no longer needs to physically sit in the cab. We want to build a sustainable future through digitalization, and the development of 5G services makes this reality possible,? says Kimmo Pentikäinen, Vice President, Business Development at Elisa.
Remote control for greater safety
The remote control was made possible by an integrated 5G connection and a 360 degree camera mounted on the roof. The 5G network allows the remote driver's VR glasses to receive the 4K view of the tractor's surroundings in real time. The driver can view the tractor's surroundings simply by turning their head. The remote control sends its command signal via Elisa's highly secure 5G network. ?When you drive your tractor and turn its wheels, you need an immediate reaction from the tractor to give a real driving feel. The low latency of the 5G network makes this possible,? explains Mikko Lehikoinen.
The use of remote control is a key step towards fully autonomous driving, which could become a reality for many users within the next decade. Remote control can be used, for example, to operate driverless tractors on difficult sites and for tasks that would be dangerous for the crew to carry out. This makes the tractor an even more versatile solution and tool
Valtra Connect already uses the 3G signal
Valtra recently piloted remote-controlled tractors with airport operator Finavia.
?We will continue our research and development work on remote driving solutions. Next, we plan to find out how to adjust the image quality according to each task, and how remote operation could be further improved for the operator, thanks to important data extracted from sensors,? explains Mikko Lehikoinen.
Valtra tractor technologies already support remote control, which makes it easier to implement remote control functions. For example, the Valtra Connect telemetry solution, which uses the 3G signal, is used in more than 3 000 Valtra tractors worldwide.