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Fendt's Autonomous Farming Robot Gets Even Smarter With New Apex.OS Software Upgrade

AGCO-owned company Fendt expands its existing partnership with software developer Apex.AI to leverage its technologies to enhance the capabilities of its autonomous farming robot.
Fendt Xaver autonomous farming robot 6 photos
Photo: Fendt TV/YouTube
Fendt Xaver autonomous farming robotFendt Xaver autonomous farming robotFendt Xaver autonomous farming robotFendt Xaver autonomous farming robotFendt Xaver autonomous farming robot
Agriculture is changing just like the rest of the industries, gradually replacing the human workforce with crop spraying drones and swarms of autonomous, seed-planting robots. It makes perfect sense to do so as these machines are more precise, productive, and cost-effective in the long run. They can take over most of our grueling tasks and stay in the field 24/7 without getting exhausted.

Fendt’s farming vehicle Xaver is one such machine and is described by its developer as the field robot of the future. It is reliable and productive, being able to work around the clock with extreme precision. The robotic farmers are battery-powered, have a three-wheel design, and are powered by three 400W motors.

According to Fendt, a swarm of six such robots is enough to cover 3 hectares (7.4 acres) per hour, which makes them more than suitable for professional farming.

Apex.AI and Fendt have been in partnership since last year, with AGCO announcing its intention to invest in the former back in December. Thanks to its automotive industry background, Apex.AI helps implement safety-critical applications from autonomous driving, deploying them across AGCO’s entire range of solutions, at a global level.

The recent expansion of the collaboration between the two allows Fendt to incorporate the Apex.OS software into its Xaver farming robot, integrating new autonomous capabilities such as LiDAR object detection and collision checking and planning. Apex.OS was used to “develop a software stack for Xaver based on automotive industry standards”, as explained by Apex.AI.

Using an app, a cloud-connected fleet of Xaver robots can be controlled, providing valuable, real-time data from each AV (autonomous vehicle) such as its location, status, diagnostics, and more. Also thanks to the Apex.OS software, Xaver robots can plant seeds on farms with centimeter precision, and they are able to do so 24 hours a day. Xaver also boasts of requiring 90 percent less energy than conventional farming machines, thanks to its lightweight and electric design.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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