Pathfinder
Retrofit autonomy kit that turns conventional orchard and vineyard tractors into driverless machines supervised from a control room by one operator running several tractors.
| Maker | Bluewhite |
|---|---|
| Country | Israel |
| Status | In production |
| Actuation | Retrofit actuation of steering, throttle, brakes and implement controls on existing tractors |
| Power | The host tractor's diesel engine |
| Sensors | Lidar, radar, cameras and corrected satellite positioning |
| Autonomy | Driverless row work supervised from a control room and mobile app, one operator overseeing several tractors |
Pathfinder is a retrofit kit rather than a new vehicle, adding steering, throttle, brake and implement actuation plus a sensor mast to tractors a grower already owns. Lidar, radar, cameras and corrected satellite positioning let the tractor drive orchard and vineyard rows driverless while pulling sprayers, mowers and harvest aids. A supervisor watches a fleet from a dashboard and can stop or reroute any machine. It runs in California almond, citrus and vineyard operations as well as in Israel.
Of note
- Works as a brand agnostic kit fitted to tractors from several manufacturers.
- Announced a collaboration with the farm equipment maker CNH on autonomous tractors.
- Bluewhite was acquired by the defence and technology group Elbit Systems.
Maker: www.bluewhite.ai