Mojow Autonomous Solutions announces testing and partnership with DeConick Smith Ag Ventures
ROSETOWN, SASKATCHEWAN - April 1, 2024 - Mojow Autonomous Solutions Inc. (Mojow), an innovative developer of autonomous software for agricultural machines, and Versatile (Buhler Industries Inc.), a leading manufacturer of tractors and tillage equipment, have partnered with Carl Smith from DeConinck Smith Ag Ventures, to field test and validate Mojow's autonomous navigation controller, EYEBOX™ in conjunction with a Versatile tractor.
DeConinck Smith Ag Ventures is a 4th generation family farm located in west central Saskatchewan, 30 km west of Rosetown. It is made up of approximately 12,000 acres of cropland sowed to a variety of broad acre crops that include: canola, wheat, barley, lentils, green peas, etc. The farm contains variable topography with numerous sloughs and other obstacles to deal with, which combine to create a great site for field testing.
Carl Smith has a diverse background testing early to market innovations, like recently using the Raven OMNiPOWER™ platform on his farm. His experience includes both seeding and spreading duties over two separate seasons. “We want to learn how we can integrate autonomy into our current farming practice to increase output,” says Carl.
“The first thing I noticed when visiting Carl's farm was the rolling hills that surround it,” says Owen Kinch, President of Mojow. “Path planning hasn't been designed for the nuances of operating within large hills, and this presents a major challenge for path planning to overcome.” The Mojow engineering team has had multiple meetings with Carl Smith over recent months to learn about the techniques he employees to ensure safe and efficient operation on large hills. Mojow is currently working to implement functionality based on Carl Smith's feedback for spring testing.
Versatile's Manager, Advanced Engineering, Erron Leafloor says, “if this project is proven successful on Carl's farm, it will be a hugely impactful step towards the availability of autonomy on Versatile models.” He continues to say, “From this firsthand experience in the field, we gain insights into the performance of autonomous equipment in broadacre crop production so we can ensure our product lineup continues to meet customers' needs in the future.”
Over the upcoming months, Carl Smith will be operating the Versatile tractor across a broad range of field duties that include:
- Land rolling
- Vertical tillage
- Heavy harrowing
- Spot spraying
- Fertilizer spreading
- Grain cart operations
To learn more about how Versatile and Mojow are working together to bring autonomy to farmers, contact:
Owen Kinch
President, Mojow Autonomous Solutions
306-541-7104
Adam Reid
VP, Sales & Marketing, Versatile
204-477-2319
Versatile, a division of Buhler Industries Inc. (TSX: BUI), is the only Canadian manufacturer of agricultural tractors. The factory in Winnipeg, Manitoba covers almost 700,000 square feet with complete manufacturing and assembly capabilities and full research and development facilities. For more information on Versatile visit www.versatile-ag.com.
About Mojow Autonomous Solutions Inc.Mojow Autonomous Solutions Inc. (Mojow) is a digital, ag technology company based in Edmonton, Alberta. Our primary focus is developing a kit for enabling autonomous farm implement operation (EYEBOX™). Our mission is to streamline on-farm operations, through innovative technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics. For more information on Mojow, please visit www.mojow.ai.
You can view some videos of our team in action on Youtube.