Smart Farming: Continental Shows Intelligent Technologies for a More Sustainable Agriculture

“Smart farming is only possible on the basis of a high degree of digitalization,” says Mario Branco, Head of Off-Highway at Continental. “We are convinced that in this decade we will see digitalization in all regions of the world, as well as a leap towards seamless digital processes, automation of mobile machines and sustainability. These developments will only be possible if the agriculture industry finds a way to integrate technology that is already applied in other industries. Continental is in a unique position to support this evolution.”

Weed Control System promises sustainable productivity boost

Continental is once again bringing innovation to farming with its new Weed Control System. This sustainable solution detects and eliminates weeds organically, with high precision. The system is based on optical sensor technology, supported by automotive grade software and artificial intelligence (AI), which helps to detect weeds accurately and eradicate them with boiling water. The Weed Control System was designed and engineered by Continental Engineering Services (CES), which specializes in providing development services for technology companies across multiple industries. Continental and partners are now further validating and developing the system with an aim to industrialize the smart farming solution.

Robotics: modular concept for a variety of implements

Mobile robots are entering the agricultural industry. At Agritechnica, Continental will present a greenhouse robotic solution. The solution is based on a modular concept consisting of an autonomous robot platform as the carrier for various implements to fulfill tasks like treatment with ultraviolet light (UVC), selective harvesting, or scouting activities. With the modular and multiple compatible approach, the autonomous platform can be used with different implements to optimize the overall usage of resources and support autonomous 24/7 operation. Continental is working together with Octiva to bring the solution to the market by the end of 2024. In this cooperation, Octiva assumes the role of application partner for the robot platform and focuses on the development and deployment of market-specific applications.

Driving efficient field cultivation and boosting productivity through new cleat design for Raptor draper belts

With its draper belts, Continental will showcase a solution that withstands the impact forces of common debris. This is important for preventing unplanned down-time and replacement costs for the operator. Raptor draper belts with Continental´s patented new Edge Defender cleat design are not only able to meet this need, they also increase yield and boost uptime with product flow control technology. Raptor Edge Defender, with its unique design empowers optimal resource use by reducing the total cost of ownership of equipment, improving productivity, and increasing the bottom line of operation for harvesters worldwide.

Optimizing farmers’ total cost of ownership with technologically advanced tires

Additionally, Continental will present the highlights of its agricultural tire product lines. When developing its agricultural tires, Continental pays special attention to soil protection, fuel savings, cut-/ damage resistance and durability which leads to optimized total cost of ownership. Visitors can experience the VF TractorMaster and the VF TractorMaster Hybrid with its unique tread design. The VF TractorMaster Hybrid also has a sensor inside for digital tire monitoring with ContiConnect. Continental is now offering a Lite version of ContiConnect which will give a glimpse into the benefits of connected tire technology. The digital tire management system enables access to tire data like tire temperature and pressure via a mobile device such as a smartphone. The Lite version is free of charge. A prerequisite is the Bluetooth-enabled sensor inside the tire.

All-round bird’s eye view in the tractor thanks to ProViu 360

Two of Continental’s Agritechnica highlights come from the world of retrofitting agricultural vehicles: The innovative ProViu 360 surround view system captures images with the help of four cameras with HDR (High Dynamic Range) and a resolution of 1.3 megapixels and combines them using a complex algorithm to produce a perfect all-round bird’s eye view of the vehicle. Furthermore, it’s additional features, which have been specifically designed for application under the challenging conditions of agriculture (Pedestrian Detection, Clean Camera Assistant and Transparent Chassis), set new standards for surround-view camera systems. The ProViu 360 platform was recently awarded the official seal of approval by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) and deemed suitable for use in challenging environments such as those encountered in agriculture.

Improved visibility, greater safety and efficiency with NightViu Working Lights

The same seal of approval was received by Continental’s NightViu Working Lights which ensure better visibility as well as greater safety and efficiency during harvest thanks to their automotive-grade homogeneous illumination specially designed for agricultural applications. At approximately 100 lumens per watt, these LED lights feature an enhanced light efficiency level compared to other LEDs offered for agriculture. They come with flux options ranging from 1.500 to 4.500 lumens and light beams covering a wide variety of lighting scenarios and beam patterns, ranging from highly focused spotlight illumination to floodlighting and an extremely wide illumination field. Furthermore, a unique housing concept was designed to enable free combination of these luminous flux options and beam patterns within the same highly robust aluminum casing.