Agtech specialist XAG has launched an automated steering solution for hands-free farm operation. The APC2 AutoPilot Console uses a mobile app for smart control, making it easier for farmers to adopt automated driving technology and manage their agricultural equipment with greater precision. It provides a cost-effective option for small-to-medium farm machinery that needs upgrading.

Many small and mid-sized farms cannot access automated driving due to high initial investment costs, technical complexity, and maintenance issues. The APC2 AutoPilot Console aims to lower cost and ease-of-use entry barriers.

The console integrates RTK antenna, sensors, and processors into one main unit. The APC2 is also equipped with IP67-rated waterproof and dustproof protection, making it more durable and reducing maintenance costs. With a smartphone, users can control the farm machinery to achieve automatic route planning, with OTA upgrades providing new features.

RTK navigation technology provides centimetre-level precision. It can deliver 2.5 cm accuracy for high-precision tasks such as seeding, ridging, and furrowing. This minimises repetitive operations caused by travelling errors of the farm machine and maximise land use by avoiding skip and overlap. The console also features IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors that allow for terrain compensation, maintaining accuracy even on rough terrain by detecting the slope of the ground.

The XAG Autopilot App provides a variety of job profiles and convenient functions to address diverse agricultural needs. It allows operators to execute straight lines, curves, diagonal harrowing, and other tasks on various terrains and field shapes. With one-click OTA (over-the-air) updates, new features can be added seamlessly. Additionally, path and plot information generated can be shared with XAG’s agricultural drones.