Steward

Sabanto offers Steward™, a retrofit kit and software system that transforms tractors of multiple brands and sizes into autonomous vehicles that can pull, carry and operate a variety of agricultural implements to perform work day or night, without continuous oversight.

What is the most striking according to the supplier?

Your autonomous tractor is already sitting in your machine shed. After a one day installation process, our customers can use their existing tractors to perform a variety of field operations autonomously. With the remote monitoring and notification capabilities of Steward’s software, they have the confidence to walk away and get other work done. In addition, they can operate their equipment manually with just a flip of a switch.

We have deployed multiple systems, in multiple fields, on multiple farms, across multiple states, which can be monitored by customers, even hundreds of miles away.

How does the robot tractor with your system navigate and plan its work and paths?

The field boundary, plus any internal objects to be avoided, is recorded one time while manually driving the tractor. Afterwards, our cloud-based software creates a path plan for the recorded field geometry based on the real-time location of the tractor inside the field along with the desired pass angle, pass overlap and number of headland passes.

The generated path plan is downloaded to Steward’s main processing unit on the tractor. Once field conditions are verified via onboard cameras, the operator remotely initiates the system and the tractor begins to follow the generated path. The system continually monitors its own performance and detects any anomalies, which can be viewed in real-time by the operator using our Mission Control software on a phone or laptop. If the system requires any attention, the operator is sent an SMS/text message to their phone. Otherwise, the tractor continues to run until the path plan is completed and then transits to a desired destination in the field.

Throughout the entire field task, vehicle and autonomy data is gathered and streamed back to our cloud software, where it can be monitored by the grower and if needed, by our support team.

How are implements operated and controlled by your system?

A tractor’s three-point hitch position, remote valves and PTO shaft operation are controlled by our system.

Through our relationships with implement manufacturers, we monitor the performance and status of an attached implement via an interface with sensors that are installed on the implement in order to detect anomalies.

What are the safety features?

Our safety system detects obstacles and closely monitors the health of both the tractor and the implement using 360 degree cameras that capture still photos and can stream video on demand.

What is the cost price per ha compared with a manned tractor?

Our cost to perform a field operation is considerably less than the status quo used in row-crop agriculture across the US.

What kind of work can your system do autonomously?

Our customers use their Steward systems for mowing, tillage, cultivation, rototilling, rotary hoeing, field cultivation and tine weeding. We have also demonstrated our capabilities performing planting and spraying.

Can you switch off autonomous mode and continue as a manned tractor for difficult work/circumstances?
Yes, we most certainly can. All our tractors are capable of being used in a manner that they were intended to be used for.

How many systems are currently in the field and where?

We were founded in October 2018.

How many units do you currently have in the field and where?

We have many units situated across the US, as well as Canada, on Kubota, Fendt and John Deere tractors.