Assisted animal traction in agriculture 4.0

Assisted animal traction in agriculture 4.0
Patented solution – Patent No. 102021 from the 01.April.2021

Agriculture 4.0 refers to the application of Industry 4.0 technologies to the agricultural sector
As part of the Value for Innovation co-funding program, Syde’s project for Tecnovite started in 2017, leading to the development of an assisted system for animal traction in agriculture.

What is the purpose of the assisted animal traction system?

With the increasing focus on organic and ecological issues, many farms face the problem of not having adequate machinery to make appropriate changes in the production processes.

The animal traction assistance system serves to keep the draft horse, used for agricultural work, under the effort threshold.

The developed device provides traction assistance to the animal by integrating traction with an electric motor whose action is regulated by appropriate sensors, so that the animal remains constantly below the effort threshold and avoids fatigue.

Unlike other assisted traction systems for animals…

Other animal assisted traction systems existed before but had a variety of shortcomings that compromised their optimal functionality.

Unlike other traction systems already on the market, the animal traction system developed by Syde for Tecnovite uses a series of sensors that detect the movement of the horse and determine the type of motion assistance. They make it possible to lighten the load of the draft animal in all operating conditions, whether downhill or uphill, in forward or reverse gear, or on particularly uneven terrain (as is typical of agricultural land).
The traction assistance system developed by Syde for Tecnovite therefore automatically adapts the contribution of the electric motor to the different operating conditions of the vehicle. This allows an almost tireless animal, while the electric motor also acts as a generator to recharge the batteries.
In addition, by automatically adjusting the speed of the movement, it not only keeps the towing animal below the threshold of effort, but also allows for optimal performance of agricultural work.

Can it only be used with horses?

Although it has only been used with horses, the tractor-assisted system can be suitable for a variety of work situations and circumstances, not necessarily in agriculture