trailer world Issue Two 2012

reduced. With the eT!, postmen will be able to save around 40 minutes per day and per round. Beware of the dog The transporter is equipped with an on-board tablet-PC, which provides information on the route, points out suitable stopping places, and can even provide a warning of the vicious dog in the garden at the end of the street. The device also displays the ideal ways to the house doorways. If a package is partic- ularly heavy, the driver receives a note that he should use the handcart. Thanks to the innovative technology, new employees no longer need to be trained on their routes by more experienced colleagues. Control by touch-screen The driver wears a Smartphone on the wrist, lengthwise and like a watch. Via its touch-screen, he can control all functions, and the vehicle always knows where the driver is. For location purposes, the telephone is equipped with an additional module, which contains a transceiver, and which is connected by W-LAN to six further transceivers integrated into the eT!. The ve- hicle can follow the driver by means of the “FollowMe” system. With the “ComeToMe” function, he can get the vehicle to him over greater distances. “These are only two of the new functions which make the eT! unique”, says VWspokesmanHarthmuthHoffmann. Thanks to electronic assistance, fertilisers and plant protection agents are applied where they are actually needed. Seeding ma- chines sow the seeds in the ground in order to obtain the maximum yields. And when the water-fertiliser mixture of the sprayer runs out, re-supply is already on the way because the control centre has been notified immediately: this is the face of modern ag- ricultural technology. GPS and telematically controlled machines have brought high-tech to the fields. Such functions are made possible by wheel speed sensors in the chassis of the tractor, which gather information on the direction of travel and speed. This ena- bles the calculation of speeds, mileage and energy consumption, and through the implementation of a GPS device, the exact location of the vehicle can be seen. Die Amazonen-Werke H. Dreyer GmbH & Co. KG of Hasbergen near Osnabrück for example incorporates such technol- ogy into its agricultural machinery. Amongst other things, this specialist in fertiliser spreaders, seeders and sprayers manufactures self-propelled pest control devices: two-axle vehicles, with all-wheel steering, which are electrostatically driv- en. Relating to solid units Amazone rely primarily on BPW axles, in order to ensure reliable service to its customers and because the stresses on the vehicles are enormous: They have to be able to withstand dynamic loads on paths and in the fields and carry many times their own weight in terms of load. The BPW running gear systems are ideally equipped for such applications. Steered axles are hydraulically control- led and follow the tractor line accurately, thus avoiding damage to the crops. With the aid of GPS technology for example, fertiliser can be applied with an accura- cy of half a metre. In addition, plant care can be controlled by means of sensors: these detect the distance to the plant and thus control the spacing of the spray bar. When plant protection agents are applied by sprayers, these have to be refilled when empty. The refill comes for example by touch-screen. Agriculture yesterday and today: High-tech has made the breakthrough into the fields. Manuring GPS-based Title Fotos:GeorgiosKatsimitsoulias,Volkswagen,Amazone Issue Two 2012 11

trailer world Issue Two 2012

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