General ILVO launches test setup for machine builders at agricultural trade fair Agribex
At the agricultural trade fair Agribex in Brussels (December 3 to 7), the Flemish AgrifoodTEF of ILVO is unveiling a new test setup for smart agricultural machines. With this setup, ILVO is further expanding the AgrifoodTEF service offering. Companies can use it to test and refine their machines under controlled and repeatable conditions, accelerating their time-to-market.
The setup features a power unit with a hydraulic pump and PTO shaft that simulates a tractor's drive system, a lifting system for mounting implements, and a conveyor belt with sensors that simulate various working conditions while accurately measuring the implement's performance. At Agribex, the platform is being demonstrated for the first time using a prototype of a camera-guided in-row weeder from Vanhoucke Machine Engineering.
Steven Vanhoucke (Vanhoucke Machine Engineering): "The test setup identifies errors or areas for improvement at an early stage, allowing us to develop an improved version faster."
Jürgen Vangeyte (ILVO): "That is precisely the aim of our Testing and Experimentation Facility, AgrifoodTEF. Through AgrifoodTEF, Europe and Flanders help technology companies bring innovations in the agri-food sector to market faster. With this new service, we demonstrate that we are continuously adapting our testing capabilities to market needs. Currently, for example, there is a strong focus on camera-guided mechanical weed control."
Testing machines year-round, faster and more cost-effectively
What makes this setup unique is that testing can take place year-round, completely independent of the growing season or the weather. This ensures that machines can be tested faster and more cost-effectively, that tests can always be repeated under the same conditions, and that developers can test at a very early stage without the need for a fully functional AI model. These rapid iterations shorten the time between the first prototype and market readiness.
After each test, ILVO experts carefully analyze the results and provide targeted advice. This allows the manufacturer to implement improvements quickly. The setup can also be used to refine and calibrate a finished machine, for instance, just before the start of the growing season.
AgrifoodTEF versterkt competitiviteit en duurzaamheid
Door gebruik te maken van AgrifoodTEF kan een machine- of softwarebouwers versneld aandachtspunten opsporen en verhelpen.
Axel Willekens (ILVO): "In het ontwikkelproces van een nieuw (slimmer) landbouwwerktuig stelt zijn er tal van variabelen zoals de rijsnelheid, de traagheden in de mechanica, de hydraulica, de signaalverwerking en de beeldverwerking en dit zonder te spreken over de variaties in het veld. Ons indoor testplatform kan veel van deze variaties gecontroleerd aanbieden en meteen de reactie van de machine-in-ontwikkeling analyseren alvorens de machine te gaan testen op het veld.”
Voor een bedrijf zoals Vanhoucke Machine Engineering was de nieuwe test-infrastuctuur alvast een manier om competitiever worden en met minder risico op de markt komen. De testfaciliteit ondersteunt de sterke opmars van machines die uitgerust zijn met camera’s, sensoren, AI-modellen en slimme actuatoren, technologieën die steeds sneller hun plaats vinden in de landbouwpraktijk.
