Autonomous planting machine runs for first time

The autonomous planting machine project Autoplant is getting closer to reality. In September 2022 the first test of a complete machine was made in Bräcke, mid-Sweden, close to the Bracke factory where the planting head has been developed and manufactured. The machine works, as you can see in the video below. But it will take a while before it hits the market.

The project has proven that it is possible to ground prepare and plant autonomously. The project’s different parts were put together into a complete machine for the first time. The autonomous machine concept, developed by Luleå Technical University, LTU, was brought together with the planting head, developed by Bracke Forest.

The project members are researchers, users, and manufacturers. For one and a half years, hard work has been done to develop different parts of the concept. “The field tests show great potential for an exciting development of technology for forest regeneration,” says Magnus Bergman, technical manager at SCA and chairman of the Autoplant project.

Bracke Forest has presented several prototypes of planting heads for ground preparation and planting. An autonomous plant feed has been developed, making it possible to conduct the whole sequence from picking the plants from storage to planting without human intervention.

“It has been challenging to develop such an advanced head with such a low weight. We are proud that our new prototype just weighs 200 kg – ten percent of the weight of our other planting heads,” says Klas-Håkan Ljungberg, CEO at Bracke Forest.

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Source Skogforsk, forestry.com