John Deere Auto trac turn automation

“It used to take us 4 weeks to drill, and now we are getting it done in about 3 weeks. The only change that we’ve made is adding Turn Automation. That’s been a huge factor for us, and a huge time savings.” – Western Oregon Grass Seed Grower

You are human. Accurate and consistent turns are difficult to manually repeat throughout a long workday, especially when the dust kicks up and the sun goes down.

You are also a farmer. We understand that you are always striving to do your job better.

Whether you are planting, seeding, or harvesting, as the operator, you must be on top of your game all day, every day; performing various tasks at the right time and in the right place to maximize your inputs. As the hours pass and fatigue sets in, machine maneuvers and performance can become inconsistent and lead to rework or mistakes you must live with the rest of the season.

AutoTrac™ Turn Automation (ATTA) addresses these challenges head-on, by planning and automating precise, repeatable, and efficient turns at the end of each pass. Set up the display to fit your operation, and let ATTA go to work for you.

ATTA offers numerous benefits to the operator:

• The power to focus on the job at hand, making necessary adjustments and better agronomic decisions on the go
• The ability to watch the tractor/implement or combine/header more closely, allowing for proactive adjustments instead of reactive fixes
• The capacity to more diligently watch for damaging obstacles such as rocks, washouts, or holes throughout the field
• The potential to increase productivity through faster, more efficient, and smoother turns in the field’s headland, no matter who is in the operator’s seat
• BONUS: ATTA for tractors incorporates end-of-row functionality, like speed and implement control, that takes this already beneficial feature to the next level
• Operators can enjoy more hands-free time through automating a high repetition task, resulting in reduced stress levels

Skilled operators are becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain. As agriculture equipment becomes larger and more advanced, some operators struggle or are intimidated to get in the driver’s seat and learn how to use the equipment, especially some of the new tech-based features.

We are here to tell you that machine guidance and automation doesn’t have to be intimidating. Once you start, and get it dialed in, you will never turn back. The repeatability and reliability of ATTA allows operators of any skill level to perform confidently, accurately, consistently, and efficiently throughout the field.

The image above shows the difference between turns made using turn automation with a tractor and implement (left) versus turns driven manually (right).

Leave pass-to-pass variation that comes with manual operation at the field entrance.

AutoTrac™ Turn Automation is not a one-size-fits-all tool. Make a traditional U-turn, a figure-eight, or work straight through passible obstacles in the field, like waterways.

• U-turn – this turn type is a simple and traditional end-of-row maneuver, where the machine turns directly into the next pass.
• Operators can use skip passes and/or change the direction of the turn (left or right) when operating with automated U-turns.
• Figure-eight turn – this turn type is useful when operating at an angle to the headland. A figure-eight turn allows the tractor to make a large sweeping turn, which allows the machine to re-enter the field parallel to the field edge with each turn.
• Straight through – this 'turn' option allows the machine to continue running straight through a passible obstacle in the field and automates implement functionality accordingly. Picture this, you are about to cross a waterway with your planter. ATTA will automatically raise your planter when it crosses the waterway and will lower it back into the ground once it’s cleared it without operator interaction.

To better visualize each turn type that can be automatically planned and completed with ATTA, check out the video above.

The power is in the package (G5 Advanced and Automation 4.0):

Paired with an AutoPath™ full-field guidance line plan, AutoTrac Turn Automation gives users a complete solution for machine guidance and automation, increasing in-field productivity and efficiency. By fully automating machine steering, speed, and implement raise and lower functions throughout the entire job, whether that be tilling, applying nutrients, planting, or seeding, an operator can enjoy a more hands-off (~93 percent of the time) experience in the cab, greatly reducing stress. This translates to maximized input and operating costs for the farm through increased equipment uptime by accuracy and productivity of automation, and a reduction of skilled labor challenges.

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U-Turn

U-turn – this turn type is a simple and traditional end-of-row maneuver, where the machine turns directly into the next pass. Operators can use skip passes and/or change the direction of the turn (left or right) when operating with automated U-turns.

Spiral Out

Spiral Out - this turn type is useful for operators who need the unloading auger to face harvested area for unloading on the go (using Machine Sync). This turn pattern is especially common in corn harvest operations where the volume of crop entering the combine head is high. To use this turn pattern, an operator inputs the number of passes they would like to harvest at a time into the display in the ATTA module in the Advanced Settings. The combine will start harvesting down the middle rows of the defined area, making left-hand turns in a 'spiral out' pattern until the defined section of land is completely harvested.

Spiral In

This turn type is like spiral out, in the sense that an operator first defines the ‘land’ they would like to work via number of passes. When utilizing the spiral in pattern, the combine operator starts by harvesting the outermost rows on the left-hand side of the defined area, making right-hand turns in a 'spiral in' pattern until the defined section of land is completely harvested.

Operators also have the option to cancel a turn, which is a highly used feature when there are passable interior boundaries defined within a field, such as waterways.

A turn module (pictured below) appears on your display, giving you visibility of the turn type, turn direction, number of row skips, and the distance before the next planned turn begins. Adjust these settings on the go by touching the setting icon you would like to update.

To better visualize each turn type that can be automatically planned and completed with ATTA, check out the video above.

The power is in the package (G5 Advanced and Automation 4.0):

Paired with AutoPath™, In-Field Data Sharing, and Machine Sync technology, AutoTrac™ Turn Automation gives users a more wholistic and automated solution for a successful, more efficient, and less stressful harvest. This is especially true when there is more than one combine and grain cart tractor working in the same field. Seamlessly share machine locations, guidance lines, and coverage maps with the entire crew (up to 6 machines) and get real-time updates as work is completed to strategically plan the next move. Say so long to the days of counting guess rows, by using AutoPath to automatically create your full-field guidance plan and allow ATTA to plan and execute turns precisely down the appropriate rows without needing to complete additional maneuvers to realign to the crop rows to harvest. When the combine is full, know that a grain cart will be in the right place at the right time with visibility to grain tank capacity and Machine Sync engaged for a confident unloading on-the-go experience. (The image below illustrates a planned, automated turn, as well as shared coverage maps showing the completed work of the two additional harvesters (light blue) working in tandem in the same field.)

This one is for all the visualizers out there. Check out the table below that illustrates the key differences between turn types available for each supported machine type.

To take advantage of AutoTrac™ Turn Automation and experience peak performance, a user must have a field and headland boundary defined, along with a supported guidance track (AutoTrac straight tracks or an AutoPath™ guidance plan).

Boundaries (recorded with SF3 or higher correction signal) are the key to success with ATTA, as they determine when and where a turn begins and ends throughout the field.

There are five types of boundaries users should get familiar with:  

• Exterior Boundary
• The exterior boundary identifies the perimeter of the field. This type of boundary is required for AutoTrac Turn Automation, and a majority of John Deere’s advanced guidance products, as it sets the foundation for precise machine control. This boundary type is defined with a solid pink line on the display (shown above). Again, for the best accuracy, these boundaries should be driven recorded boundaries using SF3 or higher correction signal. We highly recommend using SF-RTK correction signal for long-term repeatability.
• Exterior Headland
• The exterior headland boundary is the area at each end of the field that controls where the automated turns should start, occur, and end. This type of boundary is also required for AutoTrac Turn Automation to operate successfully. This boundary type is defined with a dashed yellow line on the display, inside of the solid pink exterior boundary line. Exterior headland boundaries can be driven or defined by inputting the desired dimensions into the display.   
• Passable Interior Boundary
• A passable interior boundary is the perimeter of an area inside of the field that is not farmed but can be crossed with any type of machine and/or implement. One example is a waterway. This boundary type is optional for AutoTrac Turn Automation to operate.
• Impassable Interior Boundary
• An impassible interior boundary is the perimeter of an area inside the field that is not farmed and cannot be crossed with any type of machine and/or implement. This boundary type is also optional for AutoTrac Turn Automation to operate.
• Interior Headland
• An interior headland is the area around an impassible interior boundary that controls where the automated turns should start, occur, and end. This boundary type is also optional for AutoTrac Turn Automation to operate.

NOTES:

1. If a user is operating ATTA on a tractor with an implement, the definitions above are also 'triggers' for automated end-of-row functions, like speed and implement raise and lower. Greater functionality will be added to the combine platform in the future, delivering a solution that adds incremental value by getting better over time. As we mentioned before, keep your eye on the ATTA matrix to brush up on the latest on this technology.

2. Only exterior and impassible interior boundaries can have a headland (required to use ATTA). Applying a 'Constant Offset' to either of these boundary types is a quick way to establish a headland. In doing so, the system will auto-generate a headland boundary of the desired distance inside of the entire field boundary.