Cambridge Consultants is using its expertise in advanced radar technology for development of a system to help agricultural vehicles avoid collisions and obstacles.

As farmers load their tractors and other equipment with more and more automation technology—like auto-steer mechanisms and GPS tracking for precision farming—the risk of collisions with unexpected obstacles increases. Cambridge Consultants’ new radar system helps prevent this by protecting the perimeters of the vehicle from potential hazards—giving audible and visual warnings to the driver.

“We have identified a huge demand for this type of agricultural technology as we see a continued increase in advanced farming techniques in the face of impending population growth and food shortages,” said Gary Kemp, program director at Cambridge Consultants. “We’ve created practical technology that’s simple to operate and install but is also low cost and incredibly effective.”

The radar units are designed to be installed on the front and rear of a vehicle as well as on sprayer boom ends, and can detect multiple collision hazards in a wide field of view. The technology can process many different moving and stationary obstacles—and instantly send an alert to the driver to warn of a potential collision. The low-frequency (5.8GHz) system is based on standard manufacturing principles, making it a cost-effective solution, according to the developers.

Cambridge Consultants is in the early stages of marketing to the ag market, and is using the international Agritechnica International Exhibition, Nov. 12-15, in Hanover, Germany, as a start.

Cambridge Consultants pointed out that it has a long history of expertise in non-ag radar systems ranging from through-wall radar for military and law enforcement needs to radar that helps air traffic controllers accurately track aircraft flying over wind farms.