CNH has announced it will have an AI-assisted robot at Agrishow, an event billed as the biggest and most important agricultural technology trade show in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. Simpler, safer and more sustainable, this innovative technology allows voice interaction, execution of machine commands, as well as a maintenance and safety checklist, according to an April 24 CNH Newsroom news release, shared here, issued prior to the April 28-May 2 event.

Imagine walking through Agrishow and suddenly being greeted by a friendly robot that moves around on its own, avoiding obstacles and scanning the area around it. In the robot’s “head” is a tablet that answers your questions, gives you instructions and can even activate features of a real tractor, such as lights, air conditioning or headlights. This is a real experience for visitors to the largest agribusiness fair in the country. What’s new, however, is one important detail: instead of the internet, the robot uses offline generative artificial intelligence.

Developed by CNH, responsible for agricultural brands Case IH and New Holland, in partnership with startups Human Robotics and Mr. Turing, the direct interaction of AI with machine components, in addition to enabling systems to be turned on or off, makes it possible to display a detailed checklist of safety and maintenance procedures, among other applications.

“In recent years, we have presented solutions that allowed an operator and machine to interact through a voice command. Now, we are experimenting with an unprecedented solution in which artificial intelligence does not depend on a stable internet connection. In field areas or remote locations where connection is still a challenge, this technology opens up great possibilities”, explains Wei Lai, Systems and Portfolio Manager at CNH.

In addition to the offline feature, the technology — named MAIA for Case IH and GUIA for New Holland — is more sustainable, eliminating the need for large servers that demand high energy consumption, is easy to transport and configure, and allows technology convergence.

Wei explains that the experience goes beyond the robot's voice interaction with the machine: MAIA/GUIA allows you to execute commands such as activating or deactivating tractor components, something that no other similar solution offers offline today, not even in the automotive sector. “The person approaches the robot, asks their question out loud, the system understands, processes and responds immediately. The screen displays the answer and the official sources of our brands that were used, whether manuals or videos. This transforms an experience that was previously based on reading 1,500 pages into something practical, quickly understood and interactive,” he celebrates.

Development

The MAIA/GUIA development process arose from the identification by the CNH team of a real problem experienced by machine operators in the field: many tractor manuals such as the T8 and Magnum can total more than 1,500 pages. Each technological advance made the operator's work more complex - and access to information more difficult. That's when the multidisciplinary CX and Knowledge Management team decided to use artificial intelligence to make this information simpler and more available.

In 2023, CNH took a proof of concept to Agrishow that allowed the operator to ask questions and receive answers from artificial intelligence, using Alexa. The innovation was a success, but there was an opportunity for technical improvement: the technology was restricted to only following specific commands.

In 2024, the company adopted its own approach, which it called MAIA/GUIA, ensuring a clean, safe, and relevant experience. However, another barrier emerged: network latency. In the field and even at Agrishow, the quality of the internet compromised the experience. That's why, this year, the company began working on offline technology, which ensured sustainable, safe technology with human service.

Visitors will be able to test the robot at the New Holland stand and the avatar at the Case IH stand, both CNH brands that will be on display at Agrishow from April 28 to May 3. The technology is in the proof-of-concept stage and is expected to be used for other applications, including commercial ones, such as automatic checklists of electronic components and monitoring and data processing functions, such as those currently available in the Control Room.

CNH Industrial is a world-class equipment, technology and services company. Globally, Case IH and New Holland provide 360° agricultural applications, from machines to implements, and the digital technologies to get the most out of these products. The Company’s regionally focused brands include: STEYR, for agricultural tractors; Raven, a leader in digital agriculture, precision technology and autonomous systems development; Hemisphere, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-precision satellite-based positioning and steering technologies; Flexi-Coil, a specialist in no-till and seeding systems; Miller, a manufacturer of spraying equipment; and Eurocomach, which produces a wide range of mini and mid-size excavators for the construction sector, including electric solutions.

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