3A autonomy group supports standardisation in the AEF

• Following its exciting launch at Agritechnica 2023 and having been awarded the Farm Machine Award and an Agritechnica silver medal, the 3A – ADVANCED AUTOMATION & AUTONOMY group is engaged in open exchange with other manufacturers as well as with the AEF (Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation)
• As a result of the discussions that have taken place, there is broad consensus to drive forward the standardisation process under the umbrella of the AEF

3A – Advanced Automation and Autonomy, the world’s first cross-manufacturer autonomy group for agricultural technology, has received numerous international awards since its founding in the run-up to Agritechnica and generated a growing interest in highly automated and autonomous agricultural machines in recent months.

During Agritechnica itself, the 3A partners AgXeed, Amazone and CLAAS invited more than 30 other companies in the agricultural machinery sector to discuss the need for greater standardisation across the industry. The 3A group subsequently decided that the AEF (Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation), as the platform for international standardisation, was best placed to deal with the tasks that lay ahead.

Since May 2024, the new AEF working group in collaboration with AgXeed, Amazone and CLAAS, and other manufacturers has been actively driving forward standardisation together with existing AEF working groups. Since experience suggests that this process may take some considerable time, a key task in the meantime will be push ahead with the practical implementation and further development of the 3A protocol for communication between tractors and implements.

The AEF has done an excellent job of standardising numerous interfaces and protocols in recent years, including ISOBUS, Precision Farming and electrification. "To expedite the implementation of the 3A goals, it therefore makes sense to capitalise on this experience and strengthen the AEF network for reviewing standardised interfaces in the fields of automation and autonomy," explains Dr Martin von Hoyningen-Huene from CLAAS, Executive Vice President BU Tractors & Implements.

As a result, there are no plans to extend the number of partners in 3A – Advanced Automation and Autonomy.   Dr Rainer Resch, CTO of Amazone explains, "3A will continue to exist as a partnership for the joint development of highly automated and autonomous solutions". Lars Schmitz, CTO of AgXeed adds, "We will continue to explain the 3A application protocol to interested companies in order to establish a uniform level of knowledge about technological advances and standardisation within the AEF.".

As the first multi-manufacturer autonomy group in the agricultural machinery sector, 3A aims to promote and accelerate the development, market introduction and standardisation of technologies for highly automated and autonomous fieldwork and thereby facilitate the standardisation of interfaces and communications protocols. AgXBox, CLAAS Autonomy connect and Amazone AutoTill are among the first solutions. The 2023 AGRITECHNICA Innovations Commission awarded a silver medal to the group founded by AgXeed, Amazone and CLAAS.

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