LS : Mtron Ushers in an Era of Self-cultivation by Tractors

LS Mtron Ushers in an Era of Self-cultivation by Tractors LS Mtron2023-06-08

The self-driving tractor LA SmarTrek is working the farmland on its own without a driver.

■ LS Mtron's self-driving tractors now available to regular customers
■ Self-driving tractors can go straight, turn, and do the work on their own
■ Recognized as innovative technology that solves the problem of labor shortage and aging in rural areas
■ CEO SHIN Chai-Ho said, "LS Mtron will continue to lead the advancement of agriculture in Korea with our self-driving tractors, and we will strive to provide solutions as well as products to customers in line with the changing times."

LS Mtron (CEO SHIN Chai-Ho), a company specializing in LS Group's industrial machinery and high-tech parts, announced on the 8th that it has begun mass-producing their self-driving tractor "LS SmarTrek" and plan to sell it to regular customers.

LS SmarTrek is a tractor that can work farmland on its own without the need for direct operation. With this tractor, LS Mtron is leading the advancement of Korean agriculture by finding solutions to problems of labor shortages and aging in rural areas. In recognition of these achievements, LS SmarTrek was designated in 2022 as an innovative product by the Public Procurement Service for the first time ever in the industry. It was supplied to related organizations such as Nonghyup, as well as public institutions such as research institutes, through the innovation market, and received positive reviews. With this reliability and trust backing it up, LS Mtron mass-produced their self-driving tractor LS SmarTrek, and began selling it to regular customers.

The LS SmarTrek is equipped with two ultra-precision positioning information systems, Real Time Kinematic (RTK)* and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)*, offering high precision with a positioning accuracy of 1 to 2 cm in a stationary state, as well as a maximum error of only 7 cm during operation. For the first time in South Korea, the technology to electronically control the engine, transmission system, electro-hydraulic system, power take off (PTO), steering system, as well as a K-turn path generation algorithm suitable for Korean agriculture, were added to an agriculutral product. Compared to other companies, the LS SmarTrek stability in both moving in straight lines and turning. Additionally, LS SmarTrek can save various work routes in fields and rice paddies through the "Save route" function so that the same route can be easily done again during the next time it's used.

LS SmarTrek is an innovative technology that can solve current agricultural problems, such as musculoskeletal disorders caused by repetitive farm work and labor shortage in rural areas. The product carries out the work itself, meaning the user doesn't even need to keep their hands on the wheel and can leisurely listen to music while work progresses. This leads to a reduction in tractor operation difficulty and an increase in productivity due to precise work, enabling efficient agricultural management operation. In a farm field test (based on soybean farming), it was found that cultivation time was reduced by 17% compared to manual work, with a yield increase of 8%.

With its push to sell the LA SmarTrek to regular customers, LS Mtron plans to upgrade the working environment in rural areas of Korea to the next level by creating a manual video on work settings, as well as offering instructions on how to use the product. These should help customers who are new to technology easily adapt. LS SmarTrek is available at LS Mtron agencies nationwide, and inquiries can be made via the call center (1666-5482) and domestic sales headquarters (063-279-5963).

"LS Mtron will continue to lead the advancement of agriculture in Korea with its self-driving tractors," said SHIN Chai-Ho, CEO of LS Mtron. "We will continuously make efforts to provide not only agricultural machinery products, but also solutions to customers in an ever-changing era."

[Glossary]
* Real Time Kinematic (RTK): High-precision positioning technology used to improve the measurement accuracy of the GPS. It provides accurate location information in real time by correcting the distance measurement error between the base station and the rover.
* Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS): A system that provides information on location, speed, altitude, etc. by using artificial satellites.
* Power Take Off (PTO): A device that transfers the power generated from the engine to auxiliary equipment or external devices separately installed on the tractor.

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