First showing of tractor simulators at Ploughing 2022
It was an immediate hit with younger visitors who were keen to climb on board and take the basic steps in tractor control.
Rooted in construction industry
There are to be 18 machines installed throughout the agricultural colleges of Ireland by Tenstar, the Swedish-based company which developed them.
They were originally intended for use by construction companies and the early machines were designed to mimic the function of excavators and articulated dump trucks.
They have also been used to train lorry drivers, forklift operators and forestry workers, with agricultural staff now being catered for in the latest versions.
The simulator is a self-contained unit consisting of a base with a seat on top and three screens in front, to give a peripheral view, as well as straight ahead. The seat can move and simulate moving over rough ground for extra realism.
New route to learning
The logic behind the purchase is to allow students to get a feel for operating machinery in the safety of a classroom before moving out onto the real thing.
While this might be considered unnecessary to many, especially those who have been brought up on farms and will already be familiar with machinery, Francis Quigley of Teagasc, notes that even over the last 20 years, tractors have grown enormously, both in size and power, and represent quite a different challenge to pottering around on a Ford 4000 or similar.
Quite how they will be used is still to be settled, for each college will have different ideas, but it is envisaged that students will need to show themselves competent in basic techniques before being allowed on to the real thing.
Huge potential for simulators
Like all digital technologies, there is usually a great deal of potential to be realised as the capabilities of the systems are explored.
New implements and tasks are being added to the software suite as they are developed and simulators can be linked to allow students to work together on tasks.
Looking further into the future, it is hoped that GPS-based systems might also be integrated into the programming to give the opportunity to work with the latest tractor-based technology.
However, as Francis points out, there is such a variety of systems out there it may only be possible to teach the basics, such as setting A-B lines for fertiliser spreaders.
