Research Impact
CAE is a leading innovator in agricultural research, working together with industry to develop new technologies.
This partnership, along with leading global machinery manufacturers is working to accelerate access to innovative driverless tractor technology, showcasing the benefits of this technology to key agricultural stakeholders.
CAE is a national leader in the agricultural application of sensor, robotic and computing technologies and has a drone program that has taken flight with several industry collaborations.
Tomorrow’s farmers will look to the skies not just at the ground. Using machine vision to identify unhealthy crop areas will mean direct benefits for the cotton, grains, pastures and viticulture industries.
A machine vision field-ready weed detection technology prototype was developed in 2014, which was able to discriminate between crops and weeds for targeted herbicide applications.
Provisional patents have been lodged for this technology and a growing set of algorithms have since expanded to a number of agricultural industries.
Typical applications include distinguishing grass weeds and broadleaf weeds in sugarcane, horticulture and cotton.
A cost-benefit analysis commissioned by the Cotton and
Research Development Corporation (CRDC) showed IrriMATE™ technology to be a major driver for greater water productivity in the cotton industry.
The analysis showed that water savings across cotton systems were 28.5GL/yr with a corresponding economic gain of $33m/yr. The average farmer utilising the technologies can generate $83,000/year extra profit.
Explore CAE Research Areas
Irrigation and Water Management
Farming Systems Innovation
Energy and Bioresource Recycling
