LS Mtron Develops Korea's First Tractor "Platoon Driving" Technology... Reduces Work Time by 40%

One Operator Manages Two Tractors Simultaneously
A New Unmanned Farming Solution for Rural Areas Facing Aging and Labor Shortages

LS Mtron announced on August 31 that it has developed "tractor platoon driving" technology for the first time in Korea, allowing a single operator to simultaneously manage two tractors.

Tractor platoon driving is an advanced agricultural technology in which the operator in one tractor receives real-time updates on the position and operation status of another unmanned tractor, enabling two tractors to work together autonomously.

LS Mtron MT9 autonomous work tractor and MT7 autonomous work tractor are performing rake and baler-linked work in serial platooning. LS Mtron

This technology was successfully demonstrated on the MT9 and MT7 autonomous work tractors. According to actual measurements, the time required for land leveling over an area of 600 pyeong was reduced from 8 minutes and 51 seconds to 5 minutes and 15 seconds with platoon driving, shortening work time by approximately 40%.

Platoon driving can be divided into serial and parallel modes, depending on the objective. In serial platoon driving, the leading tractor gathers rice straw while the following tractor compresses it, allowing two different tasks to be performed in a single pass. In parallel platoon driving, two tractors work side by side for sowing or harvesting, dividing the tasks and ensuring the "golden time" crucial for rapid agricultural operations.

LS Mtron has achieved precision work implementation by applying Ultra-Precision Positioning System (RTK-GNSS), ensuring an accuracy of within 2 centimeters when stationary and within 7 centimeters during operation. By combining vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) direct communication technology with in-house developed algorithms, the two tractors can collaborate by adjusting speed and interval in real time.

This technology is being recognized as a practical solution to the labor shortages faced by farms due to population decline and aging. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), this year the number of people working on Korean farms will decrease to 1.94 million, while the farmland operated per person continues to increase due to structural shifts.

"The technology we have accumulated since the commercialization of autonomous tractors in 2021 has led to this platoon driving breakthrough," said Jaeho Shin, CEO of LS Mtron. "We will continue to introduce new technologies and lead the era of unmanned smart farming."

Meanwhile, global market research firm Mordor Intelligence forecasts the global agricultural autonomous tractor market will rise from USD 2.2 billion (about KRW 3.1 trillion) last year to USD 5.2 billion (about KRW 7.4 trillion) by 2030, growing at an average annual rate of 18.6%. This growth rate far exceeds that of the overall agricultural machinery market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.