The Newman in-row cultivator from Czech manufacturer Ullmanna is making waves across Europe and beyond, thanks to its advanced weed recognition technology. While few may have seen the striking blue and yellow cultivator with its distinctive blue air tanks online, the Newman remains largely unknown in the broader agricultural community. However, this is quickly changing as the machine demonstrates its impressive capabilities in the field.
Founded in 2019 by Martin Ullmann, a former IT specialist in the Czech military, and his father-in-law Jindrich Ullmann, who has a background in agriculture, Ullmanna has rapidly developed a reputation for innovation. The company, which shares ownership with two other partners, has produced a zero series of six units of the Newman cultivator this year. The Newman uses cutting-edge AI and camera technology to identify and cultivate around individual plants within a row, a feature that sets it apart from other smart cultivators.
The Newman cultivator employs a combination of 2D and 3D cameras to capture 15 photos per second per row, utilizing AI to recognize individual plants. This technology is not only used in Ullmanna’s own cultivator but is also supplied to other manufacturers, including Feldklasse, K.U.L.T., and Samo. Ullmanna collaborates closely with Czech universities to refine its AI technology, ensuring that the plant recognition capabilities are continually improving.
Technical specifications for the Newman include the ability to handle six rows with a sideshift of +/- 15 cm, a required air supply of 500 l/min for more than three rows, and a minimum row spacing of 25 cm. The cultivator can manage over 35 different crops, thanks to its sophisticated algorithms that are continually updated and refined. For example, the system has already evaluated more than 300,000 photos of sugar beets to improve its accuracy.
One of the standout features of the Newman cultivator is its ease of use. Once the machine is started and the crop is selected, the operator can lower the cultivator and begin working immediately. The system automatically adjusts to the plant spacing and size, requiring no additional input from the user. This was tested in a cabbage crop, a challenging plant for intelligent cultivators due to the variability in leaf mass and root position. The algorithm was trained by a Ullmanna employee, demonstrating the machine’s adaptability and precision.
The cultivator’s blades are pneumatically controlled, with two air tanks serving as a buffer. The hydraulic sideshift, with a movement range of +/- 15 cm, ensures the cultivator stays on track, requiring 10 liters of oil per minute. The technology for recognizing plants is housed in stainless steel boxes, each containing an Nvidia Jetson Nano chip, 2D and 3D cameras, and four flash lamps. These components work together to capture and analyze images, determining the center of the rows and adjusting the hydraulic sideshift accordingly.
The Newman cultivator’s ability to operate at varying speeds of 3 to 6 km/h without compromising the quality of cultivation is particularly noteworthy. The system’s detailed image analysis allows it to record individual plant data, including size, position, and distribution, and map missing plants. This level of precision is crucial for modern agriculture, where efficiency and accuracy are paramount.
As Ullmanna continues to refine its technology and expand its reach, the Newman cultivator is poised to become a significant player in the agricultural industry. Its advanced AI and camera technology, combined with its ease of use and adaptability, make it a valuable tool for farmers looking to improve their crop management and weed control practices.