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Articles about usArticle about us in a local magazine The Association of Slovenian Rural Youth organized an international exchange of experience, research and realized projects in the field of robotics in agriculture, where we participated in the public presentation of the Slopehelper agricultural robot. The company was presented by Tilen Gošnjak. Slopehelper was recognised bz international experts as innovative robot for vineyards and orchards and got golden Agra award in their category of producers from Slovenia Autonomous agro robot Slopehelper was presented to the professional public in Maribor on May 31, 2022 at the biggest regional event, organized by the Institute of agriculture and forestry Maribor and High school of Biotechnology Maribor. The biggest challenge for producers is how to cope with all but plain fields efficiently and with sustainability. Presentation of our autonomous agricultural system in fields of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia for FIRA 2022. Slovenska kronika, a regular TV show on RTV Slovenia.Very succesful event centered around official signing of a contract between Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije and PeK Automotive d.o.o. Both directors and head of experimental department of KIS talked about what we all hope to benefit from this cooperation. Slovenska kronika, a regular TV show on RTV Slovenia presents the Slopehelper to its viewers. 'Südtiroler Landwirt' published an article about the Slopehelper robot in an special edition dedicated to growing apples. Slopehelper is a specially designed machine that can reduce the daily workload of humans and circumvent the need for in-depth technical knowledge or training. With this in mind, Slopehelper enters the agricultural market, offering not only the benefits of a tireless helper, but also the quality and precision of carefully planned work, without the need for constant supervision. Slovenske Novice writes about Mikhail Kostkin, his path from Russia to Slovenia and the development of the Slopehelper system. Barbara Pance follows the story of Dr. Mikhail Kostkin who developed the basis for the Slopehelper system in Russia, then moved to Slovenia after the agression on Krim started in 2014. in Slovenia he applied his invention for use in vineyards and orchards resulting in a agricultlral system that negates the need for human work in the fields. The machine is now fully prepared for use and is on sale. It brings a much needed solution to many problems facing the modern farmer (lack of workforce, rise in production costs, ban of herbicides, etc.). Slopehelper is a simple machine that brings a solution to a really complex problem. Agricultura.it writes about the Slopehelper system and its financial and performance advantages. A Slovenian company Pek Automotive, one of the most advanced manufacturers of self-driving agricultural robots, has brought to the market a new system that allows to effectively combine the mechanization of agricultural operations with the advantage of a driverless tractor. With a wide range of operations, the system helps farmers reduce manpower by 90%. Mr. Hasan Peker, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Peker Holding, shares his vision on the results of 2021 and the holding's future plans for the coming years. Thanks to excellent management, 2021 was a successful year for both Peker Holding and Peker Real Estate Investment Trust. In 2022 Mr. Hasan Peker anticipates successful development of all four sectors of the holding's interest: real estate, tourism, technology, and insurance. In the field of autonomous agricultural robots, Mr. Peker expects further expansion on the markets of Italy, France and Slovenia. Building of a new factory in Slovenia will help these plans come true in the nearest future. 'Milano Today' and 'Trento Today' write about the connection the Slopehelper system provides between technological sector and agricultural sector. PeK Automotive is a company that managed to find a solution of how to reduce manpower on a plantation while taking care of the environment. The innovative electric robot Slopehelper combines autonomy and low energy consumption. The ambition to innovate the agricultural sector is realized in a number of routine operations that cover whole agricultural sector around the year. Chris Boiling shares his impressions after visiting an open-air demonstration of the Slopehelper agricultural system in the vineyard of Radgonske Gorice in Slovenia. A team of Russian engineers, now based in Slovenia, has developed and built an electric autonomous agricultural vehicle that is capable of doing most of the labour-intensive jobs in vineyards and orchards:, such as mowing, mulching, harrowing, spraying, etc. The machine benefits are supported by multiple control options that are available through the PeK-developed TeroAir mobile application. All operations can be performed on slopes of up to 42°. An article on 'Robotics and Automation News', a US based online platform dedicated to the latest news in the field of robotics technology, published a review of the Slopehelper autonomous robotic system. The agricultural electric system Slopehelper performs most of the routine operations in vineyards and orchards, all-year round and in fully autonomous mode. While aiming at the local Slovenian market initially, the company has further expansion plans for the neighboring European countries, as well as overseas territories. Global Organization For Agricultural Robotics (GOFAR) publishes an article about the Slopehelper full cycle agricultural autonomous robotic system Slopehelper system presents a multitask solution that performs autonomous operations during the entire agricultural cycle in vineyards and orchards. The system can operate in all weather conditions including the harsh ones. The built-in feature of collecting big data right from the field makes it fully compliant with Agriculture 4.0 requirements. Further development is going to bring downscale versions of the Slopehelper system to the market. The local newspaper OKO informs its readers about a spectacular demonstration of modern mechanization solutions for vineyards that took place not far from Gostinci, Slovenia At the end of September 2021 a demonstration of the machines for viticulture was held in the Eastern part of Slovenia. The event was organized by VINIS, Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Slovenia. Together with other participants of the event, PeK Automotive introduced its autonomous robotic system Slopehelper that replaces hand labor in vineyards and orchards and performs all main operations on a plantation without the presence of a human. During the "Agriculture of the Future" event organized by the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia on 31 August 2021, Mikhail Kostkin tells about the Slopehelper electric agricultural autonomous system and its advantages. Ljudje in Zemlja (People and Earth), a regular TV show on RTV Slovenia presents the Slopehelper to its viewers Radio and Television of Slovenia, Channel 1, presents Fruit Growing of the Future, an event that took place in the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia in Brdo pri Lukovici on 31 August 2021. The Slopehelper, an agricultural robot developed in Vrhnika, demonstrated autonomy, preciseness and care about soil, - the features that are most expected from the agricultural robots in the future. Bogatstvo zemlje (The Wealth of the Land), a regular TV show of Net TV in Slovenia, reviews a presentation of the Slopehelper to the members of the VINIS, Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Slovenia On Net TV program 'Bogatstvo zemlje' Slavko Toplišek, the President of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Slovenia, and Miran Jurak, the President of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Dolenjska region of Slovenia share their impressions and vision of the future application of autonomous and semi-autonomous robots in the everyday life of winegrowers.
Slopehelper is an autonomous electric robot that is produced by PeK Automotive's multi-national team in Vrhnika, Slovenia. The robot uses lithium batteries and uses a number of tools for regular operations in vineyards and orchards. The self-regulating cargo platform at the top of the vehicle adds to the uniqueness of the machine. Jacopo Mazzeo from Wine Enthusiast compares today's intellectual robots that help farmers in vineyards. The application of robotics solutions in vineyards vary from predicting grape diseases to monitoring ripening or remote-sensing. The autonomous robot Slopehelper goers further than its competitors combining typical vineyard operations with remote monitoring system TeroAir. Dr. Kostkin tells the readers of "Glas Gospodarstva" his story of relocating to Slovenia and provides details of the current and future operational features of the autonomous agricultural system Slopehelper. The German magazine Eilbote writes about the Slopehelper in an article about modern robotics in agriculture. The Slopehelper works on slopes of up to 45° and has a permanent tractive force of 2 tons. The self-regulating platform can carry a regular EU cargo bin or pallet. New technology changes many branches of today's economy fundamentally, and agriculture is no exception. Agricultural robots present a possible solution to avoid decrease of available food and deal with food security in the coming future. Safe and ecologically friendly, the Slopehelper takes over the routine work from farmers giving them more time for strategic planning and analysis. Gian Basilio Nieddu reviews the autonomous electric system Slopehelper on a popular Italian website Vaielettrico that is dedicated to innovations in electric vehicles. In a step away from Italy, a Slovenian company PeK Automotive developed an autonomous electric vehicle that covers 90% of farmer's needs in vineyards and orchards. The innovative approach to agriculture reduces the use of fungicides, fossil fuels and eliminates harmful emissions. Michael Barker dwells on the ability of the Slopehelper to work on slopes and flat plantations. The self-stabilising cargo platform, caterpillar drive and steel base frame mean the Slopehelper can handle slopes of up to 45 degrees with a total load capacity of as much as two tons. Thanks to the horizontal stabilization, the harvesting shelves are always held horizontally in a safe position. This design means that growers do not suffer fruit loss from being unable to reach difficult areas of the vineyard. The Slopehelper can navigate wet soil and operate in all weather conditions. The autonomous robotic system Slopehelper proudly joins the Future Farming catalogue of field and harvest robots. With sealed and waterproof body, equipped with radars and differential GNSS, the Slopehelper presents an unrivaled electric vehicle to substitute hand labor in vineyards and orchards around the whole year. UK horticulture journalist Michael Barker writes about the Slopehelper as an example of today's digital farming revolution. Designed for orchards and vineyards, the autonomous agricultural vehicle Slopehelper meets high demand of contemporary farmers in terms of efficiency, durability and flexibility. The data processing onboard system provides access to real-time information and key metrics including data about wind, humidity, luminosity, temperature and time spent working. Ben Coxworth from newatlas.com explores some basic features of the Slopehelper autonomous agricultural system. The autonomous electric vehicle Slopehelper runs on rubber caterpillars, and is equipped with specific hinged tools for a variety of tasks such as mowing, weeding, mulching, spraying, harrowing, pruning and trimming. Justifying its name, it can operate on slopes of up to 45 degrees, travelling at a top speed of 10 km/h. Michael Barker dwells on the ability of the Slopehelper to work on slopes and flat plantations. The self-stabilising cargo platform, caterpillar drive and steel base frame mean the Slopehelper can handle slopes of up to 45 degrees with a total load capacity of as much as two tons. Thanks to the horizontal stabilization, the harvesting shelves are always held horizontally in a safe position. This design means that growers do not suffer fruit loss from being unable to reach difficult areas of the vineyard. The Slopehelper can navigate wet soil and operate in all weather conditions. Slovenian manufacturer PeK Automotivehas designed an autonomous system that can carry out a wide range of functions in difficult-to-navigate orchards and vineyards. Slopehelper operations range from pesticide application to trimming, mulching, harrowing, cutting and even harvesting. The machine’s artificial intelligence is constantly learning, adapting to new environment and reporting to operators wirelessly. Tomaz Poje, “Kmetijski glas”(SLO) The Vrhnika-based company PeK AUTOMOTIVE d. o. o. is developing an electric autonomous vehicle (tractor) Slopehelper, intended for viticulture and fruit growing, and is testing it in the vineyards of Urban Petrič. The Slopehelper is equipped with various sensors that allow autonomous control of the vehicle. It has built-in encoders (incremental encoders), front and rear position radars (mechanically rotating radars), and side radars to maintain the distance from the type of plantation and to control the side working connections. It also has a built-in accelerometer and a front camera with FPV. Radar units are constantly scanning the area where the Slopehelper is located. They allow locating objects (plants, trees, people, etc.) with a distance of up to 30 meters. The Slopehelper system is based on artificial intelligence using an algorithm to recognize and adapt to new situations. It adapts to the configuration of the species in the vineyard and performs work tasks autonomously. In essence, it uses radars to determine the position of species or the position of vine trunks. Then the computer itself drives the tractor around the vineyard. Petra Subic from ‘Slovenske novice’ is surprised by the possibilities of the Slopehelper in a vineyard The autonomous electrical robot Slopehelper can work with two types of hinged equipment attached to the front and the rear part of the vehicle. Of the vehicle runs on an obstacle, it stops and sends an alert message to the operator via TeroAit mobile application. Having finished the task, the Slopehelper parks its equipment and waits at the end of the last row to be taken to the charging station. Tomaz Poje gives a short review of today’s robots for vineyards and orchards.(SLO) Recently an autonomous electric robot Slopehelper was also officially presented to the professional public in Slovenia. It is a caterpillar version of an autonomous battery-powered electric vehicle. It will soon have a variety of hinged equipment produced for various tasks in the vineyard. So far, we have seen it working with a propeller mulcher, which is also electrically powered. The Slovenian autonomous vehicle Slopehelper is being developed by Vrhnika company PeK AUTOMOTIVE d. o. o. It accumulates knowledge of experts from various European countries. So far, practical testing has been carried out in Vipava vineyard of Urban Petrič. Slopehelper is a caterpillar version of an autonomous vehicle. It is battery-powered. It will have various work attachments for tasks in the vineyard. So far, we’ve seen it working with a propeller mulcher, which also has electric drive. Ljudje in Zemlja (People and Earth), a regular TV show on RTV Slovenia presents the Slopehelper to its viewers On Radio and Television of Slovenija, Channel 1, Mikhail Kostkin, the founder of PeK Automotive, tells about the agricultural robot Slopehelper, the history of its development and its functionality. Urban Petrič, the owner of Petrič Winery from Vipavska valley, shares his impressions of testing the Slopehelper on his plantation. Uroš Davidović, a popular Serbian TV presenter, tells about the Slopehelper on Serbian television In his TV program "Better Land", Uroš Davidović shows some videos and tells about the autonomous electric robot Slopehelper working in vineyards and orchards. He stresses out the electric power drive of the robot and praises the Slovenian company PeK Automotive for developing and building the agricultural vehicle with full autonomy. |