LS Mtron Autonomous Work Tractor, Designated as 'Industry's First' Public Procurement Service Innovative Product

LS Mtron autonomous work tractor LS SmartRec. (Photo by LS Mtron)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] LS Mtron announced on the 24th that its autonomous work tractor 'LS Smartrec' has been designated as an innovative product by the Public Procurement Service for the first time in the industry.

LS Smartrec is recognized as an innovative technology that addresses farmers' musculoskeletal disorders caused by repetitive agricultural work and the shortage of rural labor. It is equipped with a portable GPS receiver (RTK-GNSS), an ultra-precise positioning system, achieving a positioning accuracy within 2 cm when stationary, a maximum error of 7 cm during operation, and high straight-line accuracy during tasks such as ridging, bed shaping, and plastic film covering.

Additionally, LS Smartrec is the first in Korea to apply technology that electronically controls the engine, transmission, electro-hydraulics, PTO (a device provided in the transmission to supply power generated by the engine to auxiliary equipment mounted on the vehicle), and steering system, along with a K-turn route generation algorithm suitable for Korean-style agriculture (a technology that automatically reverses and moves straight in narrow fields to draw a K shape and move to the next work path).

As a result, LS Smartrec reduces the difficulty of tractor operation and increases productivity. In on-site tests at soybean farms, it shortened cultivation time by 17% compared to manual work and increased yield by 8%. LS Mtron explained that LS Smartrec, as an innovative product, is highly likely to be introduced in future projects related to smart agriculture promoted by institutions under the Rural Development Administration and the government.

Kang Seok-ho, head of the Tractor Business Division at LS Mtron, said, "We will expand the scope of technology development through synergy with various ministries in the public sector and lead innovation in agricultural machinery."