SparkFun RTK Express / Surveyor

Hi Guys!

Is it possible to create an autonomous driving kit for a tractor with the SparkFun RTK Express or Surveyor? What I am asking, if is there a wheel device that can connect with the SparkFun and an app that can support these devices?

Thank you in advance!

stefan

While there are many opensource autonomous driving projects for the RTK/Express, the short answer for a tractor is no…many modern tractors run on proprietary electrical ‘buses’, which makes integrating products to function with them sometimes difficult/impossible, in addition to the immense EM ‘noise’ farming equipment generates.

But if you end up engineering something that works, be sure to stop back by and share it!

Possible, yes but you’re not going to find an app that does what you’re wanting to do unless it comes from the manufacturer of your tractor.

There are several companies that sell this integrated solutions: an electric wheel which you attach to the tractor wheel & the RTK system (around 8k EUR). I am more than glad that the RTK system is now a lot cheaper, kudos SparkFun. But I feel that there are still some gaps that should be filled. I am a small farmer, this system is a huge improvement both in the budget and in the time management.

On my calculations the SparkFun RTK system, when used by farmers in the fields where you have only radio signal, would be around ~1500 EUR. I am missing the electric wheel and an software that connects all the hardware. I guess that I am asking too much for the moment.

Can I use SparkFun Express/Surveyor as a coordinate finder? What I am asking is if I introduce the GPS coordinates in an app, can I use this system to show me the exact location of that point?

Thank you guys in advance!

Theoretically you could; but that would be handled on the app side (when the app detects matching coordinates from the Surveyor, according to settings within the app like distance ranges and whatnot, communicate that ‘MATCH’) - check with the features available in the apps for your case, and if nothing currently exists perhaps someone will create one!

If your app or software can handle NMEA, the rtk express or surveyor should work for you. They both output NMEA or UBX protocol GPS messages.