John Deere Electronics has made its vision processing unit (VPU) available to European machine builders and OEMs, opening up vision-based autonomy hardware previously reserved for the company's own See & Spray technology to a wider range of mobile machinery applications.
The VPU is designed for real-time, on-machine computer vision and machine learning processing, avoiding reliance on cloud-based compute. Its architecture combines high GPU and CPU capability to handle multiple high-resolution camera feeds concurrently, interfacing via CAN and Ethernet. John Deere Electronics has also developed its own gigabit Ethernet switch to manage camera switching.
Built for harsh outdoor environments, the unit carries an IP67 rating and uses an air-cooled design rather than liquid cooling or internal fans, intended to reduce cost, complexity and maintenance requirements. Specifications include a 1TB NVMe solid-state drive, an Nvidia core processor, Linux OS, 12 camera connections with power over coax, four CAN ports, two digital inputs and three digital outputs.
The VPU on a tractor boom (Image: John Deere)
The platform originates from John Deere's See & Spray system, where it distinguished crops from weeds in real time to enable selective spraying. The company said the VPU is available in multiple configurations, from high-performance versions supporting fast multi-camera switching to more compact variants for simpler applications, allowing OEMs to balance compute power against cost.
Target applications span construction, mining, robotics, material handling, on-highway and specialty vehicles, forestry and other industrial sectors, for tasks including autonomous navigation, situational awareness and obstacle avoidance.
Kerry Koisti, who works in Business Development at John Deere Electronics, said: "What we usually do at John Deere is look at the marketplace for solutions and if we don't find one that works for what we want to do, our electronics unit designs and builds the product we need. Once it's in production, we consider offering it to other OEMs as hardware, providing tried and tested technology with John Deere quality and robustness, and enabling innovation in new applications."
