2011

CLAAS was officially recognised for its research into animal protection in forage harvesting at SIMA with a prestigious award. The “WILDRETTER” (“Game Guard”) project, which CLAAS is currently working on together with several partner research institutes, was awarded the innovation prize for a “sensor system designed to detect wild animals when mowing agricultural land”. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The award-winning research probes a range of approaches to reliably detect wild animals in harvesting zones and ensure their protection. By way of example, CLAAS unveiled an infrared camera system at SIMA designed to sweep the area immediately in front of the mower unit and relay heat image data of live animals in the mowing radius to the driver.

Aware that this technique often fails to deliver a satisfactory standard of reliable data, particularly on very sunny days in the field, CLAAS and the research associations involved are also developing other detection techniques based on microwave radiation, laser beams and other camera technologies.

The companies involved in the “WILDRETTER” (“Game Guard”) research project, which include CLAAS and ISA Industrieelektronik, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), and also the Universities of Munich and Stuttgart-Hohenheim, are cognisant that modern technological procedures necessary to deliver a much improved standard of wild game wildlife protection in harvesting will be in place over the next few years.