John Deere brings vision processing unit to OEMs

John Deere Electronics has announced commercial availability of its high-performance vision processing unit (VPU) to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across various industries. The technology will debut in booth 4900 at ACT Expo in Anaheim, Calif., April 28-30.

The VPU is a module designed for rugged environments and advanced Computer Vision Machine Learning. (Photo: John Deere)

The VPU is a module designed for rugged environments and advanced Computer Vision Machine Learning (CVML) applications. It is the core component behind John Deere’s See & Spray technology for precision agriculture applications.

The module offers a high GPU- and high CPU-capable platform that the company said enables OEMs in various industries to integrate vision-based automation into their own products. Its compact, powerful technology was chosen for its performance in GPU and CPU per watt and its efficient power dissipation, John Deere noted, which it said is essential for demanding processing tasks.

The VPU comes with 12 ports for camera integration to enable comprehensive visual data capture, facilitating such applications as:

• Advanced vision systems for obstacle avoidance and improved situational awareness across various vehicle and machinery types.
• Autonomous navigation, advanced robotics and real-time image and video processing, along with AI-driven quality control and inspection across a broad spectrum of industrial sectors.

The module is built to seamlessly interface with vehicles and machinery through industry-standard communication protocols, including CAN and Ethernet. Designed to withstand harsh operating conditions, it has an IP67 rating for full submersion in water and an operational temperature range of -25° C to 50° C. The VPU hardware also supports comprehensive diagnostics and insights to simplify troubleshooting.

“We’ve engineered this module to perform in the harshest environments, focusing on robust thermal and vibration performance. Unlike others on the market, we’ve achieved this without liquid cooling or internal fans, relying on innovative air cooling and a rugged IP67-rated design,” said Nicholas Weisbeck, electronics systems module manager at John Deere. “The result is a highly reliable platform for cutting-edge CVML applications, enabling OEMs to bring advanced processing capabilities and greater autonomy to their customers while addressing the growing challenge of labor availability.”

The VPU hardware is in production and available for order.