BMW has shared its latest collaboration with John Deere.
Last week, the German automaker shined the spotlight on all the awards its subsidiary Designworks had earned in partnership with John Deere. Now, the two present a backhoe vision of the future, applying BMW’s holistic and innovative research and design process “Fixstern” to the project. According to BMW, “the process creates a far-future vision, a focal point that all stakeholders can share in common, align to, and drive towards.”
The result is the John Deere Fixstern Backhoe, a concept that features a hybrid powertrain which delivers the right amount of power, efficiency and light weighting without compromising productivity. The powertrain also allows for a lower center of gravity and improves forward visibility. In addition, the form incorporates forward stabilizers, enabling an extended wheelbase with airless radial tires.
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The concept even has increased machine intelligence and connectivity, with integrated augmented interfaces that enhance operation and real-time training. “We wanted to stretch and challenge ourselves to innovate in new ways”, said Doug Meyer, global director of product engineering, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “We worked closely with our backhoe customers to apply their input, and we leveraged jobsite visits and qualitative research to ensure the Fixstern solutions address future customer and industry needs in performance, efficiency, and environmental compliance.”
The project will be presented through augmented and virtual reality experiences at CONEXPO-CON/AGG from March 7 to March 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
