The company used the EIMA International exhibition in Bologna, Italy to showcase Senvisio, a guidance system that uses onboard cameras and image processing to detect crop rows and steer machinery without relying on satellite signals to follow the row.
Why satellite guidance is not always enough
The launch reflects a broader trend across the agricultural machinery sector towards multi-sensor navigation systems. While Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and real-time kinematic (RTK) guidance remain the standard in broadacre farming, dense tree canopies, overhead netting and narrow row spacings can reduce satellite signal reliability in vineyards and orchards.
To overcome these challenges, modern specialty-crop machines increasingly rely on computer vision, alongside satellite positioning, LiDAR and radar sensors, to identify trunks, vines, trellis posts and canopy edges and maintain an accurate path through the row.
Using the crop row as a guide
According to Hexagon, Senvisio uses tractor-mounted cameras and onboard processing to detect row features in real time and automatically guide the vehicle between rows. The system, developed in house, does not require guidance lines, pre-mapped fields or GNSS positioning to follow the crop row.
“For a vineyard or orchard operator, keeping a machine centred through long, narrow rows takes sustained concentration,” said Eric Wuestefeld, president of Hexagon’s Agriculture Division.
“Senvisio uses the crop row itself to guide the machine.”
Reducing fatigue and infrastructure damage
Hexagon said the technology is designed to reduce operator workload and help maintain more consistent machine positioning during operations such as spraying, mowing and fertiliser application, while reducing the risk of damaging crops and infrastructure.
The company said the system identifies trunks, vines, trellis posts and canopy edges before using that information to guide the tractor through the row, potentially reducing accidental contact with valuable plants, supports and irrigation equipment.
Commercial launch planned for 2027
Hexagon plans to make Senvisio commercially available in 2027 and said the technology is being developed for both retrofit installation and factory integration on compatible machines.
