IoT and the Commercial Agricultural Vehicle in Rural India: A Case Study

IoT and the Commercial Agricultural Vehicle in Rural India: A Case Study

The growing power of the Internet of Things (IoT) has meant cutting edge technology virtually everywhere, and commercial vehicles are little different. In a commercial vehicle, the IoT means real-time data that can not only help improve performance and safety, but also efficiency, no matter what the industry. Nowhere has this become more important than in the world of agriculture. IoT technology in this setting can mean better livestock monitoring, precision farming, and virtually autonomous vehicles. Technologies like these would not only mean improving the lives of farmers in developed countries, but it would mean real advances for farmers in developing areas like rural India.

TrakitNow recently tackled a challenge like this one, and at the end of the process, they were able to develop options that those in agriculture space were able to truly appreciate. With all of the necessary vehicle parameters like high temperature alert, air clogging, fuel status, and geo fencing etc., clearly available on their mobile devices, they were able to instantly see any critical problems immediately, thus dealing with them before breakdown occurred. That not only meant increased uptime, but increased efficiency as well, a particularly important feature during the harvest season.  The technology also introduced an important and vital feature: “Vehicle Immobilization” helping the vehicle owners to take full control of the vehicle during unwarranted scenario of the vehicle being stolen.

A Closer Look at the Problem

Most vehicle companies still operate in a pretty traditional manner, even in rural India. They have a company that is headquartered in Europe or Japan, and they move their vehicles from there, no matter where the customer may be. They continually look at technology advances from a Western perspective, innovating in the world of engines, body style, or looks, and customers buy the product trusting that the technology they’ve known for years will work well. One of the Commercial Agricultural Vehicle (CAV) manufacturers in India, though, had a very different idea. They wanted to present unique solutions to their companies based on the needs of their rural customers, so they partnered with TrakitNow to help achieve their goals.

TrakitNow is a uniquely positioned IoT solutions developer offering a number of options to vehicle manufacturers. The connected vehicles platform from TrakitNow not only helps in tracking the vehicles, but also provides complete health information of the vehicle enabling them to do proactive maintenance. The insights from the vehicle data can be used as key inputs for their R&D activities.

The Solution

Just few years ago, IoT solutions simply wouldn’t have been possible in rural India. Because of the lack of advanced infrastructure in the location, reaching a space like this would have been impossible. Now thanks to the advances in the technology, though, it’s more possible than ever to implement an IoT system provided it can be monitored via a mobile device, and TrakitNow was able to develop the perfect solution for Commercial Agricultural Vehicles (CAVs) in rural India.

Using the new mobile technology infrastructure, TrakitNow developed several add-on options for farm vehicles that would mean real advances for the vehicle manufacturer. Working with the company’s R & D department, the new features included location tracking, engine health monitoring, air clogging, fuel level and oil pressure monitoring, and vehicle immobilization. The key to the implementing the technology was identifying and creating sensor points that would allow parameter data to be captured through TrakitNow IoT devices. By connecting the IoT devices to the battery, they’re able to send data to the central server at specified intervals. If information that is deemed critical to the health of the vehicle is identified, the information is passed to the customer’s mobile device.

The Benefits

This solution has been nothing short of amazing for the vehicle manufacturer as well as the vehicle / fleet owners. This IoT technology has helped them accelerate their sales because customers realize just how powerful these vehicles are now. The new developments have also taken many communities by surprise. Just a few years ago, features like these were non-existent, even in costly cars. Today, though, customers really are king, as all of the parameters vehicle immobilization, geo fencing etc.  are visible on their mobile devices, and they can resolve any potential problems before they become an issue.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

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