2021 has been a big year for Agtech company TracMap with the release of their groundbreaking TML-A aviation guidance unit. TracMap isn’t what you’d call a newcomer to the industry – their Flight3 units having long been an integral part of operations for aerial agricultural operators around the globe – but, at the risk of resorting to cliché, the TML-A is a game-changer both for the company and the ag aviation industry. Incorporating satellite and topographic imagery, enhanced safety features, and a slick touch screen interface that can also be operated entirely off the stick, TracMap knew they had succeeded in creating a product that represented a massive leap forward in technology for aerial ag pilots. It quickly became apparent that, in order to succeed, the design process needed to be customer-driven. According to TML-A Technical Product Owner Tim Neumegen “Our pilots had some great ideas for what they wanted to see in their GPS guidance. With our Flight3 units, we had reached the technical limits of what was achievable – now with the TML-A, we have a platform where we can bring those ideas to life. It represents a huge jump in power over our previous platform, which lets us do more in real-time, like warning about wires and showing the whole guidance pattern.” During the development phase, it became clear that the TML-A TracMap had a product that could deliver genuine advances on the currently available systems, was powered by some extraordinarily clever software, yet remained intuitive and straightforward to operate.
Getting ready for production was nearly a year-long journey. TracMap went straight to the end-users, pilots in the agricultural aviation industry from the U.S, New Zealand and Australia, to see what would be most valuable to them in their next-generation aviation unit. The simplicity of operation was vital, as was safety. In the TML-A, one of the most significant enhancements in terms of safety is the ability to mark and identify hazards, and other aircraft using the system will be able to recognize these hazards. Additionally, the TML-A addresses wire strikes, one of the leading causes of accidents in the industry, by having the ability to display the location of wires and warn pilots when they are approaching.
Enhanced mapping means more accurate proof of placement for your customers and greater on-the-job efficiency – the ability to overlay satellite or topographic imagery on the display offers another dimension to the pilot’s experience, being able to identify geographic features off the display. Shared pilot profiles mean less time spent dialing in your preferred settings, and the ability to operate the device entirely off the stick means you’re focused on the job at all times. The TML-A is advanced enough to meet the needs of the most demanding pilots but, at the same time, is easily used by both tech-heads and old-school industry veterans.
It’s been 15 years since TracMap introduced its first GPS Guidance system in New Zealand – now, in 2021, the future of Agricultural Aviation Guidance is here.
