Cabins, how they change with the digital technology

The need to accommodate bundles of cables revolutionizes internal organization, but it also allows controls to be placed wherever preferred and interchangeable. The number of displays increases, the traditional dashboard disappears, and there is room for USB ports and electrical connections. Connectivity and the pursuit of comfort guide the designers' choices

More refined, certainly. More powerful, larger, and more performant. However, if we set aside design and performance, the tractor remains, screw more, screw less, the same as it was forty years ago. In all but one aspect: technology. Of all the components of agricultural machinery, this is the one that has evolved the most, transforming completely within a few decades. Needless to say, in fact, functions such as automatic steering, ISOBUS, telemetry, and electrohydraulic controls would have seemed like science fiction until the early 1980s, whereas today, they are the norm, at least on mid-to-high-end vehicles. The interface for all these devices is inside the cabin. This is where all digital functions and controls that allow the operator to control the machine are located, and therefore, it is perfectly logical that the cabin—at least internally—has been one of the areas that have evolved the most to cope with the technological and digital revolution. How so? And what will it lead to in the coming years? Figuring that out is very difficult, although some trends can be picked up. Let us begin by looking at how the driver's seat has changed to adapt to the needs of a modern driver (and rider).

Wider, more comfortable. Let us start with the structure. Over the years, the size of all tractor ranges, including small specialized tractors, has increased. When it wasn't possible to increase the volume significantly, measures were taken to give the operator the impression of having more space available, for instance, by increasing the distance between the seat and the rear window or by giving a more rounded shape to the side windows or roof. Increasing the height of the front glass also helps improve both visibility and comfort for those behind the wheel, making it easier to see what's ahead. One of the most radical changes made in the last decade was the elimination of the side pillars. Until 2010, cabs had six pillars: the four main ones and two on the sides. They were then reduced to five to increase the size of the left door. Now, there are four, with two large windows forming the side walls. It's obvious that all this glass allows a lot of light in and, with it, a lot of radiant energy, which causes, of course, greater heating of the interior and the environment in general. To reduce this, curtains are used, or in the case of high-end machines, special glasses that allow light to pass through while cutting down on radiation, maintaining the working environment temperature even two degrees lower compared to a cabin with standard glass. A similar solution addresses the noise issue: more than one manufacturer has adopted sound-absorbing glass, especially for harvesting machinery. These consist of double panes separated by a sound-absorbing plastic film. Derived from the building and automotive sectors, they can reduce engine noise emissions, keeping indoor noise levels under 70 decibels for tractors and slightly more for combines and forage harvesters.

Designed in virtual reality. Before being built, the cabin is now entirely designed on a computer, with the help of virtual reality. 3D simulations make it possible to visualize every detail and every joint, ensuring there are no problems. Laser welds complete the work, ensuring a perfect fit between the different chassis components. Noise is kept outside, besides increasingly thicker and more technological glass, by sound-absorbing panels arranged under the floor to isolate the driver's station from the transmission.   Suspension, which is becoming increasingly common for mid-to-high-end cars, also promotes comfort and cabin isolation. They are often mechanical at two points; more rarely, they are semi-active and continuously interact with the front axle for a coordinated response to ground irregularities.

How the interior changes. An interesting aspect of discussing cabin evolution is understanding how it is, in part or majority, conditioned by technological evolution, even at a structural level: over time, space had to be made for the hundreds of meters of wires required for the wiring of a 21st-century cabin. Multifunction armrests, linkage and spool valve controls, and then connections for the various displays, for the air conditioner, for sensors placed under the seat and in the steering wheel... designers were forced to invent at least one housing for the various control units, sometimes even two.   The space under the fenders and the footboard is now occupied by skeins of cables weaving toward each direction. While digital demands complicate the division of spaces within the cabin, they also help simplify some crucial choices, such as the distribution and placement of controls. Thanks to electronics, all those physical connections between the control organ and the execution one have been eliminated. Like the steering column or the Bowden cables that transmit movements from the gear lever to the gears. The friction cables, as well as those for the accelerator (manual and pedal), have also been eliminated. Everything, in essence, operates via wires or, as it's technically referred to, "by wire." This allows buttons and levers to be placed where one prefers or, at any rate, where it may be most convenient for the operator. Thus, the control panel no longer needs to be built around the gear lever, whose position was fixed, to be both ergonomic and functional, for example. Many controls can be grouped on a joystick.   Even the mechanical spool valves, like the gearbox, are operated by metal cables. The controls, being merely terminals of electric connections managed by a single control unit, are also interchangeable. Increasingly, multifunction levers feature one or more "jolly" buttons, which the operator can associate with the lift activation, a specific distributor, the activation of end-of-field memories, or something else entirely. Any of the available keys can operate the same distributors. The fact that indicating the match is a Led that can change color, adapting to that of the hydraulic linkage it controls, makes this matching easy to identify and unambiguous. Obviously, the primary requirement in this maze of interchangeable and variable buttons remains safety: this is why, for instance, the main controls, which indeed have safety functions, are standardized and identical across each machine, regardless of brand. The accelerator, PTO activation, etc., are marked by specific colors and shapes to eliminate any doubts about their function.

The effects of digitization. Digitization has structurally changed the cabs, partly complicating their design but mainly simplifying it. The same is true of technological progress. For example, more and more functions can be grouped into a single control unit, reducing their number and simplifying their placement. Regarding monitors, there's a curious sinusoidal evolution. They first appeared some 20 years ago inside the cockpit and have rapidly multiplied to occupy every available corner. Next to the tractor display, one was needed for automatic driving and another (or more than one) to control the implement.   The spread of Isobus wiped the slate clean, reducing the number of monitors to just one for a couple of years. However, the demands of constantly evolving technology are again multiplying screens, as more and more information needs to be displayed, often simultaneously. Therefore, alongside the now ever-present main display, mounted at the head of the dashboard, we often have an additional one, usually used for automatic driving, attached to the right door or roof, also on the right side. A third screen gradually takes the place of the dashboard, sometimes disappearing completely and being placed vertically on the right front pillar. Or it remains in the same position but becomes completely digital. This feature also allows for customization: the operator can choose what to see on the monitor in front of the steering wheel and on the main display, swap information from one screen to another, or organize a page with their preferred information, much like organizing apps on a mobile phone display. In the new cabin from Argo Tractors, for example, this philosophy appears to be fully established: the basic and secondary information are contained in virtual blocks, aptly named widgets, which the operator can place as desired or swap with others. "It's also possible to connect a tablet to these screens, using it as a third display," points out Giovanni Esposito, head of innovation for the Fabbrico group.

Another trend in cabins over the past few years is the ever-increasing need for space to place documents and personal effects. Designers, of course, adapt; around the driver's position, compartments for phones, USB ports to recharge or connect to the radio and listen to personal playlists, electrical outlets for external displays, and more can be found. The backrest of the instructor's seat, when folded, serves as a workspace, even with a personal computer. Moreover, it is now common to find a refrigerator for food and beverages under that seat. An additional refrigerated space is often fashioned on the cabin's roof, near the air conditioning.

How cabins will change. Since all adjustments and settings can now be made through the terminal, one might wonder if, in the more or less near future, physical controls are destined to disappear or at least reduce drastically. A process that has already partly occurred: in many cases, secondary adjustments have been moved from convenient positions to less ergonomic ones to rationalize the button layouts and make space for more frequently used controls. However, experts believe that they are unlikely to vanish wholly. "The user," Giovanni Esposito points out, "demands a user experience increasingly similar to the one he has with cell phones and tablets. They want a smart, connected, visually appealing environment, and we aim to satisfy that. But a tractor is and will remain a work machine, with certain controls indispensable for safety and others that, in any case, are unlikely to disappear completely."  The time is far off, in short, when the dashboard of a tractor will resemble that of a Tesla. Perhaps before the controls disappear, the driver will.