To ensure a fair comparison, the starting plot for sowing was alternated each year.
The wellbeing measurements have involved drivers of different ages and with varying levels of fitness and experience. Male driver was used during the first two years, while the most recent measurements were conducted with a female one. Each driver wore a Firstbeat sensor on the chest for one week before sowing and one week afterwards. The sensor measured sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability and recovery. In addition to recording the driver’s responses during sowing, the two-week monitoring period provided information about their baseline condition and recovery from the sowing.
Since heart rate and fitness levels vary between individuals, results from different drivers cannot be compared directly. Nevertheless, the lower average and maximum heart rates recorded when smart technology was used are likely to reflect a reduced need to concentrate continuously on steering, compared with conventional sowing.
Fuel consumption and working time were monitored using data recorded from the tractor’s communication bus during sowing. The same measurement method has been used each year, and interruptions unrelated to the trial, such as refilling the seed drill, were excluded from the results. In addition to the individual route choices made by the driver, annual variations in the results have been influenced by differences in the working widths of the seed drills used.
The measurements will continue during future growing seasons. The results also open up opportunities for further research on tractor driver wellbeing and cognitive workload.
