The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, in collaboration with industry partners, has jointly developed a new drive system suitable for agricultural vehicles. This system significantly enhances the vehicle's driving capability on complex terrains by installing independent transmissions at each wheel. This innovative technology successfully addresses the technical challenge of traditional differentials causing wheel slippage on slippery surfaces.

Traditional agricultural vehicles are equipped with open differentials, which ensure differential rotation of wheels during turns but have the defect of interrupting power to the wheels on the same axle when a single wheel slips. The new drive system adopts independently controllable wheel transmissions, ensuring optimal traction distribution while achieving precise speed compensation. Stefan Herr, head of the Drive Technology Research Group at the Mobile Machinery Institute, stated: "The system can automatically adjust wheel speeds according to driving conditions, thereby precisely allocating the full mechanical force of the power system to the wheels while controlling the speed of each wheel."

Test results show that tractors equipped with this system perform outstandingly on steep slopes and soft ground. Herr added: "Our test vehicle was able to continue forward, while other vehicles came to a halt. Fields that were previously uncultivable or could only be mowed manually can now be operated by machines." The system retains the traditional central transmission structure, featuring compact design and controllable costs, and is suitable for various power sources such as internal combustion engines or electric motors.

This technology, developed in cooperation with Müller Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd., has undergone multiple rounds of verification from conceptual design to the pre-production stage. Herr emphasized: "Our research is closely linked to practice—we apply knowledge to actual work. In addition, students and doctoral students have been involved in the research from the very beginning. This gives them the opportunity to provide input for ongoing projects and contribute to innovation as early as possible." The drive system provides new technical solutions for agricultural machinery in scenarios such as highway slope maintenance and mountain operations.