International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition

Extraordinary Success for TracTech

TracTech, sponsored by the Grand Technion Energy Program, takes 1st place in Illinois

Built by Technion students from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, TracTech won first place in two categories in the International Quarter-Scale Tractor Competition that was held in Illinois for the 18th consecutive year by ASABE (The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers).

The GTEP sponsored team was the first Israeli team ever to take part in the IQS competition, winning first place in two categories: “Platform testing and development”; and “Quiet platform for environmental conditions”.

“Never has a team in its first appearance in the competition shown such professionalism and originality,” said the judges. The students designed and built the vehicle as part of their final project in the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Within the framework of competition, the team designed and built a new platform for small agricultural farms which combines the advantages of an All-Terrain Vehicle (speed up to 35 km/h and comfort) with the features of a tractor – high pulling force and also a slow driving (0.5 km/h) for agricultural purposes such as feedstock distribution in a dairy farming. The TracTech platform is cheap, self-assembled and easy to maintain.

“For me, this is an extraordinary success,” said Prof. Shmulevich, who conceived the idea of training and sending the delegation to the US. “This is the first Israeli delegation in the history of the competition, and it’s important to understand that we competed there with about 30 highly experienced teams, with far more significant support and budgeting.” Special thanks were given to GTEP, which provided the budget to build the platform and support toward shipment.
The organizers of the competition provide competitors with a pair of rear tires manufactured by Titan and a 31 HP engine manufactured by Briggs & Stratton. The uniqueness of the competition is that it simulates a completely realistic work environment. Each participating team is required to operate as a company (management, marketing, sales, etc.) that manufactures vehicles in accordance with market requirements and on the assumption that 3,000 units of the product will be sold per-year. In addition to demonstrating the platform’s motor abilities of pulling force and durability (on a tough obstacle course), students are required to cope with a large number of constraints in the areas of design, safety, production process efficiency and vehicle maintenance; and must demonstrate

The IQS Competition was established by the ASABE in response to a shortage of skilled professionals at companies such as Caterpillar and John Deere, and out of the desire of these companies to attract talented students. Over the years, participation in the competition has become a “ticket of admission” to these companies. professionalism and originality to convince the experienced judges that their product is successful and economically viable.