Deere & Company

Jacob M Eilders

Suchitra Iyer

Ishani Pandit

A system and method of positioning a grapple of a skidder based on ground conditions and felled timber characteristics, or other material characteristics, such as conduit characteristics for pipe, being moved by the skidder. The vehicle includes a level sensor to determine slope of the vehicle based on ground slope and a traction device to determine a slip condition of the vehicle. Level sensors can include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or a pitch/roll/yaw sensor. The grapple assembly is automatically positioned based on the vehicle slope, the slip condition, and the weight and/or the length of the felled timber being collected by the grapple.

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Dubuque, IA, United States of America

Jacob M Eilders