MONA Orbit: Making Short Moves Around the Farm Easier (EN)

Get on, drive two meters, get off, and a few minutes later, start all over again. When mucking out, feeding, or working in the pasture, the farm loader is often moved only short distances. MONA Motors developed MONA Orbit specifically for these situations. Using an additional drive joystick, the operator can move the farm loader forward or backward at walking speed right next to the machine. This reduces repeated climbing on and off the machine and makes recurring tasks around the farm easier.

While standing beside the machine, the operator can use an additional drive joystick to move the loader forward or backward at walking speed. The speed is limited to a maximum of 4 km/h in Orbit Mode. Switching between normal drive mode and Orbit Mode is done via the standard touchscreen display.

In Orbit Mode, all lift and hydraulic work functions are disabled by the vehicle software. The Orbit joystick can only command forward or reverse movement. As soon as the operator releases the joystick, the parking brake is automatically engaged.

Instead of radio remote control or complex sensor systems, MONA Orbit utilizes the existing digital vehicle architecture of MONA farm loaders. The joystick is integrated into the CAN bus architecture and the VCU. Drive enable, speed limitation, disabling of hydraulic work functions and parking brake activation are managed by the vehicle control system. The result is an affordable and practical solution.

MONA Orbit is particularly well-suited for dairy, horse, and sheep farms, as well as landscaping operations, anywhere where frequent short trips, along with manual tasks, are part of the daily workflow.

MONA Motors GmbH, headquartered in Bad Waldsee, develops electric agricultural machinery and energy systems. Its product portfolio includes fully electric farm loaders and telehandler, as well as battery storage solutions. The goal is to enable farms to use electric machinery efficiently and cost-effectively, with a particular focus on increasing the use of self-generated electricity from photovoltaic or biogas systems for their own operations.