Recent advances in technology are transformed the farming landscape. Speaking at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer at John Deere, enthused that “farmers need autonomy now”, and that, autonomous tractors “will help change the world”.
He added that: “You fast forward a century from those first tractors, and you’ll find some of the most advanced robotic machines are being used on the farm to feed the world. If you visit a farm, you will see as much technology in the field as you will in Silicon Valley.”
Hindman’s view is that agriculture has been driving the technology industry forward for more than one century, and that John Deere has “helped lead the way”. This can be seen with the launch of the agricultural machinery manufacturer’s unveiling of its fully autonomous tractor earlier this month.
Precision farming and self-steering machines that use GPS are now some of the standout advances currently in use. “This precise location-sensing technology already enables farmers to place seeds, spread nutrients and harvest their crops without having to touch the steering wheel. Without this self-driving technology, farming is incredibly exhausting mentally and physically,” he said.
“GPS technology allows farmers to spend their time in the cab of a tractor looking at the real-time data they are collecting during the job they are doing and making adjustments.”
Hindman observed that agriculture had always been “about doing more with more” until recently. The digital era is clearly impacting everything. “It is coming at a critical time, as labour shortages are making it difficult for farmers to find people to help do the work.”
“Driverless tractors can help farmers overcome that obstacle and more with precision technology. This makes it possible to take on one of the world’s biggest challenges – feeding our growing population,” he remarked.
LSL News.