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 At
the January 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, John Deere
unveiled an autonomous tractor that would soon be produced on a
large scale.
By last fall, these tractors were coming off the assembly line in
Waterloo, Iowa.
Calling it “The Next Giant Leap in Technology,” John Deere says
autonomous tractors not only think but also see. Additionally, they
are “always ready to work, no matter how early or how late” and
“lets you and your operators tackle other jobs while it does its job
. . . by itself.”
To use an autonomous tractor, a farmer simply transports the machine
to field, swipes a hand across the computer screen to start the
engine and lets the tractor do its work. The machine can then be
monitored remotely from a phone or tablet.
How it works
Inside the tractor, John Deere’s site says, six pairs of advanced
cameras “provide 360-degree vision to see objects in the field and
triangulate distance.” While “images stream from the cameras, a
high-speed processor evaluates every pixel of every image.”
In around 100 milliseconds, “artificial intelligence sorts the
images and determines if the area is safe to drive over or not.”
A programmed set of instructions, map of the field, GPS and sensors
assist with navigating the tractor remotely.
All these features can increase productivity. As New Holland AHW
Regional Sales & Store Manager Stan Anderson said, “The farmer now
has the potential of performing two tasks at the same time such as
operating his combine and having tillage performed at the same
time.”
Having a way to perform two tasks at once can be a big help when you
are short on laborers, have a tight time window and face variable
weather conditions.
In a March 2022 USA Today
article on driverless tractors, Scott McFetridge said, “If new
technology can help farmers complete a job when soil and air
temperatures are just right ahead of approaching wet weather, for
example, it can mean more plentiful crops months later.”
Since the driverless tractors help farmers complete tasks, it may
seem that an autonomous tractor could be a labor saving device, but
Anderson said, “it’s not really a measure of saved labor.” Instead,
the autonomous tractor is “viewed as possibly filling a need for the
lack of skilled labors.”
If conditions warrant, Anderson said “these units have the
capability of running 24 hours a day 7 days a week.” However, “the
unit will still require down time for fuel and fluid intervals.”
The field will also need to be set up before the autonomous tractor
is utilized. Anderson said, “First off, a GEO Fence must be created
around the field. Inside the GEO Fence, obstacles (like power poles,
billboard signs, and water ways) are recorded. The tractor is
outfitted with a multi camera system that interprets the data it
collects. The collected data is sent to multiple data processors to
allow the system to function. Each implement is outfitted with
sensors that collect data as well.
Because the data and images
are constantly being recorded, the system has great accuracy.
This accuracy helps ensure safety. Anderson said, “The autonomous
system has hundreds of thousands of predetermined images that it can
detect as obstacles in a working field. Once an image is detected,
such as branch, the system will stop movement and alert the operator
of its position. Live video, images, and data will be shared with
the operator to determine if the obstacle needs attention prior to
the unit proceeding.”
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As the John Deere site says,
John Deere Operations Center Mobile provides access to live video,
images, data and metrics, and allows a farmer to adjust speed, depth
and more. In the event of any job quality anomalies or machine
health issues, farmers will be notified remotely and can make
adjustments to optimize the performance of the machine.
By being able to see the images through an app, farmers can then
decide what needs to be done before proceeding.
A December article from the Agriculture, Technology and Business
Market examined the advantages and disadvantages of using autonomous
tractors.
Advantages include accuracy and consistency in completing tasks,
boosts in productivity, higher yields, more sustainability, and a
reduction in labor costs. In addition, they may have more safety due
to lower accident and injury risks.
As with any piece of equipment, there are also some potential
disadvantages. These may include high costs, maintenance expenses,
limited capabilities for some tasks and a lack of flexibility when
conditions change. Because these tractors rely so heavily on
technology, they may be more susceptible to malfunctions. Without
the need for a human operator, job losses in agriculture are another
possible disadvantage.
Weighing the advantages and
disadvantages, considering your needs and doing some research on
what is available is advisable before making a purchase.
This innovation appears to have the potential to transform farming.
Smart Industry article says, “full machine autonomy combined with
automation will revolutionize how farmers can effectively and
sustainably feed the world.”
Someday soon, Anderson said you may see an autonomous tractor in a
field near you.
When you wave at the tractor, the farmer will not wave back because
he is doing another task somewhere else on the farm.
Sources
Agriculture, Technology and Business Market. “Driverless
Tractor: Advantages, How it Works, and Best Autonomous Tractors.”
25 Dec. 2022
https://www.agrotechnomarket.com/2022/12/
driverless-tractor.html?m=1
McFetridge, Scott. Self-driving vehicles are coming to the farm as
John Deere plans to roll out driverless tractors.
17 March 2022
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2022
/03/17/john-deere-autonomous-tractor-farming/7066741001/
John Deere Reveals Fully Autonomous Tractor at CES 2022.
4 Jan. 2022
https://www.deere.com/en/news/all-news/autonomous-tractor-reveal/
John Deere. The Next Giant Leap in Ag Technology
https://www.deere.com/en/autonomous/
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