Rise of the machines: Tractor drives itself
“Images captured by the cameras are passed through a deep neural network that classifies each pixel in approximately 100 milliseconds and determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected.”
John Deere has revealed a fully autonomous tractor that’s ready for large-scale production; and will be available to farmers later this year.
The machine combines Deere’s 8R tractor, TruSet-enabled chisel plow, GPS guidance system, and new advanced technologies.
While the machine is working, the farmer can leave the field to focus on other tasks, said Deere, while monitoring the machine’s status from their mobile device. (Check out the video HERE.)
The autonomous tractor has six pairs of stereo cameras, the company said, which enables 360-degree obstacle detection and the calculation of distance.
To use the autonomous tractor, said Deere, “farmers only need to transport the machine to a field and configure it for autonomous operation. Using John Deere Operations Center Mobile, they can swipe from left to right to start the machine.”
A learning machine
The autonomous tractor is also continuously checking its position relative to a geofence, ensuring it is operating where it is supposed to, and is within less than an inch of accuracy, said the firm.
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, the company said, farmers will be notified remotely and can adjust to optimize the performance of the machine.
The autonomous tractor, said Deere, serves a specific purpose: Feeding the world.
The global population is expected to grow from about 8 billion to nearly 10 billion people by 2050, said the company, increasing the global food demand by 50%.
Farmers must feed this growing population with less available land and skilled labor, and work through the variables inherent in farming.
Founded in 1837, Moline, Ill.-based Deere & Company is a world leader in providing advanced products, technology and services for customers whose work is revolutionizing agriculture and construction.