The concept of autonomous and intelligent robots has been spreading like wildfire, and we have seen incredible advances in the field; the most notable one being Tesla’s driverless car. On a similar note, CNH Industrial Agricultural’s subsidiary called Case IH has recently designed an autonomous tractor at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. The machine is called “The Autonomous Concept Vehicle”, and is a great testimony to the incredible speed of technological advancement in recent times.
The tractor was the centre of attention for a huge crowd at the annual Iowa farm show due to its magnificent looks and stylish design. The tractor has no cabin for a driver, and for manoeuvring, it uses the onboard cameras, radar, and GPS navigation system. The tractor can be programmed and controlled using a tablet, thus enabling functionality using the latest technology.
The robotic tractor can work 24/7, and is equipped to plant seeds and harvest crops, among other tasks. ACV can also detect objects from a distance, and its programmable path planning technology aims to help the farmers manage their fields oversee operations of multiple vehicles at multiple locations simultaneously.
One of the major challenges in designing the tractor was making it compatible with the other manned machinery and operations on the farm, which the company claims they have achieved successfully. The tractor only requires an initial command from the farmer, and after that, the autonomous tractor can move from a parking area along a private road to the farm without any further human intervention.
The tractor has a powerful engine of 419-horsepower and can clock a maximum speed of 31 mph (50 km/hr).
But despite all its cool features, the machine’s practical application still faces a lot of legal hurdles. The issue of the tractor running on public roads has been highly debated in addition to some other problems. Unfortunately, until these matters are sorted out, we will have to wait to see this beauty in action.
Would you consider using this on your farm instead of your conventional tractor? Why?
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