Robot Farming

Dan Agri View

robot tractor
Everett Griner talks about what the mechanical engineers working on robot farming equipment are doing in today’s Agri View.

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Well mechanical engineers are working right now to give us a driverless tractor. I do not mean a tractor that can just steer itself. We have that already. I mean a tractor that can be programmed for special tasks and then be set into motion. It will do work that is too dirty or too dangerous to send a human being to do. Now my question is: Why do we farm such land? But look what they are doing in Australia. They are building a robot that herds cattle. It is to be used in the Outback country where it is difficult for humans to work. Yet it provides excellent grazing for cattle. They are trying to make it sophisticated enough to recognize sick or injured animals and separate them from the rest of the herd. But don’t look for a driverless tractor, or a robot cowboy, anytime this year. It is going to take time. But both will be here ultimately.

That’s Agri View for today. I’m Everett Griner.

Image: Autonomous Tractor Corporation‘s “The Spirit” (Image courtesy of Autonomous Tractor Corporation)