Tractors Driver-less Tractors

[Kyle M]

It was bound to happen. John Deere is leading the way and quarterly business reports focusing on this part of the farming industry are not far behind.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Digger]

My thoughts? I trust them even less than I trust self-driving cars. One of the best ways to manage your crops, is to actually get out there with them. My tractor is high up and it allows me to observe some key things that I'd miss otherwise. Too much technology takes the joy out of farming, in my opinion.

 

[Smarty Plants]

It's not something I'd ever care to own, but then again, I don't think it's being created for farmers like me. I bet it's designed for the larger, highly commercialized operations.

 

[Jack L]

If the corporate owned farms want them, let them. At least with tractors you don't have to worry about them hitting and killing people.

 

[greg]

As farmers, it is understandable when we become pessimistic or cautious about new technology. The discussion about autonomous and semi-autonomous machines has been around, but I think such tech target higher-value crops like vineyards, fresh produce and tree nuts.

 

[Andrew T]

Technology has come so far over the past few decades, but I'm not sure I would trust a self-driving tractor! They will probably be most useful to corporate farmers. Sometimes I think we rely too much on technology and that we should be trying to simplify things instead.

 

[Kathy]

Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, but I can't imagine not driving a tractor! Driverless tractors sound a little scary. What if they go off-course or start malfunctioning in other ways?

 

[jack]

When a friend mentioned this a few months ago, I brushed it off as a rumour. Technology evolves quickly, but I don't think driverless-tractors could soon become a reality. Perhaps with time, driverless-tractors will be more advanced.

 

[greg]

Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, but I can't imagine not driving a tractor! Driverless tractors sound a little scary. What if they go off-course or start malfunctioning in other ways?

When I read the initial post, I also had the same thoughts. I don't see how a tractor can be fully autonomous; at some point, human input will be a requirement.