John Deere unveils world's first self-driving tractor, to modify existing range of machines

With 20 years of research and development, John Deere's fully autonomous tractors are set to change the way food is grown around the world.

It might seem absurd to think that a tractor and its equipment can be controlled by a computer in a field by punching a few data into a touchscreen device, but you're right. Minnesota farmer Doug Nimz is no stranger to self-guiding tractors. On his 2,000-acre corn and soybean farm, John Deere, few years ago, brought a completely new kind of machine. In addition to being able to steer itself, that tractor didn't even require a farmer to be in the cab of it. 

Doug Nimz was one of the first people in the world to test out the tractor, which weighs twenty two tons. John Deere's engineers used his farm as a testing ground over the last few years to make continuous improvements and changes. As a centerpiece of the company's CES 2022 press conference, the finished tractor was presented to the rest of the world on 5th of January.

"It takes a while to get comfortable because ... first of all, you're just kind of amazed just watching it," said Doug Nimz, "When I actually saw it drive ... I said, 'Well, goll, this is really going to happen. This really will work.'"

In the century-old battle between man and machine, fully autonomous farming equipment offers a new twist. There has been a rise in the use of automation, from automotive factories to Amazon Go convenience stores, leading to fears that robots will eventually eliminate millions of jobs. Nonetheless, in rural areas, where workers are scarce and young people are moving to cities, autonomy may be the only way to guarantee a sufficient yield. 

Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer for Deere & Co., said the tractor allows users to accomplish tasks on time, every time, and with high quality. In the year 2022, John Deere has attended the Las Vegas technology show for the fourth time, trying to reach out to a broader audience with its advanced machines. The company did not produce a brand-new machine, but instead announced it would add additional equipment to its popular 8R 410 tractors in order to offer full autonomy.

With a smartphone, you can start the machine with the swipe of a button and watch live video as it moves across the field from a pair of boxes that contain 12 stereo cameras and an Nvidia GPU.