Future of farming: Driverless tractors, ag robots read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/883-future-of-farming-driverless-tractors-ag-robots

The next decade farming is expected to be revolutionized by the use of self-driving tractors and robots that can perform time-consuming tasks now done by humans. 

According to Experts opinion, the first wave of autonomous technology in Agriculture will go primarily to higher-value crops, such as vineyards, tree nuts and fresh produce. Few experts suggest that the big tractors could be replaced with self-propelled autonomous implements, such as sprayers in row crops, orchards and vineyards or with other robotic equipment for other specific tasks on the farm. 

Jerry Revich, An analyst at Goldman Sachs said, "Rising labor costs would certainly be a positive for adoption of automated processes,”. AGCO expects a fleet of field robots may also be provided as a service by sellers to farmers since they could probably put on a trailer and delivered.

Self-driving technology for automobiles — including both object detection capabilities using multicamera systems, radar and lidar technology — could help speed up and lower the cost of developing autonomous farm machinery. 

Matt Rushing, a vice president in charge of precision ag and advanced technology for AGCO said, Some of the new sensors that help you autonomously park your car, parallel park, backup sensors, cameras and things like that — all that stuff — the cost has come way down on it and it's allowed us to leverage it more in our machines,". 

For some farmers, automation is available. Robotic milking machines are used by some dairies, and planting is automated in vegetables, yet weeding and harvesting of vegetables and fruit largely relies on hand labor. 

According to Goldman Sachs, The content and technology to move to driverless cars cost about $2,700 per vehicle. In agriculture, autonomous driving equipment would require technology where there is a slightly higher complexity, but "not disproportionately higher. 

 

Fragile crops which include fresh tomatoes and strawberries have some of the most hand-labor needs. The farming industry is working on smart machines to automate some of the harvesting of these crops and it could be available to growers within five to 10 years.