聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 It has long been my expectation that farming would become a sector where robotic machinery would become a major element of operations.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Talk to producers and one of the major issues they face is finding reliable staff.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Operating field machinery worth hundreds of thousands of dollars require employees to be well-trained, and that training means good wages are required.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The problem for farmers is that the staff needs are focused from spring seeding through fall harvest. Good employees want full-time careers, and that doesn鈥檛 fit the reality of farms particularly well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But years ago I listened to a speaker who foresaw robotic machinery on the common farm.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We have seen that trend starting of course.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Combines are now able to roll down a swath guided by global positioning technology, the operator a gauge watcher.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The grain cart rolls up to take the grain, and operation is taken over by the combine in what is pretty clearly a robotic link.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When it comes to spraying variable rate application across a field, it is achieved by computer control.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It only makes sense that tractors will evolve to be fully robotic. Detailed field mapping and global positioning systems (GPS) certainly provide the grid for a robot tractor to follow, so a unit without a driver is nearly an expected step.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Even concerns over system troubles not 小蓝视频 caught without an operator has faded as many new units have monitors which automatically shutdown units when mechanical issues arise.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So the eve of robotic tractors is upon us.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This summer Case IH showed off a 400-horespower robotic magnum tractor.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Its sister company New Holland did the same.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The two machines are a first in the sense of major lines ready to offer a big horsepower robotic tractor to the general producer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The benefits are obvious and start with not needing an operator. With no operator needed, there is the potential to run a unit, at least for processes such as cultivation and seeding, 24 hours a day. Every producer will see that as a major opportunity to carry out operations over large acres in the time-sensitive seasons of farming.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What will come next?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The likelihood of a fully autonomous combine seems likely. It may be harder to convince producers based on the variables of harvest, but distance monitoring of gauges for multiple units by a single-desk operator will be the future.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Just as drivers are awaiting the arrival of fully autonomous cars taking us to work and the movies, farmers are on the cusp of robots ruling the fields.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is a future I have expected which draws ever nearer.聽
