A California startup is building three models of autonomous tractors fit with electric drive trains, with the smallest already in production and deliveries to American farmers expected this year. “The Bearcub-24 model has a 24 kilowatt-hour battery, and it’s the equivalent to let’s say around 30 horsepower,” said Bakur Kvezereli, founder of Ztractor. Each model […] Read more
Tag Archives autonomous equipment
Smart Farm helps make high-tech agriculture a reality
Olds College is showing how computers will revolutionize the way modern prairie agriculture is about to be carried out
A computer control room isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when people think of farming, but Stuart Cullum says such technology is already sort of here. “I mean, a lot of what’s happening on the farm can be seen on a computer in a control room, so to speak — a person […] Read more
More farm robots on the horizon
Small companies and startups are having the biggest initial impact as work on autonomous platforms continues
The march of the robots into agricultural fields continues. Major OEMs are well into the development of autonomous platforms, but the relatively small companies and startups are having the biggest initial impact. The electric utility tractor by Monarch will be available to Canadian farmers this year and it has interesting autonomous capability that may turn […] Read more
VIDEO: Alta. farmer’s autonomous tractor working well
Brian Tischler, who demonstrated his technology at canolaPALOOZA in Lacombe in late June, says safety is crucial
LACOMBE, Alta. — Brian Tischler stands in front of a moving tractor. Nobody is in the driver’s seat, but the machine stops. It senses he’s there. He then decides to get out of the tractor’s way. The machine notices he’s no longer there and carries on with business, moving forward. “We went around this field […] Read more
Sprayer built for autonomous ag platform
REGINA — Slightly less than a year after the DOT autonomous agricultural platform was shown to the public at the Ag In Motion Farm show, the first DOT compatible implement built by a “platform partner” is being tested. A newly formed company called Connect, which is closely affiliated with Pattison Liquid Systems, has produced a […] Read more
Farmer develops tractor control
An Alberta farmer has developed open source software capable of driving tractors autonomously with the use of their existing GPS. AgOpenGPS is a free program farmers can download onto a tablet, which users then plug into a port located on the back of most GPS systems. The tablet also needs to connect to an arduino, […] Read more
Connecting the DOTs
DOT is what happens when farming processes are examined carefully. Does seeding require bigger machines? Does spraying mean going faster and wider? Does anyone need to pilot a field roller? Or any other field machine, except maybe a combine, for now? The new machine design, the DOT, retires the tractor and giant airseeder and drill […] Read more
MARS robot a taste of hired hands of the future?
DECATUR, Ill. — New technologies are a hot topic with producers at farm shows this season. The release of the DOT, autonomous farming system at the Ag In Motion show in Saskatchewan made a big splash with its promise of removing the tractor from most fields, relying instead on smaller, decentralized power and multiple field […] Read more
