Norbert Beaujot of SeedMaster designed and built DOT, the autonymous farming platform. Last week he sold his remaining interest in the system to Raven Industries.  |  Michael Raine photo

Raven buys DOT with plans for expansion

Prairies autonomous farm tool finds a new home in the Dakotas, one with global reach and a growing stable

Raven Industries is now the sole owner of DOT. Norbert Beaujot is taking in the big view from his farm in southern Saskatchewan and of the future of the autonomous farming platform. “As a family, we couldn’t take on putting DOT where it needed to be by ourselves,” said the founder and owner of SeedMaster […] Read more

Norbert Beaujot has sold his remaining interest in the DOT to Raven Industries.  |  Michael Raine photo

Raven buys DOT

Raven Industries is now the sole owner of DOT. Norbert Beaujot is taking in the big view from his farm in southern Saskatchewan ahead of the seeding season. And of the future for the autonomous farming platform, DOT. “As a family, we couldn’t take-on putting DOT where it needed to be by ourselves,” said the […] Read more

The Connect spray attachment built for the DOT autonomous agricultural robot has a 120-foot aluminum boom, a 1,600 U.S. gallon stainless steel tank, and a continuous flow boom. | Photo supplied by Connect

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


Norbert Beaujot stands with the first DOT powered platform ahead of release last summer. The prototype has a 165 h.p. Tier 4 Cummins engine, which will be swapped for a 200 h.p. Tier 5 in production for 2019. Independent, hydraulic wheel motors guide the machine with sub-inch control. | Michael Raine photo

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