Driverless Tractors are Here

CHN autonomous tractor in the fieldAmong the more newsworthy announcements at the 2016 Farm Progress Show in Boone, IA, was the introduction of the ‘autonomous tractor.’ This ‘driverless tractor’ (so-described in the popular media) affirms what most every farmer already knows: productivity-enhancing technologies like GPS and telematics (and soon artificial intelligence) is transforming production for all but the niche segment. Now the autonomous control is baked-in! CNH Industrial, parent of Case and New Holland, will offer two versions: one with a traditional cab and one that dispenses with it completely – the latter a not-too-subtle reminder that human labor has been continually displaced by technology in agriculture production for most of the last century. Much more in the CNH media kit!