High tech solutions by John Deere
John Deere unveiled a self-driving tractor at CES 2022, an event dedicated to the latest consumer technologies that took place from 5 to 8 January in Las Vegas. The innovative system was applied to the John Deere 8R and integrates the TruSet chisel plow, GPS guidance system and a host of advanced technologies offered by the stars & stripes brand. The tractor is equipped with six pairs of stereoscopic cameras that enable 360-degree obstacle detection. The images are captured and analysed by a neural network that classifies each pixel in approximately 100 milliseconds, deciding whether the machine can continue to move forward or whether it should stop in the event of an obstacle. The vehicle also monitors its position relative to a georeferenced area in real time, so that it can operate in the predefined area with a margin of error of less than one inch - says a company statement. To use the self-driving tractor, farmers just have to take the machine into the field and configure it to operate in this mode.
The tractor can be started with a simple "swipe" on the screen, via the John Deere Operations Center Mobile. So while the machine is working, the operator can leave the field and focus on other tasks while monitoring the machine from their mobile device. With the John Deere Operations Center Mobile, you can also access live video, images, data and metrics, as well as adjust working speed and depth and other tractor parameters.
If there are any abnormalities in the quality of work or problems with the machine's functionality, operators are notified remotely so they can make the necessary adjustments to optimise performance.
The self-driving tractor is ready for full-scale production and will be available by the end of 2022.
