{"id":74630,"date":"2022-02-23T16:12:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T14:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/?p=74630"},"modified":"2026-10-16T21:53:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T19:53:43","slug":"autonomous-robot-tractors-are-making-their-way-to-farms-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/autonomous-robot-tractors-are-making-their-way-to-farms-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Autonomous robot tractors are making their way to farms around the world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Autonomous tractors are already at work on farms: John Deere sells a self-driving 8R tractor and upgrade kits, Yanmar offers robot tractors, and retrofit kits can turn existing tractors into driverless ones. The pressure to automate is growing, as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/UN-projects-world-population-to-peak-within-this-century\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United Nations expects<\/a> the world population to rise from 8.2 billion in 2024 to around 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Updated 7 October 2026: refreshed the population projection, John Deere&#8217;s latest autonomy kit, and the status of Monarch Tractor and Bluewhite.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul class=\"bold-list\">\n<li>What is autonomous farming?<\/li>\n<li>John Deere\u2019s signature green and yellow tractors turn autonomous<\/li>\n<li>Fully electric and autonomous Monarch Tractor takes to the field<\/li>\n<li>Yanmar Tractors: robot technology and precision positioning<\/li>\n<li>Retrofit kits can make any existing tractor autonomous<\/li>\n<li>Robot-as-a-service autonomous tractor kit<\/li>\n<li>Autonomous farm equipment and agricultural robots in 2026<\/li>\n<li>Downsides of autonomous farming machines<\/li>\n<li>Rules and regulation for autonomous tractors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agricultural sector, like most other industries, will see dramatic transformation in the next couple of years. Megatrends like AI, machine learning and other cutting-edge technologies will unleash significant opportunities for the development of new machines and processes that will help strengthen the stability and health of our worldwide food chain. And these are critical developments, as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/UN-projects-world-population-to-peak-within-this-century\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United Nations projects<\/a> that the world\u2019s population will grow from 8.2 billion in 2024 to a peak of around 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s. And all these people will need to be fed. The latest innovations not only help agribusinesses mitigate the devastating effects of climate change and help solve the problem of food shortages, but can also play a significant role in developing solutions for challenges around labour shortages and <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/turning-desert-sand-into-farmland-chinese-scientists-propose-a-revolutionary-solution-to-desertification\/\">fast disappearing arable land<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while the rise of automation in every conceivable industry has led to concerns of robots taking over millions of jobs, agricultural areas are increasingly seeing young people migrating to the cities and the number of farm workers dwindling, which leaves few other options but to consider autonomous farming to keep ensuring adequate food supplies. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/recode\/2022\/1\/8\/22872749\/john-deere-self-driving-tractor-autonomous-farming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> to Abhisesh Silwal, a project scientist at the Carnegie Mellon University\u2019s Robotics Institute, \u201cSimilar to the autonomous car industry, full autonomy of farm vehicles and equipment can also be considered as an important, if not the ultimate, goal in the agriculture industry. Automating delicate, time-sensitive tasks like pruning and harvesting, which typically require skilled workers, could help sustainability in the long run.\u201d And among some of the latest developments in <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/smart-farming-the-new-agricultural-benchmark\/\">smart farming<\/a> are autonomous tractors, which will soon be rolling onto a farm near you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center quote-stat is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">Forecasts published at the time projected that the global market for autonomous tractors would grow from <strong>12,508<\/strong> units in <strong>2019<\/strong> to <strong>60,901<\/strong> units by <strong>2025<\/strong>. The global autonomous tractors market size was<strong> $648.9<\/strong> million in <strong>2016<\/strong>, projected to reach <strong>$4,389.8 <\/strong>million in <strong>2025<\/strong>, and around <strong>$6.38<\/strong> billion by <strong>2027<\/strong>, growing at a CAGR of <strong>24.0%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<cite>Source: MarketsandMarkets<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-autonomous-farming\">What is autonomous farming?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Autonomous farming is the use of machines that carry out field work with little or no direct human control. Tractors, sprayers, mowers and robots use satellite positioning, cameras, lidar and AI to find their way, detect obstacles and do the job, while a farmer supervises one or several machines from a phone or tablet. It is the next step after the auto-steer systems many farmers already use: those steer the tractor, but a person still sits in the cab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That first step is already widespread. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/amber-waves\/2023\/april\/most-row-crop-acreage-managed-using-auto-steer-and-guidance-systems\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USDA Economic Research Service<\/a>, auto-steer and guidance systems were used on 58.4% of US corn acres in 2016 and on 64.5% of cotton acres in 2019, with the largest farms adopting them fastest. Autonomous agriculture builds on that base, but mechanisation itself is spread very unevenly: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/newsroom\/detail\/FAO-state-of-food-and-agriculture--SOFA-2022-automation-agrifood-systems\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FAO<\/a> notes that Japan had more than 400 tractors per 1,000 hectares of arable land, compared with just 0.4 in Ghana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rvh-zie wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px !important;line-height:1.5 !important;color:#7a8799 !important;margin-top:-8px !important\">\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/automated-and-powered-by-ai-farms-are-transforming-into-cutting-edge-facilities\/\" style=\"color:#7a8799 !important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px\">Automated and powered by AI, farms are transforming into cutting-edge facilities<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"john-deere-s-signature-green-and-yellow-tractors-turn-autonomous\">John Deere\u2019s signature green and yellow tractors turn autonomous<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Undoubtedly one of the most well-known names in agricultural machinery is John Deere. And although the company isn&#8217;t the first agriculture equipment producer to develop an autonomous tractor, it is certainly of the most notable and its tractors are ubiquitous across farms all over the world. The tractor giant unveiled its self-driving 8R tractor in 2022 and has since kept expanding its autonomy offering. In February 2025 it announced a next-generation perception system, with 16 cameras on the cab roof, that is available as an autonomy upgrade kit for 8R and 8RX tractors from model year 2020.5 and for 9R and 9RX tractors from model year 2022, and that brings autonomy to tillage work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 8R is equipped with six pairs of stereo cameras that capture a 360-degree view for obstacle detection, real-time data sharing capabilities, AI and machine learning, and remote monitoring and management features. The tractor makes use of neural network algorithms to analyse the data captured by its cameras. This data is used to adjust the algorithms, enhance performance, and offer insights on how operations can be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All the farmer needs to do is look at his smartphone app, which controls the entire process - from starting the tractor\u2019s engine to deciding and plotting which part of the field to plough. \u201cAll farmers need to do is transport their tractor to the field, get it set, get out the cab, and use their mobile phone to \u2018swipe to farm\u2019. And every eight hours, they return to give it fuel and move it from field to field,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/1\/4\/22866699\/john-deere-autonomous-farming-ai-machine-vision-kit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">says<\/a> Deanna Kovar, vice president of production and precision ag production systems at John Deere. Although the tractor giant presents its 8R as an autonomous system, humans will still need to be involved. For instance, third-party contractors will analyse the images sent by the tractor to determine whether the obstacles detected have resolved or pose a problem and need human intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Autonomous 8R Tractor | John Deere Precision Ag\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QvFoRk4JsPc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John Deere has entered into a partnership with Austrian EV manufacturer Kreisel with the aim to eventually power its machines with electricity. \u201cJohn Deere is committed to a future with zero emissions propulsion systems and is investing in and developing technologies for batteries as a sole- or hybrid-propulsion system for vehicles,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autoweek.com\/news\/future-cars\/a38705415\/autonomous-tractors-robot-brains-for-farming\/#:~:text=The%20Motivo%2Ddesigned%20Monarch%20tractor,into%20its%20autonomous%20tractor%20brain.&amp;text=The%20price%20is%20%2458%2C000%20before,tractor%2C%20at%20least%20in%20California\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> Pierre Guyot, senior vice president at John Deere Power Systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fully-electric-and-autonomous-monarch-tractor-takes-to-the-field\">Fully electric and autonomous Monarch Tractor takes to the field<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California-based tractor company Monarch Tractor has teamed up with engineering firm Motivo to develop its first fully electric and fully autonomous tractor. The Monarch Tractor uses programmed algorithms, machine learning technology, onboard cameras and sensors, and data analytics to carry out its tasks. Update: Monarch Tractor has since stopped operating. In April 2026 the company said it had closed after seven years, citing unforeseen challenges in scaling up, and that a large global equipment manufacturer had acquired its core technology.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The advanced technologies built into this 40 to 70-horsepower tractor map and tag each crop on the farm and gather data about crop health, pests, and other critical information, much like the sensors used in <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/the-digital-cow-automating-livestock-monitoring-and-management\/\">automated livestock monitoring<\/a>. This information is then transmitted to a secure cloud where it is analysed for actionable intelligence. The data can easily be accessed and provides a historical record of the seasons on the farm. The Monarch Tractors\u2019 capabilities enable farmers to avoid dirty, dull, and dangerous farm operations and steer clear of harsh chemicals. Operators can manage a fleet of tractors from anywhere, which helps save time and money and improves safety on the farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company was honoured in the Robotics category of the CES Innovation Awards for its flagship MK-V tractor, the first to deliver a convergence of electrification, automation and data analysis that improves safety and efficiency, empowers sustainable farming, and maximises profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder and CEO of Monarch Tractor, says: \u201cMonarch Tractor\u2019s incorporation of robotics into our MK-V is yielding tremendous results for farmers. From autonomous capabilities that allow the tractor to drive itself to AI and machine learning that provide actionable intelligence for increased precision and efficiency in the fields, Monarch Tractor has become key in unlocking a profitable path forward toward more sustainable farming operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yanmar-tractors-robot-technology-and-precision-positioning\">Yanmar Tractors: robot technology and precision positioning&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tractors made by Japanese agricultural machinery manufacturer Yanmar provide farmers with options that best suit their needs, as the machines are capable of full or partial autonomous operation. The tractors are fitted with robot technology and precision positioning systems, and their multi-frequency antennas ensure a stable connection and high positioning accuracy, even if the signal is interrupted on one of the frequencies. This leads to more efficient and safer autonomous driving. The Virtual Reference Station (VRS) technology provides reference point positioning data, which is sent to the tractor&#8217;s autonomous control system via a multi-frequency signal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYanmar\u2019s auto tractor and robot tractor have found favour in the farming community for their efficiency, reliability and accuracy. With these new models, Yanmar offers farmers even more value with more robust positioning technology that allows even greater flexibility in the field,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/farmweek.com\/yanmar-upgrades-robot-tractor-series-in-japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> Nagamori Masuda, Yanmar Agribusiness president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yanmar has also revealed a new vineyard robot with cutting-edge autonomous technology - the YV01 -  which was designed to automate vineyard operations. The flexible and lightweight machine is very environmentally-friendly as it has highly accurate spraying capabilities via electrically charged spray droplets that get attracted by the plant leaves, ensuring precise, full-surface treatment and reduced use of spraying fluids. The robot is ideally suited to vineyards with narrow pathways and shorter vines. It can climb and descend slopes of up to 45 degrees and can be simply and safely operated by a supervisor.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"retrofit-kits-can-make-any-existing-tractor-autonomous\">Retrofit kits can make any existing tractor autonomous<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fieldin, a smart farm operations management company, acquired Midnight Robotics in 2021 to facilitate the development of retrofit kits that promise to turn any existing tractor into an autonomous one. The acquisition will integrate Midnight\u2019s technology into Fieldin\u2019s existing solution. Fieldin will provide 49 million hours of operation field data, which will be critical for the development of the retrofit kits. Yonatan Horovitz, CEO of Midnight Robotics, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/fieldin-acquires-midnight-robotics-to-develop-autonomous-tractors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">says<\/a>: \u201cThis is the biggest dataset for agriculture. We\u2019re utilising this data in order to make an ideal operation in farms. This is why this combination is amazing.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While an autonomous tractor has far fewer moving obstacles to worry about - compared to, for instance, a self-driving taxi in peak hour traffic - localisation is quite a complex undertaking in agricultural areas, as many farms have limited or no access to GPS data. To find ways around this, Midnight Robotics has equipped its retrofitting kits with lidar data, which is easy to use in open fields. The kits were first tested in complex areas with little room for error, like orchards and vineyards, to finetune them. Fieldin, meanwhile, has digitised thousands of pieces of farming equipment, tractors, and hundreds of farms, which provides data to help generate valuable insights into how to make agricultural operations more efficient and productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOver the past eight years we\u2019ve digitised hundreds of farms and over 10,000 tractors and pieces of farming equipment - more than anyone else in the high-value crop world - and amassed a trove of invaluable data that can offer insights into best practices in farm management. By acquiring Midnight Robotics, we\u2019re helping farmers close the loop from insight to autonomous action, so they know exactly what they need to do and execute it autonomously, all through the same platform,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2021\/11\/17\/fieldin-buys-fellow-agtech-firm-midnight-robotics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> Fieldin co-founder and CEO Boaz Bachar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"robot-as-a-service-autonomous-tractor-kit\">Robot-as-a-service autonomous tractor kit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Acquiring autonomous tractors requires significant investment, so why not make use of Robot-as-a-service platforms to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calcalistech.com\/ctech\/articles\/0,7340,L-3894475,00.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transform<\/a> your existing tractors into high-tech autonomous versions? Blue White Robotics\u2019 (now Bluewhite) RaaS platform launched its autonomous tractor kit that can convert any tractor into a fully autonomous unit or even a fleet of self-driving tractors. Blue White Robotics says that by retrofitting existing infrastructure with intelligent autonomous algorithms, its robot tractors improve farm productivity, precision, and worker safety. In May 2026 Bluewhite was acquired by Elbit Systems\u2019 subsidiary FUSE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Autonomous Farm Operations | California\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uoDJ0lv5htY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The use of this autonomous tractor kit enables farmers to give crops exactly the right attention and significantly reduces labour costs. The kit can be used to serve orchards and vineyards, enables tractors to efficiently carry out mowing and spraying tasks, and also reduces exposure to harmful pesticides and herbicides. The kit&nbsp; incorporates a GPS module as well as lidar units and optical cameras for obstacle detection and avoidance, a pressure-sensitive front bumper that stops the tractor if it does run into an obstacle, and emergency off switches on the chassis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"autonomous-farm-equipment-and-agricultural-robots-in-2026\">Autonomous farm equipment and agricultural robots in 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The large machinery makers now all sell or test autonomous farm equipment. At CES 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deere.com\/en-us\/john-deere-news\/autonomous-9rx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Deere showed<\/a> an autonomous 9RX tractor for large-scale tillage, with a second-generation kit of 16 cameras for a 360-degree view of the field, and an autonomous 5ML orchard tractor that adds lidar sensors to cope with dense canopies. In August 2025, Deere <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deere.com\/en-us\/john-deere-news\/john-deere-acquires-guss-automation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">acquired GUSS Automation<\/a>, whose autonomous sprayers for orchards and vineyards let a single operator manage up to eight machines. More than 250 GUSS machines have been deployed, together spraying 2.6 million acres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retrofit kits are moving into the mainstream as well. AGCO&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/news.agcocorp.com\/2025-06-11-AGCOs-PTx-Trimble-TM-Wins-Fast-Companys-World-Changing-Ideas-Award-for-OutRun-TM-Autonomous-Grain-Cart-Solution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OutRun kit<\/a> turns existing row-crop tractors into driverless grain carts at harvest time; it works on John Deere 8R and 8000R tractors and is due on Fendt models in 2026. CNH previewed its New Holland <a href=\"https:\/\/media.cnh.com\/north-america\/new-holland-agriculture\/autonomous-r4-robot-series-designed-to-answer-specialty-crop-farming-challenges\/s\/029ee06a-f20d-45db-8a45-8f8aeb1ddb65\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">R4 robot series<\/a> at Agritechnica in November 2025: compact electric and hybrid robots that mow, till and spray between the rows of vineyards and orchards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smaller agricultural robots for weeding, picking and milking form a second, fast-growing category, as our overview of the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/top-10-agricultural-robots-that-automate-the-business-of-growing-food\/\">top 10 agricultural robots<\/a> shows. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ifr.org\/ifr-press-releases\/news\/service-robots-see-global-growth-boom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">International Federation of Robotics<\/a>, close to 19,500 agricultural robots were sold worldwide in 2024, and its <a href=\"https:\/\/ifr.org\/downloads\/press_docs\/Market_Presentation_WR_Press_Conference_2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Robotics 2026<\/a> figures show sales in agriculture growing by 19% in 2025. Those are modest numbers for a global industry. In 2026, autonomous farming is still an early market, found mainly in high-value crops and on large farms, where labour is scarce and the investment is easiest to earn back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rvh-zie wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px !important;line-height:1.5 !important;color:#7a8799 !important;margin-top:-8px !important\">\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/the-internet-of-agricultural-things-the-smartification-of-farming-is-underway\/\" style=\"color:#7a8799 !important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px\">The Internet of (agricultural) Things: the smartification of farming is underway<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"downsides-of-autonomous-farming-machines\">Downsides of autonomous farming machines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For all the benefits autonomous farming machines and retrofitting kits may offer, there are various downsides that need to be considered as well. One of the disadvantages is legal liability. As autonomous tractors will be working in public areas, unlike factory robots, there\u2019s always a chance of a malfunctioning machine rolling off the farm and causing damage, or - far worse - injuring animals or people. In such cases, who will be held accountable? The farmer who failed to keep an eye on the tractor? The manufacturer of the autonomous machine? The company that provided the retrofit kit? Extra safety measures, such as a human rider, barriers and signage around areas where autonomous machines will be operating, and easily accessible off switches may be beneficial for high value farms with biotech pharmacy crops. But for bulk commodities, the additional costs would make autonomous farm equipment a far less attractive route to go.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artificial intelligence and autonomy could also lead to farmers ultimately having less control over their operations and becoming increasingly reliant on the equipment providers, especially in the case of Robot-as-a-service platforms. It will also diminish their ability to control their own farming operations, as relying on algorithms and apps will mean farmers themselves will do less analysing and make fewer important decisions based on their own insights. Greg Meyers, Chief Information and Data Officer at Syngenta, one of the world&#8217;s leading agriculture companies, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20211208151645\/https:\/\/www.roboticsbusinessreview.com\/opinion\/farming-with-driverless-tractors-is-it-possible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">says<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s important to point out that farmers are very different than consumers because they only have 40 times in their lifetime to get it right and to make a living and to pass along the farm, so they\u2019re not going to take a lot of risk on things that are unproven. I think until there\u2019s trust around how these algorithms work, and they can demonstrate success on their particular field, it will take a while for them to be willing to take the production risks associated with relying on computers and algorithms to make decisions for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then there\u2019s the gathering of data that takes place during autonomous operations, which is important for fine tuning the algorithms and enhancing equipment performance, and provides farmers with important insights that will help them optimise their operations. The potential danger, however, is that this data will become so valuable that the autonomous tractor suppliers or RaaS platform providers may ultimately start charging the farmers for access to this information. But do they own this data or does the farmer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"rules-and-regulation-for-autonomous-tractors\">Rules and regulation for autonomous tractors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regulation is catching up with the technology. In the European Union, the new <a href=\"https:\/\/single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu\/sectors\/mechanical-engineering\/machinery_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023\/1230<\/a> applies on a mandatory basis from 20 January 2027. According to the European Commission, it integrates provisions for machinery with AI-powered safety functions and for the cyber-safety of software and safety control systems. That matters for autonomous tractors and field robots, which depend on software to see, decide and stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond the rulebook, the barriers are practical. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/newsroom\/detail\/FAO-state-of-food-and-agriculture--SOFA-2022-automation-agrifood-systems\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FAO warns<\/a> that limited rural infrastructure, such as connectivity and electricity, hinders the spread of digital automation, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and that uneven adoption can deepen inequalities if small-scale producers are left out. For farmers and agribusinesses, the question is therefore less whether autonomous farming will arrive and more which tasks to automate first, and on what terms. Richard van Hooijdonk discusses these choices in his <a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/ai-and-the-future-of-agriculture\">keynote on AI and the future of agriculture<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rvh-zie wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px !important;line-height:1.5 !important;color:#7a8799 !important;margin-top:-8px !important\">\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/four-ways-in-which-ai-can-help-make-agriculture-more-sustainable\/\" style=\"color:#7a8799 !important;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px\">Four ways in which AI can help make agriculture more sustainable<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-closing\">In closing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The food security challenge is an issue facing all of humanity, which has motivated companies like John Deere and others to develop technologies that will help stabilise the world\u2019s food supply in years ahead. In the coming years, we expect farming to be increasingly transformed by self-driving tractors and other sophisticated machines that can perform much of the work currently done by humans, a step towards the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/the-fully-automated-farm-of-the-future-requires-no-human-hands-at-all\/\">fully automated farm<\/a>. Autonomous tractors offer the flexibility, speed, consistency, and precision needed to perform a variety of tasks and applications. They can operate 24 hours a day, save lots of time, and help agribusinesses increase their production and profit margins. Self-driving tractors are widely seen as part of the future of agriculture, although the closure of Monarch Tractor shows that commercial success is far from guaranteed. And agribusinesses that want to stay ahead of the competition, lower their operational costs, and increase profits will need to start deploying self-driving farming machinery. In the near future, combining cutting-edge technologies with farmers\u2019 knowledge and wisdom will drastically change the way we farm and ensure that people all over the world will reap the benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Autonomous tractors are already at work on farms: John Deere sells a self-driving 8R tractor and upgrade kits, Yanmar offers robot tractors, and retrofit kits can turn existing tractors into driverless ones. The pressure to automate is growing, as the United Nations expects the world population to rise from 8.2 billion in 2024 to around [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":74631,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2860],"tags":[],"article-type":[],"trends":[5488],"class_list":["post-74630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","trends-autonomous-vehicles-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74630"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82925,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74630\/revisions\/82925"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74630"},{"taxonomy":"article-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article-type?post=74630"},{"taxonomy":"trends","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trends?post=74630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}