The use of artificial intelligence and the internet of things and the acceptance of cutting-edge technologies in farming activities have paved the way for the huge demand for autonomous tractors. With agricultural technology and farming practices undergoing drastic change, farmers are re-inventing their entire farming operations by adding of autonomous tractors to their agricultural equipment arsenal. The Industrial 4.0 revolution has touted a new revolution in the farming equipment industry and the autonomous tractor is one of them. Sustainable farming trends will boost product penetration in the agriculture industry. As per the California Farm Bureau survey, routine labor-intensive farming activities are carried out by farmers on two-thirds of farms in California. However, the use of autonomous tractors for performing these routine labor-intensive farming activities will help farmers focus on other core agricultural activities. According to the Allied Market Research report, the global autonomous tractor market is estimated to generate $11,588.8 million by 2030. Following are some of the activities taking place across the autonomous tractor industry.
New product launches have lucratively influenced the growth of a plethora of industries and the autonomous tractor industry is no exception to this. John Deere, the farming equipment manufacturing firm, has launched a new autonomous tractor referred to as the Deere 8R tractor. The strategic move is predicted to boost the growth of precision farming along with increasing crop production. Moreover, Yanmar Co., Ltd., a Japanese heavy and agricultural equipment manufacturer, launched a new autonomous tractor referred to as YT5113A Robot Tractor. Reportedly, the new product will strengthen the industrial farm equipment line of the firm. The strategic initiative is aimed at improving farm management efficiency along with minimizing labor costs.
Future of farming and autonomous equipment importance
The agricultural sector is projected to experience a dramatic transformation in the next few years. Moreover, drone technology, artificial intelligence, and connected things have found massive applications in farming. This has prompted players in the agriculture equipment manufacturing market to manufacture autonomous tractors that can be used in farming activities to improve crop quality and yield. A rise in population has resulted in huge demand for food and this has translated into the massive need for use of autonomous vehicles as well as autonomous equipment in farming.
Furthermore, there is a prominent surge in automation trends witnessed across various verticals including farming. AI-powered autonomous tractors are likely to prove beneficial for the agriculture sector owing to their ability to deliver data seamlessly to computer-controlled irrigation equipment. This will facilitate the optimization of irrigation facilities for farming activities. Let us discuss some of the trends witnessed across the globe.
The acquisition strategy has played a major role for industry players to increase their product offerings along with enabling product innovations. Fielding, a smart farming operations management firm, acquired Midnight Robotics, a manufacturer of autonomous driving technology for agricultural robotics applications. The strategic move will enable the production of retrofit kits that will help Fieldin transform any tractor into an autonomous tractor.
The launching of new technologies is also predicted to play a key role in the expansion of business for industry players. Blue White Robotics’ Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) tool introduced a new autonomous tractor kit that has the ability to convert any tractor into a fully autonomous one. The initiative is aimed at enhancing farm output, delivering precision in farming activities, and ensuring farmer safety.
