High-efficiency farming is the new normal, according to Jim Walker, vice president of Case IH North America.
He told Brownfield the need innovation continues, but farmers need productivity more than anything.
Following the unveiling of the Case IH Autonomous Concept Vehicle at the 2016 Farm Progress Show, he told Brownfield “it’s the right time, the right economy, and the right solution as labor gets harder to find and producers want to operate longer stretches and more acres.”
Using radar, LiDAR (light imaging, detection, and ranging) and onboard video cameras, the autonomous vehicle senses stationary or moving obstacles in its path and will stop on its own until the operator, notified by audio and visual alerts, assigns a new path.
Walker believes vegetable producers will be early adopters but expects Midwest farmers to accept the concept and put it to use in crop fields in coming years.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com