The end of "seat time"?

[Bendboater]

Not sure if this has been shared elsewhere on this site, but here goes:

Is this autonomous tractor the future of farming?

 

[TnAndy]

Technology marches on. Round balers came into being to cut out the labor of handling square bales (or you just can't FIND labor)....though there are still a heck of a lot of square bales put up every year. Tractors themselves were a shift from horses/mules.....one medium sized tractor can out work many teams/drivers of horse plows. So, yeah, no doubt autonomous tractors will have a role in the future. I'd love to see one that can work 10 hrs on a 5 hour charge.....that sounds sorta optimistic I think.

 

[Thomas]

Check out...Ask tractor Mike on youtube segment.

 

[user.69169]

You look around little bit you can find ancient film of International Harvester runnin tractor around by radio. No mention of who chases tractor and bring back when a tube blew tho.

Look little farther you can find video of man at desk running 5 CAT graders keeping pit mine haul roads graded proper for trucks to drive on. Cab of grader got no steering wheel or other man operated controls. Computer driven grader cheaper to buy and cheaper to run widout man driving.

Farm tractor little different. Operates best wid farmer in seat who can see. hear and adjust. Even autosteer not meeting projected goals wid man riding along watching his plastic hand addiction.

 

[Jstpssng]

It will be much longer before we homeowners degrade to that. By then there will be a videogame out to simulate actually accomplishing something.

 

[/pine]

The term (seat time) is a term of endearment when expressed by most anyone when referring to other than commercial tractors and equipment...it's basically something they enjoy...why would they choose to give it up?...

 

[drssg]

Large scale traditional farmers are already using a fair amount of automation. Steering can be automatically controlled to ensure each swipe is properly lined up with the previous one. Fertilizer can automatically be applied in the proper quantity, based on the varying soil condition. It wouldn't be too big of a leap to allow periods of driverless operation, if the cost and demand was right.

As for battery-operated tractors, I don't see them replacing large diesel tractors, due to power limitations.

 

[user.69169]

I know for sure lot of women givin vacuum cleaner job to boomba so dey can get more seat time on couch.

You swing by Walmart you see lot of dem look like dey ain't been off seat much in whole life.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I know for sure lot of women givin vacuum cleaner job to boomba so dey can get more seat time on couch.

You swing by Walmart you see lot of dem look like dey ain't been off seat much in whole life.

Now that... I understood. :laughing:

 

[Jstpssng]

Now that... I understood. :laughing:

Yes, and unfortunately he's right.

 

[Fuddy1952]

This

 

[Jstpssng]

ThisView attachment 681182

You need to post a warning before showing things like this. I had been looking forward to a good roast pork dinner... now my appetite is gone.

 

[user.69169]

I be darned. Critterridin a floor suckin machhine wid dual dust bags.

Look like little flow adjustment needed on dem bags,

Wonder do dat machine fit thru standard door or she need doublewide?

Usta be polite folk called dat a glandular problem.

Wonder how many acres good bottom land her daddy had to put in her dowry get her off his vittle bill? Sure don't need loaded tires fer traction.

Probably half hour show in de parkin lot watchin she oozes out of electric earth friendly car onto dat floor machine.

 

[TheMan419]

I wouldn稚 see the autonomous tractor replacing the scut any time soon. First automation will be for row crop work where there is just a big open field. An extension of auto steer basically.

Now an electric tractor would likely be a good option for a small operation. We cleaned horse stalls today. Clocked maybe a half hour on the engine. So electric would have been fine. Not so much for the farmer who runs 18 hrs a day during season.

 

[Citydude]

It will be much longer before we homeowners degrade to that. By then there will be a videogame out to simulate actually accomplishing something.

 

[bunyip]

Laser graders made life easier.

 

[duramaxsky]

ThisView attachment 681182

Now I have to gouge my eyes out.

 

[the old grind]

We'll all have self-driving cars before you know it, but tractor makers are so far behind the times as it is.

They're still selling them w/o radio and AC as std equipment.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We'll all have self-driving cars before you know it, but tractor makers are so far behind the times as it is.

They're still selling them w/o radio and AC as std equipment.

All of the farm equipment I operated was before CABS; let alone radio and A/C. Automated tractors and farm equipment may be the wave of the future for the corporate farmer, but being retired, nothing will take the place of my X350 on my acreage...and nothing can replace the seat time to calm the wild breast, solve life's little trials and tribulations and fend of life's slings and arrows. Which brings up another thought:

If you have, or ever have had, an administrative or supervisory position, you will probably recognize what I'm talking about. It's one thing to spend every day, week , month and year doing work that provides little immediate satisfaction and maybe results cannot be seen for months or years. When you plow a field or put up hay, you can see the job ahead of you, you can see your progress, and you can see what you have accomplished and take some satisfaction. Before my retirement, there were a couple years there when spending a week end and evenings in the yard and garden was my way of being in control, doing a job and taking some pride in its completion.

 

[Popgadget]

Keep in mind that autonomous or remote controls machinery isn’t necessarily electric powered.
A laser leveled dozer or grader blade is a good example of applying technology to diesel powered machinery.