The Future of Farming: John Deere’s Second-gen Autonomous Tractor Technology To Tackle Large-Scale Agriculture Challenges
IN CES 2022, John Deere introduced fully autonomous tractor 8Rintended for soil cultivation. This marked a shift towards increased automation in agriculture to address labor shortages and improve efficiency. The 8R tractor is equipped with advanced technologies such as GPS guidance and stereo cameras that allow you to detect obstacles in 360 degrees and accurately navigate the field. Farmers can monitor and control the tractor remotely through the John Deere Operations Center mobile app, reducing the need for manual intervention during critical farming periods.
A John Deere 9RX autonomous tractor for large-scale agriculture operates autonomously in a Gilroy field. Powered by a second generation standalone kit: 16 cameras and a new VPU.
Plans to expand autonomous vehicles by 2030
John Deere plans to expand its autonomous offerings, with plans to have a fleet of autonomous equipment for corn and soybeans by 2030. This park will cover a variety of tasks from tillage and planting to spraying and harvesting. To achieve this goal, the company equips its 8R and 9R tractors with offline-ready option packages. These packages provide the necessary hardware and software, allowing future upgrades to full autonomy as technology advances.
IN CES 2025besides Autonomous 9RX tractor for large-scale agriculture, John Deere announced three more vehicles equipped with second-generation autonomous technology, including Autonomous diesel garden tractor, Battery-powered electric lawn mower for commercial landscapeg and a 460 P-Tier Autonomous Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) for Quarry Applications.
Addressing labor shortages in agriculture through autonomy
The agricultural sector expects Employment decline of 2 percent from 2023 to 2033. At the same time One farm in the United States feeds about 169 people each year, both domestically and internationally.. As the world’s population grows, farmers will need to increase grain production by nearly 1 billion tons and meat production by more than 200 million tons each year. Deere’s autonomous technology solves these problems by optimizing productivity and minimizing reliance on seasonal labor.
Autonomous technology solves the problem of labor shortages, which peak during planting and harvesting periods. During these critical periods, which may last as little as five to fifteen days, the demand for labor may increase two to three times. By automating tasks, John Deere allows equipment to operate independently, ensuring farm operations are completed on time without additional labor.
Second generation autonomy kit introduced KES 2025
IN CES 2025John Deere presented its Second generation autonomy kit designed for large-scale agricultural work primarily used in the Midwest for corn and soybean production. This system includes 16 cameras located in blocks around the tractor, providing a 360-degree view of the surrounding environment.. These advances improve perception and safety while supporting large-scale tillage and planting operations.
the new system combines 16 triple-overlapping cameras for improved depth perception and 360-degree views.
Based on feedback from farmers, Second generation system provides improvements in flexibility and performance. This technology is compatible with the largest John Deere tractors, including the 9RX track and 8 Series wheeled models. These tractors are typically used to grow corn and soybeans in the Midwest, where labor shortages are most severe during planting and harvest seasons.
Feedback from the first deployment of autonomous tractors shaped the design of the second generation system. Farmers reported increased productivity and reduced labor costs, especially during peak seasons. The second-generation system expands field of view and depth perception while increasing processing speed, ensuring autonomous tractors can adapt to a wide range of plow configurations.
Key stages of the agricultural season
The corn or soybean growing season usually begins with soil preparationfollowed by planting, plant protectionAnd harvest. Tillage, the first autonomous operation introduced by Deere, prepares fields for planting.. Planting must occur at a limited time to maximize yield, often limited by weather and soil conditions. Fertilizers and protection products are applied after planting, sometimes in difficult weather conditions. Harvesting, the final stage, requires multiple operators to operate combines, grain trucks and vehicles. Autonomy streamlines these operations, reducing labor requirements, especially during planting and harvesting.
John Deere Technology Stack
John Deere’s autonomous farming system is supported by a comprehensive suite of technologies including planning, execution and monitoring. Farmers create work plans through the Operations Center web interface, which is synchronized with field equipment. Data collected during operations is analyzed to refine future strategies, improve productivity and yields.
Key technologies include 4G connectivity, Starlink will soon follow, GPS receivers, camera array, image processing unit (VPU) and advanced displays that drive navigation and control algorithms.
Remote control and monitoring
Starting in 2022, John Deere tractors can be controlled from mobile devices. allowing farm managers to monitor operations remotely. The latest version of the autonomy kit introduces camera arrays to improve depth perception and correct errors.. Starfire GPS Receiver located on the roof receives updates every 200ms With centimeter accuracy. This allows automated steering and guidance system (AutoTrac Navigation)which is also available in not fully autonomous tractors. A rugged image processing unit (VPU) withstands harsh agricultural conditions, improving local perception and safety. In addition, the autonomy kit can be installed on existing tractors, increasing accessibility.
Improved perception and security with 16 cameras and new VPU
The imaging unit at the rear of the 9RX tractor has four cameras, with four cameras located on each side of the cab.
Perception and safety are integral to off-grid farming. The second-generation system has 16 cameras, up from 12 in the previous version.
These cameras, located along the cockpit, now provide a triple-overlapping 360-degree field of view, improving object detection and depth perception. The system can detect obstacles at a distance of 25 meters and further, depending on the equipment configuration, ensuring sufficient braking distance and operational safety.
The previous generation had only six pairs of traditional stereoscopic cameras located at the front and rear of the tractor with minimal overlap. According to Willie Pell, CEO of Blue River Technology, the main improvement was the transformation of the previous generation into “mechanical intelligence to software intelligence“
Located at the rear of the roof, the new rugged GPU, developed by Blue River Technology, features faster Nvidia Orin processors. It processes visual data captured by 16 cameras and makes operational decisions. This allows the tractor to recognize and respond to obstacles such as people, vehicles and large rocks, increasing safety in the field. According to the company, the new computer vision installation increased speed by 40%, reaching a maximum tillage speed of up to 12 mph.
Farmers can choose their level of participation by monitoring live video feeds or receiving notifications once a task is completed.
John Deere acquired Blue River Technology in 2017. implement machine learning in your agricultural machinery.
Four cameras are located at the front at the top.
Filed in . Read more about AI (artificial intelligence), Autonomous driving, Computer vision And Robotics.
2025-01-06 18:30:19