simon boy

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Robot tractors can enable a future with healthier food and higher yielding crops, reduced fuel consumption, fewer hours spent toiling in the fields, and more efficient use of expensive fertilizer and seed.

It's already happening in many of our nation's fields today, where technology is helping farmers "cultivate and nurture their crops in square feet instead of acres," explains Kevin Depies of Ritchie Implement Company. "The [planting] technology is accurate to within an inch, which really improves crop yield and the bottom line."

Rows can be planted closer together, fertilizer gets dispensed directly—and only—under the seed, and overspray/overplanting is eliminated. "You can plant the perfect field in less time, using less labor, and being much more efficient with your fertilizer and seed," notes Dennis Smith, owner of Smith Childs Farms, Inc. During prime planting season, you can even see farmers working during the night hours without worrying about available light, because sensors on the tractors can "see" quite clearly in the dark.

HOW INTEL PLAYED A PART

Can it get better? "Absolutely," says Smith. "This technology is just in its infancy. What's coming next will change everything." He's talking about a new generation of wirelessly connected robot tractors powered by Intel® processors. Several of these smaller, more agile tractors can work a field at one time, controlled by a farmer sitting at his desk. They use GPS navigation equipment, onboard sensors and a series of complex algorithms while sampling the soil and dispensing the precise amount of seed and fertilizer needed to yield the most abundant harvest.

And computer-aided farm management also determines the best conditions for planting, watering, fertilizing, and harvesting so that every farm puts out larger, healthier crops. So you pay less at checkout time, more people get fed, and more farmers can prosper.