The Future of Autonomous Tractors

The Robot Report Podcast · 13 Aug 2021 · 44m

What this episode covers

Dan Leibfried, Director of Autonomy and Automation at John Deere, and Igino Cafiero, Co-founder & CEO of Bear Flag Robotics, discuss John Deere's $250 million acquisition of Bear Flag. They explain how Bear Flag's retrofit autonomy stack, using sensors like LiDAR and RTK GPS, addresses agricultural labor shortages by automating tillage on existing John Deere tractors. The conversation covers the roadmap from retrofit kits to factory-integrated autonomous platforms, the role of smart implements, and the broader trend of consolidation in the robotics industry.

Mentioned

Companies
John Deere, Bear Flag Robotics, Blue River Technology, ABB, Fetch Robotics, Universal Robots, Ghost Robotics, Path Robotics
Products
ExactEmerge
Chips
LiDAR, RTK GPS

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