The future of farming will be filled with
autonomous electric tractors silently plowing in fields, according to Kubota, a
Japanese tractor maker, which celebrated its 130th anniversary with the reveal
of the smart X Tractor concept.
The Kubota X Tractor debuted at an
exhibition in Kyoto City, Japan this month providing a glimpse at the future of
farming. A completely autonomous tractor fitted with artificial intelligence
and an electric powertrain with in-wheel motors and a combination of
lithium-ion batteries and solar batteries.
Kubota claims to be one of the first
companies to introduce smart technologies into the farming business, aiming to
tackle modern farmer issues such as labor shortage and low operating
efficiency. According to the Japanese company, their latest robot tractor
concept can drive itself on uneven terrains thanks its crawlers and can alter
its height depending on the conditions. If more traction is required, the
tractor would lower itself to bring down the center of gravity while when
operating above crops, it can increase its height and therefore its ground
clearance.
The in-wheel motors of the electric
powertrain make it possible to momentarily change the speed of the four
crawlers in order to decrease the autonomous tractor’s turning radius, making
it easier to maneuver on different types of land. While we tend to focus on
passenger vehicles, autonomous driving technologies are expected to transform
many sectors across the industry, including trucking, construction and of
course farming.
