The Future of Farming: John Deere’s Second-gen Autonomous Tractor Technology To Tackle Large-Scale Agriculture Challenges

At CES 2022, John Deere introduced the fully autonomous 8R tractor, designed for tillage operations. This marked a shift towards increasing automation in agriculture, aimed at addressing labor shortages and enhancing efficiency. The 8R tractor features advanced technologies such as GPS guidance and stereo cameras, allowing for 360-degree obstacle detection and precise navigation in the field. Farmers can monitor and operate the tractor remotely through the John Deere Operations Center mobile app, reducing the need for manual intervention during critical farming periods.

Expansion Plans for Autonomous Machinery by 2030

John Deere plans to expand its autonomous offerings, targeting an entire fleet of autonomous machinery for corn and soybeans by 2030. This fleet will cover tasks ranging from tillage and planting to spraying and harvesting. To support this goal, the company is outfitting its 8R and 9R tractors with autonomy-ready option packages. These packages provide the necessary hardware and software, enabling future upgrades to full autonomy as technology progresses.

At CES 2025, besides the Autonomous 9RX Tractor For Large Scale Agriculture, John Deere announced three other vehicles powered by its second-gen autonomous technology, including an Autonomous Diesel Orchard Tractor, an Autonomous Battery Electric Mower for Commercial Landscaping, and a 460 P-Tier Autonomous Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) for Quarry Operations.

Addressing Agricultural Labor Shortages Through Autonomy

The agricultural sector anticipates a 2 percent decline in employment from 2023 to 2033. Concurrently, a single U.S. farm feeds approximately 169 people annually, both domestically and abroad. As the global population grows, farmers will need to increase grain production by nearly 1 billion tons and meat production by over 200 million tons each year. Deere’s autonomous technology addresses these challenges by optimizing productivity and minimizing reliance on seasonal labor.

Autonomous technology addresses labor shortages that peak during planting and harvest periods. Labor demands can increase by two to three times during these critical windows, which may last only five to fifteen days. By automating tasks, John Deere enables equipment to operate independently, ensuring timely completion of farming operations without additional labor.

Second-Generation Autonomy Kit Unveiled at CES 2025

At CES 2025, John Deere introduced its second-generation autonomy kit, designed for large-scale agricultural operations primarily used in the Midwest for corn and soybean production. This system features 16 cameras arranged in pods around the tractor, providing a 360-degree view of the surrounding environment. These advancements enhance perception and safety, supporting large-scale tillage and planting operations.

Building upon feedback from farmers, the second-generation system introduces improvements in flexibility and performance. The technology is compatible with John Deere’s largest tractors, including the 9RX with tracks and the 8-series with wheels. These tractors are commonly used for corn and soybean production in the Midwest, where labor shortages are most acute during planting and harvesting seasons.

Feedback from the initial deployment of autonomous tractors shaped the design of the second-generation system. Farmers reported increased productivity and reduced labor costs, particularly during peak seasons. The second-generation system expands the field of view and depth perception while increasing the processing speed, ensuring autonomous tractors can adapt to a broad range of plow configurations.

Key Stages of the Farming Season

A corn or soy farming season typically starts with soil preparation, followed by planting, crop protection, and harvesting. Tillage, the first autonomous operation introduced by Deere, prepares fields for planting. Planting must occur within a limited window to maximize yields, often constrained by weather and soil conditions. Fertilizers and protectants are applied following planting, sometimes under challenging weather conditions. Harvesting, the final stage, requires multiple operators to manage combines, grain carts, and transport vehicles. Autonomy streamlines these operations, reducing labor requirements, specifically during planting and harvesting.

John Deere’s Technology Stack

 

John Deere’s autonomous farming system is supported by a comprehensive technology stack involving planning, execution, and monitoring. Farmers create work plans through the Operations Center web interface, which syncs with field equipment. Data collected during operations is analyzed to refine future strategies, enhancing productivity and crop yields.

Essential technologies include 4G connectivity, with Starlink soon to follow, GPS receivers, a camera array, a Vision Processing Unit (VPU), and advanced displays that manage navigation and control algorithms.

Remote Operation and Monitoring

 

Since 2022, John Deere tractors have been operable from mobile devices, allowing farm managers to oversee operations remotely. The autonomy kit’s latest iteration introduces camera arrays for enhanced depth perception and error correction. The Starfire GPS receiver located on the roof gets updates every 200 ms with precision to the centimeter range. It enables an automated steering and guidance system (AutoTrac Navigation), which is also available in non-fully autonomous tractors. A rugged Vision Processing Unit (VPU) withstands harsh agricultural environments, enhancing perception and field safety. Additionally, the autonomy kit can be retrofitted to existing tractors, increasing accessibility.

Enhancing Perception and Safety With 16 Cameras And the New Vision Processing Unit (VPU)

Perception and safety are integral to autonomous farming. The second-generation system features 16 cameras, up from 12 in the previous version.
Positioned along the cab, these cameras now provide a triple-overlapping 360-degree field of view, improving object detection and depth perception. The system can detect obstacles 25 meters away and beyond depending on the machinery configuration, ensuring sufficient stopping distance and operational safety.

The previous generation had only six pairs of traditional stereoscopic cameras positioned at the front and rear of the tractor with minimal overlapping. According to Willy Pell, CEO of Blue River Technology, the main improvement was turning the previous generation’s “mechanical intelligence into software intelligence.”

Located at the rear of the roof, the new ruggedized VPU, designed by Blue River Technology, is equipped with faster Nvidia Orin processors. It processes visual data captured by the 16 cameras and makes operational decisions. This allows the tractor to identify and respond to obstacles like humans, vehicles, and large rocks, enhancing field safety. According to the company, the new computer vision setup increased the speed by 40%, with a maximum of 12 miles per hour for tillage.

Farmers can choose their level of engagement by either monitoring live video feeds or receiving notifications upon task completion.

John Deere acquired Blue River Technology in 2017 to implement machine learning in its agriculture machinery.

 

 

Eliane Fiolet
Categories: Robots, Transportation
Tags: Agritech, AI (Artificial Intelligence), autonomous driving, computer vision, john deere, Robotics, tractor