Tractor “Swarms” Ready To Take Over Farm Fields

Tractor “Swarms” Ready To Take Over Farm Fields TRACTORS Miscellaneous Zack James is ready to send a swarm of small driverless tractors into the fields His Rabbit Tractor can carry a 500-lb payload on its battery-powered computer-controlled platform while floating across the ground at less than 5 psi     “That’s less down pressure than a man walking ” notes James “This year we could have been planting all through May All those fields that couldn’t be planted with large conventional equipment this spring could have been planted with a swarm of Rabbit Tractors ”     At a price point of $15 000 to $20 000 James suggests that a farmer and his soil would be much better off with 20 of them than one $400 000 tractor If one Rabbit Tractor breaks down 19 continue working If that one big tractor has a problem fieldwork stops     “If you look at the comparison on a production basis such as acres per hour in the field we will be comparable to existing equipment ” says James “However agronomic and logistical benefits are where the added value comes in ”     The Rabbit Tractors are 4-WD with 4-wheel independent steering and a top speed of 7 mph They use a combination of sensors computer vision and radar to recognize obstacles and use a living field map to learn the field     “We create a field map and use it to introduce the machine to the field as it travels slowly across the field learning elevations obstacles wet spots and more ” says James “Every time it crosses the field it gets smarter and can travel faster ”     The ability of the machine to learn and respond means that if a person steps in its path the machine recognizes it is a human and either stops or goes around Because it was a person it doesn’t add it to the field map as a permanent object     While the prototype is a rectangular platform the next prototype will be a split unit with front and back modules and a workstation in the center James is developing implements to ride on the workstation     “This fall we will have a soil sampling machine and a corn replanter/cover crop seeder ” says James “We’ll be doing field testing and plot work this fall By next spring we plan to have 20 units in the field ”     He indicates several large companies are interested in the concept and will be field testing Rabbit Tractors this fall If satisfied field tests will continue next year A number of farmers will also be leasing Rabbit Tractors for in-field work     “We are working with an Indiana farmer to seed cover crops in 40-in row corn in August ” says James “The Rabbit Tractor will be able to travel under the canopy to seed the cover crops ”     James sees Rabbit Tractors as ideal for beginning farmers as well as for small and large farmers “From a capital expenditure standpoint swarm farming is the only way to go ” he says “You’ll be able to start with a smaller acreage and add equipment to the swarm as you add acres ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Rabbit Tractors 11503 W 131st Place Cedar Lake Ind 46303 ph 219 776-9545; zack@rabbittractors com; www rabbittractors com

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