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Driverless tractor featured at June 12 field dayDriverless tractor featured at June 12 field day

Autonomous tractor system uses standard implements farmers already own

Todd Fitchette, Associate Editor

May 15, 2019

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Connor Kingman developed the autonomous tractor system in partnership with California farmer Ted Sheely. Kingman is a mechanical engineering graduate from University of California, Irvine.Todd Fitchette

Connor Kingman's idea for a driverless tractor system started with a boat he sailed autonomously to an island 32 miles off the California coast. Now he pilots driverless tractors in a Central California wine grape vineyard as he eyes a similar system in pistachios.

Kingman's partner in the technology is Ted Sheely, owner of Azcal Management and a forward-thinking grower of diversified crops in California and Arizona. Sheely hopes to one-day commerically market the technology.

The system uses cameras plus light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology to navigate. Kingman says the LIDAR will someday be discontinued as the camera navigation is perfected.

Sheely would also like to see the cameras serve as a means to collect data on plant health, including pest infestations. He also wants to use the system to predict yield based on crop load. Kingman is confident that as this system is developed, yields can be predicted to within 5 percent based on what the camera and software "sees."

The system will be demonstrated at a field day on June 12, starting at 10 a.m. at Azcal Management, 28088 Avenal Cutoff Rd., Stratford, Calif. Sheely intends to have six of the autonomous tractors running at the field day.

 

About the Author

Todd Fitchette

Associate Editor, Western Farm Press

Todd Fitchette is the associate editor for Western Farm Press. He began his journalism career in community newspapers in California, where he quickly earned top honors from the National Newspaper Association for his photography.

Much of his journalism career has been spent writing about agricultural issues in the western United States, writing relevant stories for large herd dairy producers, covering agronomic topics on a variety of specialty crops, and covering public policy issues centered primarily on labor and water issues. He has repeatedly been honored by the Fresno County Farm Bureau for his coverage of agricultural issues in California.

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