Internet of Things (IoT) and AI-powered technology has enabled many new innovations, and improved productivity in almost every industry. Add farming to that list, at least in India as heavy vehicles maker Escorts has unveiled a “connected” and autonomous tractor which should allow farmers to make smarter choices and enable more precise farming to eliminate loss due to negligence.
The smart tractor has sensors which study the health of the agricultural land and conserve water by managing it judiciously. It is also equipped with advanced tools to facilitate smart and modern agriculture techniques.
Reliance Jio has been brought on board as a communication partner, while Microsoft is expected to prepare a software backbone for the execution. Apart from this, Escorts has also partnered with AVL, BOSCH, Samvardhana Motherson Group, Trimble, and WABCO for developing various parts of the tractor, and this conglomerate is likely to collaborate further for developing other connected devices and machinery required for farming.
The tractor also features a voice assistant which can be used to get information in real-time.
Besides the tractor, the group of companies is also looking into the applications of IoT in the areas of remote vehicles management, electric transmissions for heavy vehicles, as well as for managing big data related to soil quality and crop yield.
From Microsoft, Escorts is borrowing the expertise of cloud and artificial intelligence to inform farmers about weather conditions and help them make better decisions to improve their production and preserve the fertility of the soil.
The company will allow owners of the autonomous tractor to lease it to others on a short-term basis using a platform called “Traxi”. Escorts itself will also be leasing smart equipment on a pay-per-use basis.
Meanwhile, this tractor is still in its concept phase and we can expect to see a working model in the next few years, as rural India’s internet consumption.
Featured Image: Mint
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