Pioneering Unmanned Tractor Revealed at CES 2024

Doosan Bobcat has revealed what is claimed to be the world’s first autonomous and electric articulating tractor at CES.

The company, part of South Korea’s massive Doosan conglomerate, developed the tractor in partnership with Silicon Valley agricultural tech company Agtonomy.

The battery-powered AT450X sees a Bobcat tractor paired with Agtonomy’s TeleFarmer software and embedded computing tech to provide emissions-free autonomous functionality.

The AT450X is claimed to work particularly well in compact areas, such as orchards or vineyards.

Among the tasks farmers can remotely direct it to do are mowing, weeding, spraying and transportation of other products and materials. 

This focus on labor-intensive work is designed to free up time for farming staff to concentrate on more important jobs.

Furthermore, the AT450X uses AI to learn its environment and adapt accordingly – in a scenario, for example, where it detects an unknown object, it has the capacity to stop automatically.

It brings other benefits, too. Because it operates autonomously, the tractor can work around the clock, only ever having to stop when its power is low for a battery change.

And because it does not produce any emissions, it can be deployed in food storage areas and other enclosed facilities on farms.

Related:Doosan Clean Energy, Autonomous Tech on Display at CES 2024

To operate, users plan the tractor’s route at the outset, via the Agtonomy app. This allows them to direct an unlimited number of connected machines simultaneously.

And although the AGT450X is perfectly comfortable operating autonomously, there is no obligation for it to do so. It can also be directed by advanced voice control, or even manually.

“By digitally transforming the equipment farmers know and trust, we can help them combat the daily challenges they face, such as labor constraints and the ever-increasing demand for sustainable farming practices in specialty crops,” said Tim Bucher, CEO and co-founder of Agtonomy.

Joel Honeyman of Doosan Bobcat added: “As we innovate for the worksites of tomorrow, solutions like the AT450X will help make farming more sustainable and efficient through digital advancements.”   

The firms said commercialization details would follow in due course. And there could be more intriguing products to come as a result of the tie-up, with the pair admitting they are collaborating on other equipment.

Doosan Bobcat also used CES to display its second-generation autonomous electric cab-less RogueX2 loader, which is capable of operating in areas previously considered off-limits.