By combining GPS with sophisticated control technology, Fendt can yoke moving machinery together like great-grandfather yoked his oxen. As the operator steers the tractor he’s in, a driverless tractor moves in step. We take our partners for this Gold Medal-winning waltz
IFor as long as we’ve had tractors, men have schemed how to oust the operator. Well, now it’s on the point of happening: Fendt says that by the end of 2012, it hopes to put a limited number of driverless slave tractors to work on farms.
In principle there’s not much witchcraft involved — at least, not much that you can see. All that’s needed are two 900 Vario tractors, each with Fendt’s optional Vario-Guide RTK-based auto-steer and the new GuideConnect bits ‘n’ bobs. Communication between the tractors is via a 2.4GHz wireless link.
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