Farmers are looking to do more with less available resources. With the pressure to produce more to sustain a growing world population, farming today is driven by efficiency. Rising input costs and labor constraints in today’s market cause technology to play a critical role in saving resources and maximizing every minute in the field.

Autonomy is the ultimate solution to the productivity problems that farmers are facing since it allows them to reallocate labor resources to cover more acres in a day with less errors. However, there are a lot of variables to manage in each operation, making “robot farming” challenging. Raven, a brand of CNH Industrial, specializes in developing cutting-edge innovation that solves farming’s complex challenges. Recognizing the complexity of full farm automation, the company is committed to helping farmers progress on what it calls the “Path to Autonomy.”

What is the Path to Autonomy?

The Path to Autonomy is a journey that farmers undertake to gain efficiencies, save time, and increase yields by incorporating stages of precision technology into their operations. To explain why autonomy in agriculture is labeled as a “path” and not an “on/off switch,” it is helpful to compare driverless farming implements to driverless cars.

A sprayer is far more complex than a car. Can you imagine driving your car, but with two 20-foot arms extending from the sides — on the narrowest country road? This is like the experience of driving a sprayer in a field — it’s a lot to manage. This is why technology that takes care of even one of those many variables — for example, VSN® Visual Guidance, which automatically keeps the sprayer aligned with its crop rows — is tremendously helpful for an operator.

Driverless farming implements, therefore, require more than driverless cars — in addition to AI-based perception and propulsion, the machine needs to monitor chemical applications, GPS-based guidance (with sub-inch precision), and more. There’s simply too much to manage manually — which is why full “robot” agriculture doesn’t practically exist today. However, for it to exist in the future, it needs to be built on the foundation of precision. Raven has been a leader in precision agriculture technologies for over four decades and continues to build on this leadership — integrating technologies to simplify farming operations and to make them more autonomous.

A fully autonomous, or driverless, solution for farmers is made up of a precision agriculture technology network that takes care of all the variables of everyday application. Farmers can also gain efficiencies today and prepare for autonomy by advancing their automated technological capabilities with precision technology. The Path to Autonomy is a more holistic, realistic approach to building the most efficient operation possible today with the attainable goal of a fully automated farm in the long-term.

Today, Raven leads the development of autonomy in agriculture with two supervised driverless solutions — OMNiDRIVE™, an autonomous harvest application; and OMNiPOWER™ 3200, a multi-purpose driverless power platform for seeding, spraying, and spreading. Both solutions are helping farmers be more efficient in the field today.

CNH Industrial

CNH Industrial

CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI) is a world-class equipment and services company. Driven by its purpose of Breaking New Ground, which centers on Innovation, Sustainability and Productivity, the Company provides the strategic direction, R&D capabilities, and investments that enable the success of its global and regional Brands. Globally, Case IH and New Holland supply 360° agriculture applications from machines to implements and the digital technologies that enhance them; and CASE and New Holland Construction Equipment deliver a full lineup of construction products that make the industry more productive. The Company’s regionally focused Brands include: STEYR, for agricultural tractors; Raven, a leader in digital agriculture, precision technology and the development of autonomous systems; Hemisphere, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-precision satellite-based positioning, and heading technologies; Flexi-Coil, specializing in tillage and seeding systems; Miller, manufacturing application equipment; Kongskilde, providing tillage, seeding and hay & forage implements; and Eurocomach, producing a wide range of mini and midi excavators for the construction sector, including electric solutions.

Across a history spanning over two centuries, CNH has always been a pioneer in its sectors and continues to passionately innovate and drive customer efficiency and success. As a truly global company, CNH’s 40,000+ employees form part of a diverse and inclusive workplace, focused on empowering customers to grow, and build, a better world.

For more information and the latest financial and sustainability reports visit: cnh.com

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