Opinion: Liability hampers autonomous ag

Opinion: Liability hampers autonomous ag

For farmer and inventor Brian Tischler, the question isn’t whether autonomous tractors are cool, possible, or useful — it’s how to overcome the liability risk. Tischler told farmers attending CropConnect in Winnipeg recently it’s possible to build your own self-driving vehicle for around $1,000. He’s done it. That’s made the Manville, Alberta farmer a popular

Norbert Beaujot, founder of SeedHawk and inventor of many seeding equipment innovations, 
observes the Seedmaster DOT at Ag in Motion 2018.

Farmers warming to autonomous farm equipment

Norbert Beaujot says more producers are overcoming their skepticism about driverless farm equipment such as DOT

While men in tractors pulled seeding and tillage implements over the ground at the July 17-19 Ag in Motion show, the DOT autonomous seeder laboured quietly on its own. DOT debuted last year at Ag in Motion, but farmer interest in seeing it operate was still strong this year, judging by the number of observers.


Harvest goes hands free

Harvest goes hands free

British researchers have put automation to test in the farm field

A U.K. research project has planted, tended and harvested the first crop — of spring barley — that’s never seen direct human labour. Hands Free Hectare was aiming to test the concept in the field and consciously chose smaller machinery, said Jonathan Gill, a researcher at Harper University. “There’s been a focus in recent years

A Metro grocery store at the Orangeville Mall in Orangeville, Ont. (Onereit.ca)

Metro plans automated distribution for Ontario

One of Canada’s biggest grocery chains plans to build new hubs to distribute both fresh and frozen foods to its Ontario stores. Quebec-based Metro Inc. said Wednesday it expects to put up $400 million to modernize and automate its Toronto operations between 2018 and 2023, building two new facilities for fresh and frozen food distribution