Down at the Farm

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 10/19/2017 at 16:51 • Filed to: None

1

4

Since I’m on forced leave, I’m using the time to get some work done around my mom’s place and visit some friends. Yesterday was spent at my buddy’s farm. He has some neat toys.

We didn’t pull the dozee off the trailer, but we did crank it up so he could show off some of the controls. The startup process is way too complicated. Press a button, enter a code, select a mode, press the first button again. Vroom.

There is no throttle lever, pedal, or knob. The engine is supposed to respond to the needs of the user. Any requests for movement result in an increase in throttle, but there can be some lag. This makes it hard to be precise. The throttle position can be set with a couple of buttons, but it isn’t intuitive and is a slow process.

It also has a built-in connection to the manufacturer, making it easy for them to troubleshoot problems from afar. But it also means that they can remotely control it. Well, at least some parts of it. Without cameras, they can’t drive it around, but they can start it, move the blade, and even drive it around blindly. It also has built-in GPS, so they can always find it if it goes missing.

It’s a neat machine, but my buddy says he would rather have something a little more old-school. Come to think of it, this dozer brings us one step closer to the robot apocalypse. The rogue AI just has to call up the nearest dozer and start running over stuff. I guess they’ll still need us to fill them up with fuel.

jmgadget > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/19/2017 at 17:08

3

I was reading about some of the farmers hatred with the newer machines and how they can’t work on them anymore, and in some cases, don’t even “own” them since the software and its remote connections are all user agreements and not purchase agreements. Most repairs require software codes now and unlocks by corporate techs.

Apparently there is a whole foreign black market for this software code breaking and hacking for farmers machines, and the manufacturers constant struggle to fill the loopholes. Its basically phone hacking all over again.

Tractors are definitely closer to the robot apocalypse then anything else on with 4+ wheels (except for Tesla).

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/19/2017 at 17:09

1

I guess they’ll still need us to fill them up with fuel.

Just wait, somehow we will end up with robotic fueling stations to service the autonomous cars (that apparently will still need to have some ICE power because of all of the electronics). Then it will be game over.

TheRealBicycleBuck > jmgadget 10/19/2017 at 17:16

1

The market is ripe for a company to come out with a line of equipment that is free of all the electronics. The challenge is keeping them emissions-compliant without the software.

Frenchlicker > jmgadget 10/19/2017 at 20:33

0

Tesla is only ahead in one respect and that is on road autonomy. Besides that the stuff they are producing for tractors is pretty up there. I believe in the next year a fully autonomous tractor without a cab is supposed to be produced(in very limited numbers) as well a 100% electric John Deere.