Who believes in DOT

[rumrocks]

Some technology will fall by the wayside while some is practically irreplaceable, think auto-steer, where would our necks be without it.

[wd9]

Well my experience was being able to drive the tractor and then make the boundaries and do the headlands was quite valuable. It was drying very quickly so boundaries quickly became obsolete if you had to make them even a couple days earlier. Once the headlands were done and boundaries made, the tractor went on its own pulling the roller while i seeded. I would never let a machine seed on its own, seems there is always something.

AFAIK the unit is around 250k, and you would need the seed tool as well, probably couple hundred K $ more. Maintenance would be the same for one unit as a conventional big tractor/seeder - maybe even higher because its all hydrostatic and not many hours yet to determine mtbf. Now multiply by 2 or 3 since you need more of them to get the same coverage and its way over a million bucks. You're stuck with 15" spacing, and only tools from them (maybe that's the idea).

Another cost is I could never relax, always wondering if my 4650 was going to come back. Did something fail? What if it drove off a cliff or into the trees? DOT won't be impervious to failure of either mechanical or electronic or software. How would you feel to see your half million dollar DOT crashing into a ditch or hitting a power pole. It's ****ing nerve wracking! Tell me your GPS never had a shit fit even once this spring, but at least you were in it.

Tweety posted the Sabanto, that's Kyler Laird and Craig Rupp venture. Craig was one of the guys behind climate corp. Back when it was actually a climate company, now they just want your data. I think farmers really need to understand that it isn't the vehicle, its the software. Because it was so wet in the states, they would also drive/self drive. Using existing common equipment makes a lot more practical sense. And you can get in and drive the thing when it needs to be pulled out of the mud. But just a tractor driving itself doesn't make as much of a media impression or get hyped up. Not sure why they only have a handful of old videos on youtube. Haven't heard of any actual farmer experience from their test vehicles, nothing on twitter.

Anyway, that's my experience and thoughts after this spring. Not sure if I will continue with the autonomous project. Even with the roller being autonomous, i then have to go back and pick rocks instead of just grabbing them while i'm there. On the flip side, nice to be able to drive 2 tractors at once.

[wd9]

Just saw this this morning. Using even full auto headland turns. Once again, I hope farmers understand the age of software application is key today. The vehicle - whether DOT or your own tractor or combine - is just the hardware, completely irrelevant.

Open source will continue to grow in Ag, there is no stopping it now. Many commercial systems today don't come close to the accuracy and user friendliness of AgOpenGPS - you just need some skills to build. But some day you won't even need those.

[the big wheel]

Will have to ask input capital or the next phased group friends of the government what the plan is since they will own most of the farm land here in the next 10 years or so.