The company’s presence helps showcase how advanced agriculture is, a Deere rep said
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Among the new gizmos and gadgets associated with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), attendees also saw big green farm equipment.
John Deere made its debut at this year’s convention in Las Vegas, Nev. earlier this month. The company’s involvement wasn’t strictly to show off the equipment but also to highlight the technology that helps it operate.
“The reasons that Deere invested in a booth and a demo track were really two-fold,” Cyndee Smiley, North American public relations manager with John Deere, told Farms.com. “As a company we wanted to identify the different opportunities to bring new technologies into agriculture for farm productivity, profitability and sustainability.
“We were also there to explain to the technology industry the important reality of agriculture and specifically how our farmers are using John Deere technology to feed this growing world and impacting the everyday life of the consumer.”
Deere’s involvement at CES included at least two pieces of equipment.
Inside the venue, the company displayed a S770 combine loaded with several AI features. Deere also had an 8370R tractor capable of autonomous operation on the demo track.
Visitors could ride in the tractor to get a sense of how sophisticated the equipment is, Smiley said.
“We demonstrated our self-driving technology and how it couples with that 2.5-cm (0.9-inch) accuracy GPS as well as using computer vision to see where different plants are,” she said. “The overwhelming reaction was extremely positive from people that visited our booth.
“We engaged in conversations and explained to (visitors) not only what a combine harvester does, but how we’re using AI technology and helping people understand what agriculture as a whole does for feeding this world.
“A number of people were very impressed to hear about what farmers do.”
John Deere may attend CES next year, Smiley said.
Harley Davidson and Procter & Gamble were also among the companies making their debuts at CES.
John Deere 8370R/John Deere photo