08 In the heart of Itasca, Illinois, Sabanto, Inc. is pioneering a new era in agriculture with its cutting-edge autonomous farming technology. Founded by Craig Rupp, a visionary with deep roots in both farming and technology, Sabanto is addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by farmers today: rising input costs, labor shortages, and shrinking margins, and he’s doing so by retrofitting existing tractors with advanced autonomy systems to help transform the agricultural landscape. The name Sabanto is derived from the Japanese word for “servant,” reflecting the company’s mission to serve farmers with innovative solutions. Rupp explained, “I didn’t want to follow your typical ag-based startup; naming your company with the word ‘farm,’ ‘field,’ ‘yield,’ or ‘ag.’ I wanted something unique, easy to search, and easy to remember.” His journey to founding Sabanto is as unique as the company’s name. Growing up on a farm in northwest Iowa, Rupp initially left agriculture behind to pursue an ag tech career in electrical engineering. After working at Motorola and Apple, he found his way back through a stint at John Deere, where he developed the StarFire Receiver and Greenstar Display. His experience in the wireless industry and ag tech, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, led him to start Sabanto. “It was obvious to me that autonomy was going to fix the labor problem. I figured I had as good a chance to pull this off as any other person. And here we are,” Rupp said. Innovative Retrofit Autonomy System The company’s retrofit kit is a game-changer for farmers, according to Rupp: “Your next-generation tractor is already in your machine shed.” The retrofit kit includes a proprietary main control unit, GPS navigation, cameras, hydraulic valves, and various other actuators and sensors. The AI-enabled main control unit communicates with the tractor and implement over CAN (Controller Area Network, which is used to facilitate communication between the main control unit and the tractor’s various components, ensuring seamless operation and integration of the autonomous features) and to the cloud over cellular and Starlink. Sabanto’s Mission Control software, running in the cloud, creates complex coverage maps and path plans, deploying and monitoring tractors remotely. Despite the complexities, what sets Sabanto apart from the competition, according to Rupp, is its flexibility and brand-agnostic approach. “We don’t believe autonomy is an all-or-nothing proposition. Once our autonomy kit is installed, the tractor can still be used manually.” Additionally, Sabanto targets smaller tractors running longer hours, envisioning a future where horsepower is commoditized and efficiency is maximized. One of the more compelling success stories comes from Justin Yirsa, a wheat farmer in Montana. Faced with the prospect of spending over $2 million to replace his aging equipment, Yirsa turned to Sabanto’s autonomous technology. By using smaller tractors and drills running 24/7, he saved $1.8 million in capital expenses. PHOTOS: Sabanto, Inc. TO SERVE MAN Ag Tech Company Retrofits Older Vehicles with New Autonomous Farming Technology ANDREW JOSEPH FARMS.COM
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