In 2020, it says, it will launch the new 8RX tractor in South Africa. It is claimed to integrate “artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, and advanced automation to help farmers work more efficiently while also gathering data to make more informed decisions and increase future machine intelligence”
That is almost a jackpot of 4th industrial revolution buzzwords. So what lies behind this exuberance?
“We are very excited about the impact that the new 8RX tractor will have on improved yields in Africa,” says Freddie Rupping, Production System Specialist, Tractor Marketing, John Deere Sub-Saharan Africa.
Yields are the key, and that promise has just won honours in the Tech for a Better World category in the CES Innovation Awards in the United States. The CES Innovation Awards are an annual competition honouring outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products. The programme awards prizes in a multitude of consumer technology product categories. The Tech for a Better World category recognises outstanding product design and engineering in consumer technology products that impact society and the world in a positive way.
The 8RX is a high horsepower, fixed-frame, four-track tractor that integrates smart technology in a user-friendly design.
“This award recognizes our focus on innovation in precision agriculture, enabling farmers to increase productivity as they meet the challenge of feeding a rapidly-growing global population,” says Rupping.
