APPLETON (NBC 26) — At Fox Valley Technical College, students are literally farming the future.
Agriculture students gathered in Appleton Thursday for a first-hand look at a John Deere 8R 410 autonomous tractor — technology that uses GPS, cameras, and artificial intelligence to complete fieldwork without anyone in the driver’s seat. The demonstration was part of FVTC’s agriculture program, giving students a rare opportunity to see cutting-edge equipment in action.
Dozens watched step-by-step as instructors and industry experts showed how the tractor and tillage tool can be programmed to operate on their own. The technology, already being tested on some Wisconsin farms, offers a glimpse into how artificial intelligence could change agriculture.
“Like my grandpa, he would have never imagined a tractor driving itself — doing tillage by itself,” said Micheal Sahotsky, a first-year FVTC student from Berlin. “It’s just a crazy idea that no one is going to be off that tractor, and you can just control it off your phone.”
Program leaders say autonomous equipment like this could help farmers work more efficiently during planting and harvest seasons, freeing them up to focus on other critical tasks around the farm.
While still in the early rollout phase, the technology has students excited — and more aware of the skills they’ll need as agriculture continues to evolve.
To learn more about FVTC’s agriculture programs, click here.
