WATCH: Is ‘autonomous’ the best way to describe autonomous vehicles in agriculture?

Automation means different things to different people.
Automation means different things to different people. (Getty Images)

The term ‘autonomous’ is widely used in agriculture to describe vehicles and machinery that can perform tasks with minimal or no human intervention. However, whether “autonomous” is the best descriptor depends on the level of independence these machines actually achieve and the context in which the term is used.

The question is important given autonomous vehicles in agriculture face adoption challenges, although they are becoming increasingly popular.

While autonomous vehicles offer potential benefits like increased efficiency and safety, they also present hurdles such as high costs, lack of digital infrastructure, and concerns about job displacement.

Here’s what experts at the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco had to say, featuring Andrew Sunderman, vice president and general manager of PTx Trimble; Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and co-founder of Monarch Tractor and Jay Schroeder, CTO, CHN Industrial.

Watch the interviews below.