‘The sky’s the limit’: John Deere to incorporate autonomous technology with Bear Flag Robotics | Business & Economy

Bear Flag, a startup originally part of Deere’s Startup Collaborator program, will help Deere move into the self-driving technology market.

The $250 million deal will deliver customized technology to help farmers create more profitable operations.

“We want to help farmers grow more with less,” said Deanna Kovar, vice president of production & precision ag production systems for John Deere.

The new self-driving technology will help farmers improve their operations without hiring new labor, which has been steadily decreasing over the past few years. The technology can be fitted on top of preexisting tractors and will utilize sensors, radar, and a cloud computer system to enable farmers to monitor a tractor's progress from outside the cab.

The new technology gives the machines “situational awareness,” according to Dan Leibfried, director of automation & autonomy.

“[This technology] has changed the game of agriculture and improved the livelihoods of farmers who were using it,” Leibfried said. “With autonomy we are talking about removing the operator from the cab so they can do other things on the farm.”