LogOn Automomous Tractor USAGM
Metadata
- LogOn Automomous Tractor USAGM
- April 19, 2022
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: LogOn: Autonomous Tractor (TV/R) HEADLINE: Autonomous Tractors May Signal Changes in Farming TEASER: With one swipe, farmers launch their autonomous tractors from an app PUBLISHED AT: 04/19/2022 7:45 am BYLINE: Julie Taboh CONTRIBUTOR: Deana Mitchell DATELINE: Washington VIDEOGRAPHER: John Deere, Deana Mitchell, Sarah Rachor PRODUCER: Julie Taboh SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, Jepsen VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Skype, John Deere, Sarah Rachor PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_ TRT: 2:00 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR: )) ((INTRO)) [[Farmers across the country and around the world might one day leave the confines of their tractor cabs and operate autonomous tractors remotely through an app. But will farmers, big and small, be willing to trust the technology? VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.]] ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NATS: Tractor)) ((NARRATOR)) Technology in the agricultural industry is quickly evolving. Soon, farmers may be able to launch a driverless tractor out in the field to run 24 hours a day, while they control and monitor it remotely through an app. ((Radio track: Igino ((e-jeano)) Cafiero ((ca-fee-ero)) ((Like the first syllable of caffeine)), is the CEO and founder of Bear Flag Robotics, a subsidiary of John Deere – a U.S. firm that manufactures farming equipment. He spoke with VOA via Skype.)) ((Igino Cafiero, Bear Flag Robotics)) ((Skype)) “When this country was founded about 50% of Americans were farmers and now it's less than 1%. And so this is about giving tools to farmers to be more productive.” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NATS: Tractor)) ((NARRATOR)) The new autonomous tractor from John Deere uses computer vision, artificial intelligence, and GPS to till and plant a field without stopping. But will farmers, big and small, be willing to trust self-driving tractors to get the job done? ((Radio track: Doug Nimz ((Nims)), a fourth-generation farmer from Blue Earth, Minnesota, was one of the first people to test a John Deere autonomous tractor to help him raise about 800 hectares of corn and soybeans.)) ((Voice of Doug Nimz, Farmer)) “I can check the fuel level, I can check the app to see how much of the field is left, if there was something in the field that it wasn't sure about, the tractor will stop and alert me; Is this something I can go around?” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NARRATOR)) Live camera feeds allow the farmer a view of the field at any time. Seeds are precisely planted. Likewise, the tractor’s “see and spray” technology sprays herbicides exactly where needed, saving money while benefiting the environment, the company says. ((Mandatory courtesy: Sarah Rachor)) ((NATS: Sarah Rachor’s tractor)) But the biggest potential benefit, some farmers say, will be the time saved. Sarah Rachor, ((like Rocker)) is a fourth-generation farmer who grows sugar beets, wheat, and soybeans on her little farm in Montana. ((Sarah Rachor, Farmer)) ((Skype)) “The big difference between what I currently have with my GPS-driven tractor versus a fully autonomous tractor is mostly time. I can farm more land and be more efficient because of all these upgrades in technology.” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((Radio track: Farmer Doug Nimz ((Nims)) )) ((Voice of Doug Nimz, Farmer)) “Farmers are fairly traditional, but I have a feeling that once they try it, they will become very accepting of it.” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NARRATOR)) The John Deere autonomous tractors will be available to farmers later this year. ((NATS: Tractor)) ((Julie Taboh, VOA News))
- Transcript/Script USAGM SHARE ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: LogOn: Autonomous Tractor (TV/R) HEADLINE: Autonomous Tractors May Signal Changes in Farming TEASER: With one swipe, farmers launch their autonomous tractors from an app PUBLISHED AT: 04/19/2022 7:45 am BYLINE: Julie Taboh CONTRIBUTOR: Deana Mitchell DATELINE: Washington VIDEOGRAPHER: John Deere, Deana Mitchell, Sarah Rachor PRODUCER: Julie Taboh SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, Jepsen VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Skype, John Deere, Sarah Rachor PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_ TRT: 2:00 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR: )) ((INTRO)) [[Farmers across the country and around the world might one day leave the confines of their tractor cabs and operate autonomous tractors remotely through an app. But will farmers, big and small, be willing to trust the technology? VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.]] ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NATS: Tractor)) ((NARRATOR)) Technology in the agricultural industry is quickly evolving. Soon, farmers may be able to launch a driverless tractor out in the field to run 24 hours a day, while they control and monitor it remotely through an app. ((Radio track: Igino ((e-jeano)) Cafiero ((ca-fee-ero)) ((Like the first syllable of caffeine)), is the CEO and founder of Bear Flag Robotics, a subsidiary of John Deere – a U.S. firm that manufactures farming equipment. He spoke with VOA via Skype.)) ((Igino Cafiero, Bear Flag Robotics)) ((Skype)) “When this country was founded about 50% of Americans were farmers and now it's less than 1%. And so this is about giving tools to farmers to be more productive.” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NATS: Tractor)) ((NARRATOR)) The new autonomous tractor from John Deere uses computer vision, artificial intelligence, and GPS to till and plant a field without stopping. But will farmers, big and small, be willing to trust self-driving tractors to get the job done? ((Radio track: Doug Nimz ((Nims)), a fourth-generation farmer from Blue Earth, Minnesota, was one of the first people to test a John Deere autonomous tractor to help him raise about 800 hectares of corn and soybeans.)) ((Voice of Doug Nimz, Farmer)) “I can check the fuel level, I can check the app to see how much of the field is left, if there was something in the field that it wasn't sure about, the tractor will stop and alert me; Is this something I can go around?” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NARRATOR)) Live camera feeds allow the farmer a view of the field at any time. Seeds are precisely planted. Likewise, the tractor’s “see and spray” technology sprays herbicides exactly where needed, saving money while benefiting the environment, the company says. ((Mandatory courtesy: Sarah Rachor)) ((NATS: Sarah Rachor’s tractor)) But the biggest potential benefit, some farmers say, will be the time saved. Sarah Rachor, ((like Rocker)) is a fourth-generation farmer who grows sugar beets, wheat, and soybeans on her little farm in Montana. ((Sarah Rachor, Farmer)) ((Skype)) “The big difference between what I currently have with my GPS-driven tractor versus a fully autonomous tractor is mostly time. I can farm more land and be more efficient because of all these upgrades in technology.” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((Radio track: Farmer Doug Nimz ((Nims)) )) ((Voice of Doug Nimz, Farmer)) “Farmers are fairly traditional, but I have a feeling that once they try it, they will become very accepting of it.” ((Mandatory courtesy: John Deere)) ((NARRATOR)) The John Deere autonomous tractors will be available to farmers later this year. ((NATS: Tractor)) ((Julie Taboh, VOA News))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date April 19, 2022 07:51 EDT
- Byline Julie Taboh
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America