In Kubota’s near future, all the farming is done by machines. Technology has evolved to take all responsibility off farmers’ shoulders, so that their only concern remains buying the next piece of equipment or making sure payment on the latest is up to date.
Kubota has just the thing that would fit this bill: the Dream Tractor or X Tractor, unveiled on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the Japanese tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer. Dream Tractor is a concept and there are no plans to ever bring it into production, but Kubota believes it reflects current farming tendencies and embodies its vision for the future.
Dream Tractor is totally awesome and downright terrifying in equal measure. It’s a smart, connected, self-driving and self-sufficient piece of machinery that presents itself as a 4-tracked, highly adjustable tractor, of the kind you’re more likely to see in a dystopian sci-fi movie. Everything about it is futuristic and slightly unsettling, from the sleek body to the promise it would be able to do the farming all on its own, without any kind of input from the human owner.
That said, Dream Tractor would use technology for good, and that’s the plus that makes it incredibly cool. Starting from the idea that the number of farmers retiring because of old age is on the rise, and the pressing need to boost efficiency for those still working, Kubota imagines it would use AI to asses upcoming tasks – and then proceed to complete them.
In order to do that, Dream Tractor would take into account factors like time and weather conditions, as well as historical data. Imagine a future when the farmer wakes up in the morning knowing there’s work to be done, only to look out the window and see that the tractor has wrapped it up sooner because rain is on the way.
“Based on various data such as weather data and growth rates, AI chooses the appropriate operation and makes actions timely. Our goal is to achieve a completely autonomous operation,”Kubota says in a press release on the occasion of the big unveil. “The environmental data obtained by tractors in operation can be automatically shared with other machines at site to realize centrally-managed efficient operation.”
Because it comes with tread-covered wheels, the Dream Tractor can be used on all kinds of terrain, including wet rice paddies. Equipped with four motors, one for each wheel, it can take sharp turns and move easily: each crawler moves independently, while the treads ensure maximum grip.
Making the concept even more versatile is the fact that it can self-adjust depending on the contact surface or the job at hand. Kubota imagines the treads on the crawlers could shape-shift, increasing the contact area and lowering the center of gravity, or raising the height of the tractor so as to not run over crops in the field.
Built for efficiency in all fields, the Dream Tractor would also be a solid example of electrification. It would be entirely electric, using a combination of lithium-ion batteries and solar energy from panels mounted on the body of the tractor. Kubota doesn’t elaborate further than that, so details like range on a single charge are anyone’s guess.
However, the maker does say this: everything about this smart tractor would serve the purpose of boosting efficiency and leaving as small an impact on the environment as possible.
“Following and advancing of the identity of Kubota tractors, [we] created [a] smooth shape through awareness of environmental protection and harmony with natures,” the same release notes. “Full electrification contributes for zero emissions and reducing environmental loads.”
Photo: Kubota
This isn’t the first Dream Tractor from Kubota either. Back in 1970, at the Kubota Pavilion at the Japan World Exposition, Osaka 1970, the first of the kind was introduced as a concept. It featured “advanced technologies […] such as superior functionality, great driver comfort and easier operability” and, as you can see in the gallery attached, it looked like something out of a cartoon. Strange but very cute, it was futuristic (at the time) but didn’t exactly end up representing the future of farming equipment.
This one, though, seems more in tune with the times. Too bad, then, that it won’t ever go into production.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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