Move over, Musk! PAU unveils Al-powered self-driving tractor

While Elon Musk’s self-driving car, Tesla, is creating a lot of buzz with its India launch, the experts at the Punjab Agricultural University here have come up with an Al-powered tractor that promises to take agri operations to the next level.

- Rakshit Sharma

The tractor uses advanced technologies, such as sensors, GPS, and artificial intelligence (AI) to navigate fields, perform tasks including tilling, cultivating and seeding, and avoid obstacles, eliminating the need for a human operator, says PAU’s vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal.

The autonomous tractor will be powered by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based Auto-Steering System.

“The technology, uncommon in Indian farm machinery, enables tractors to operate key implements like disc harrows, cultivators, and PAU’s smart seeder with minimal to no human inputs,” Gosal said adding that once a farmer keys in inputs, the tractor will combine satellite signals, sensors, anda touchscreen console to steer tractors accurately—even in low visibility—while reducing errors, fatigue, and resource wastage.