Mahindra unveils driverless tractor; launch in 2018

Mahindra has unveiled a driverless tractor in India. The vehicle has been developed at the Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai and is scheduled to go on sale next year in a phased manner. 

The driverless tractor is equipped with features such as:

• Autosteer - a GPS-based system that enables the tractor to travel in a straight line
• Auto-headland turn - enables the tractor to orient itself along adjacent rows without the need for steering input
• Auto-implement lift - enables the tractor to automatically lift the work tool from the ground at the end of a row and lower it after it has oriented itself for operation at the next row
• Skip - enables the tractor to steer to the next row for continuous operation without the driver's intervention

The tractor can also be controlled via a tablet. A farmer can program various inputs needed and prevent the vehicle from veering off from its intended path or desired operation. It also comes with a feature known as Geofence lock, which the company claims, prevents it from leaving the boundaries of a farm and a remote engine start stop system that has the ability to stop the engine and bring the tractor to a complete stop in the event of an emergency.

According to Mahindra, this autonomous technology will feature across all Mahindra tractor platforms ranging from 20 HP to 100 HP in the near future. The company also plans to introduce driverless tractors in international markets including USA and Japan.