The 2024 Ag Tech Connect conference brought together established agricultural technology companies, startups, investors and farmers to learn about the changing landscape of the industry.
During panels and workshops, two agricultural tech robotics startups, ALA Engineering and Barn Owl Precision Agriculture, showed off their technology at the Nebraska Innovation Campus.
Lincoln and Scottsbluff-based ALA Engineering exhibited its autonomous feeding truck technology.
“We’re outfitting feedlot trucks with a full suite of sensors and computers for fully autonomous driving, with no driver on board,” said Jacob Hansen, co-founder of ALA Engineering.
He said one operator with an iPad can control 10 vehicles, allowing for efficient feeding operations across the farm.
Additionally, an autonomous micro-tractor was demonstrated by Colorado-based Barn Owl Precision Agriculture (BOPA), the winner of the 2024 Farm Bureau Agriculture Innovation Challenge.
“BOPA offers small agricultural robots as a service, so any farmer can contact me,” said Sarah Hinkley, CEO of BOPA. “We’ll go out there with our robots and help small farmers solve their problems.”
Mr Hinckley said BOPA provides precision weeding, precision spraying and precision planting services to small businesses.
“By using our services, farmers can reduce their labour by 50 to 70 percent,” she said.
Hinckley said the agricultural technology environment across the Midwest is what makes a company like BOPA successful.
“I think it’s because Midwest farmers are willing to try new things. We grow crops differently, we use tools differently.”
