John Deere, the American corporation known for its agricultural machinery and heavy equipment, has introduced a range of autonomous vehicles aimed at transforming construction, agriculture, and commercial landscaping. The announcement was made at CES 2025, the technology event held in Las Vegas from January 5 to 10.
Autonomous Trucks for Construction and Quarry Operations
At the forefront of the unveiling is the 460 P-Tier autonomous articulated dump truck (ADT), designed to revolutionize material transportation in quarry operations and construction sites. Material transport is a critical process in building essential infrastructure, and this ADT streamlines workflows by taking over repetitive tasks, ensuring smoother mining and processing operations.
“Our agriculture, construction, and commercial landscaping customers all have work that must get done at certain times of the day and year, yet there is not enough available and skilled labor to do the work,” said Jahmy Hindman, Chief Technology Officer at John Deere. “Autonomy can help address this challenge. That’s why we’re extending our technology stack to enable more machines to operate safely and autonomously in unique and complex environments.”
The ADT, equipped with the latest autonomous technology, promises to enhance efficiency while reducing the reliance on skilled labor, which remains a challenge for the industry. Select machines will come factory-equipped with autonomy, while retrofit kits are available for existing models, enabling customers to transition at their own pace.
Expanding Autonomy in Agriculture and Landscaping
Alongside the autonomous ADT, John Deere unveiled its next-generation autonomous tractor and an autonomous diesel orchard tractor, continuing its legacy of innovation in agriculture. These machines are engineered to operate safely in complex environments, addressing the ongoing labor shortages in farming.
The company also introduced an autonomous battery-powered mower for commercial landscaping. Built to thrive in the competitive landscaping market, this mower leverages the same advanced camera technology used in larger John Deere autonomous equipment. With 360-degree coverage provided by cameras on all sides, landscaping crews can focus on other critical tasks while the mower handles repetitive work.
Centralized Management Through Cloud Technology
All autonomous machines from John Deere are integrated with the company’s Operations Center Mobile, a cloud-based platform that simplifies equipment management. Users can start equipment with a simple swipe on the app, provided the machine is correctly positioned. The platform offers real-time video feeds, performance metrics, and customizable settings, alongside alerts for machine health and job quality issues, ensuring smooth and efficient operation.
“Autonomy will not only benefit our customers but all of us who rely on them to provide the food, fuel, fiber, infrastructure, and landscaping care that we depend on every day,” added Hindman.
By advancing its technology stack and expanding its portfolio of autonomous solutions, John Deere continues to address labor challenges across industries while setting new standards for efficiency and safety in construction, agriculture, and landscaping.
