Robots take the wheel as autonomous farm machines hit the field

SwamFarm robot spraying on a farm in Australia. Photographer: David Stringer/Bloomberg

Robots are taking over farms faster than anyone saw coming. 

The first fully autonomous farm equipment is becoming commercially available, which means machines will be able to completely take over a multitude of tasks. Tractors will drive with no farmer in the cab, and specialised equipment will be able to spray, plant, plough and weed cropland. And it’s all happening well before many analysts had predicted thanks to small startups in Canada and Australia.