Computers In The Corn Field

I was reading through some of the articles in WIRED.com and I came across an article by Kyle Wiens which caught my eye. The title was New High Tech Farm Equipment Is A Nightmare For Farmers. He describes cases where farmers are working with new high-tech tractors or combines. The equipment is top of the line and while it is working, everything is fine. But what happens if something breaks down? Mr Wiens cites an example where a minor hydraulic sensor blew in a farmer’s tractor. Consequently , the onboard computer shut down the tractor engine and the farmer in question had to wait for two days beside his shut-off machinery and unplowed field until a replacement part arrived. How computer-savvy does a farmer have to become? In this day and age, it would seem quite alot.

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