> What an insane dependency tree, that driving a truck in a field to plant some seeds requires a computer operating in space. Well, what if I told you that, if

> What an insane dependency tree, that driving a truck in a field to plant some seeds requires a computer operating in space. Well, what if I told you that, if GPS failed, many other (stationary!) operations would be impacted? Including financial. We rely on space computers for more than position, we also rely on them for accurate timekeeping. If you are connected to the internet you can get time corrections that way, but there's plenty of devices that are gathering time data from space. Now, the issue here is not so much that they are using satellites, is that they are _only_ using satellites (and, it would seem, they are using them for the entire time they are operating). Land-based stations around the field to provide location information could definitely be used instead. Or other mechanisms. I don't know if tractors have inertial navigation units but, if not, maybe they should. That would at least allow them to operate after the initial fix was established (which doesn't even require GPS, just a well-known starting point). Basically, the same thing that airliners already do. EDIT: found this - https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/use-inertial-measurement-units-to-enable-precision-agriculture https://www.digikey.com/en/articles/use-inertial-measurement...