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I'd love to see an Oxide Computer Company but for tractors. Open source firmware and tooling, but in this case the design would have to focus on repairability,
by crabmusket 5mo ago
I'd love to see an Oxide Computer Company but for tractors. Open source firmware and tooling, but in this case the design would have to focus on repairability, transparency, and use of easily replaceable components for compute and sensors, similar to how the mechanical components are chosen.
Oxide goes to great lengths to allow you to own your servers and operate them in an airgapped environment. Could a tractor be built to operate airgapped even with onboard tech? Or to be able to connect to a local base station over e.g. LoRaWAN instead of the cloud?
- rcxdude 5mo agoThere's no fundemental reason even a very fancy trsctor should need an Internet connection. Even with RTK GPS for ultra high precision positioning, you can operate a base station locally, and this is getting increasingly accessible. (You could do it as a hobbyist for about $400 worth of parts).
- mohamedkoubaa 4mo agoA single server rack in the back of the barn could run all compute even the most technologically advanced mega farm would ever need. No need for Internet
- crabmusket 4mo agoThat's true as far as processing power goes, but software seems to be much harder (at least, more expensive) to maintain than the kind of machinery these tractors are built of. Maybe that's just because software isn't often built for repairability, or the kind of education that would be needed isn't as widespread.