This Third Party Retrofit Kit Makes Your John Deere Tractor Capable of 24/7 Work Without Anyone in the Cab

Carbon Robotics has introduced the Carbon AutoTractor autonomous system, a retrofit kit for John Deere 6R and 8R tractors, designed for 24/7 use without stopping.

The system will autonomously perform ground preparation tasks, including tilling, plowing, cultivating, ripping, discing, listing, mulching, and mowing — all without a driver in the cab. The system is also integrated with Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder. The autonomous tractor will adjust speed to optimize weeding performance based on the weeds’ type, size, and density.

“Too often, autonomy in agriculture has been overpromised and underdelivered,” said Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder of Carbon Robotics. “We built Carbon AutoTractor to change that — by working closely with farmers every step of the way to design a solution rooted in simplicity, reliability, and the realities of modern farm operations. This is autonomy shaped by real-world experience, not just another tech experiment.”

The AutoTractor will be Carbon Robotics’ autonomy platform moving forward, meaning future development updates and functions won’t require a completely new retrofit kit. 

Technology and Development

Carbon Robotics has been developing its autonomy stack since 2020. The Carbon AutoTractor is powered by Carbon AI, the company’s proprietary AI model used for its LaserWeeder technology. The system has multiple layers of guidance connected to a high-speed, low-latency satellite link including: RTK-accurate GPS, 360° cameras; radar-based safety sensors; and physical, remote, and mobile e-stops.

The kit’s technology works in tandem with Carbon Robotics’ Remote Operations Control Center (ROCC), where trained operators remotely monitor and manage autonomous tractors to prevent work stoppages when the tractor encounters unexpected obstacles like debris, wildlife, or irrigation pipes. This means fewer stops and no in-field resets. 

“Every farmer we spoke to kept running into these exception cases while farming that required intervention, and if that required the farmer to go out to the field, they weren’t really getting the benefits of the autonomy,” Mikesell said.

The ROCC are able to remotely login and drive the tractor in real-time — with less than a quarter second of latency time — using an array of video feeds taken from the autonomous kit. When the tractor runs into an alert, it will send a notification to the ROCC team, and take over operations without any interruption to the farmer. If ROCC can’t resolve the issue, they will have the farmer’s phone number on file for contact. As the userbase for AutoTractor grows, the ROCC team will expand, Mikesell said. 

Installation and Operation

These upgrades don’t require permanent modifications to the tractors, and the upgrades can be completed in less than 24 hours. The farmer will need to use a forklift to bring the kit to the top of the tractor, bolt into the existing bolt patterns, and then connect to the John Deere tractor’s harnessing and hydraulics. 

Once the kit is installed, the autonomous tractor will use existing GPS data for field boundaries, and use the vision system to navigate the fields. Farmers can toggle between autonomous and manual operation on the tractors as needed. 

Availability

Carbon Robotics is bringing autonomy to the John Deere 8R and 6R Series because of the company’s existing userbase with the LaserWeeder, and the technology available on the tractors. The company is developing compatibility for other tractor models and sizes in the future.

The Carbon AutoTractor system will first be available for select LaserWeeder customers, and use a pay-per-hour pricing model. The kit’s initial pricing information is not yet available. To learn more information, visit carbonrobotics.com.