John Deere’s response to labor crisis? Robot lawn mower

Landscaping business owners struggle to retain a qualified workforce, but what will the future be like for workers if everything becomes autonomous?

The automotive industry is in the midst of a revolution, with electric powertrains and autonomous driving systems now more common than ever. As automakers work to perfect self-driving cars and electric SUVs, industries such as agriculture and landscaping are quietly deploying cutting-edge technologies of their own. At CES 2025, John Deere unveiled a series of autonomous and electric machines that not only lighten workloads but also redefine how certain jobs are done.

Meet John Deere’s Robot Lawnmower: The Quiet Giant

One of the most interesting new products coming out of John Deere is the electric robotic lawn mower. This lawnmower looks a bit like a robot from a Hollywood movie designed for the battlefield, and is powered by a 21.4 kWh battery. This should give it enough power to run for up to 10 hours, making it ideal for large commercial-grade lawns.

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The robot uses four pairs of stereo cameras to give it a 360-degree view of the world. In addition to the mower being able to operate autonomously, electric powertrains have their own advantages over traditional gas mowers. For example, workers can start work earlier in the morning because it’s much quieter.

While it seems unlikely that driverless cars will replace human-operated cars in the foreseeable future, as full autonomy is still slowly and often unsettlingly developed, lawnmowers like this one may become commonplace sooner. . A recent study found that 84% of landscape business owners struggle to find and retain a qualified workforce.

Solve the labor shortage problem

“Our agricultural, construction and commercial landscape customers all have jobs that must be completed at specific times of day and year, but there is not enough skilled labor available to complete those jobs,” said Jahmy Hindman, chief technology officer at John Deere.

“Autonomy can help meet this challenge. That’s why we’re expanding our technology stack to enable more machines to operate safely and autonomously in unique and complex environments. This not only benefits our customers; All of us who rely on them to provide the food, fuel, fiber, infrastructure and landscape care we rely on every day,” he added.

Beyond the Turf: Deere’s High-Tech Fleet

John Deere showed off three more self-driving vehicles in Las Vegas. The first is a second-generation autonomous tractor with 16 cameras and an Nvidia GPU. John Deere is also looking to bring its autonomous vehicles to construction sites, unveiling an articulated dump truck that can carry more than 92,000 pounds of material. Such vehicles are increasingly common in quarries and mines around the world, promising to increase productivity.

The second high-tech tractor from John Deere is designed specifically for orchards. It is diesel-powered and pulls the sprayer through the nut orchards. Spraying is typically required six to eight times a year, and John Deere added lidar to ensure the trucks don’t get lost or confused in dense orchards where GPS signals may be blocked.

Maybe you can’t stop progress, and things now suggest that fully autonomous vehicles will be the new normal at some point. While companies like John Deere claim they’ll help business owners who need more skilled labor, we can’t help but wonder if they’ll also end up putting all workers out of work…