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0 pointsrandomdata4y ago0 comments

> But there's rarely a 'wow' factor to new tech any more.

John Deere started commercially selling a self-driving tractor this year. That's a pretty big wow. Something straight out of the sci-fi books.

I think it doesn't pop because the internet has been streaming the development of such tech for the last decade or more. It seems incremental because we have had insights into the development process, which is something the masses didn't have access to when Windows 3.1 or the C64 landed.

Gone are the days of decades of behind the scenes R&D suddenly landing in our laps to amaze us. We now watch the R&D unfold in realtime.

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kayoone4y ago

funny that you mention John Deere, the company who is/was facing farmer revolts because they removed the right to repair and locked down the ecus.

brootstrap4y ago

self driving tractors have been around for years already. The guy operating usually just chills there listening to the radio and occasionally engages to help with precise turns or whatnot.

randomdataOP4y ago

Yes, but the new sensor pack to remove the rider is a huge upgrade. Like going from flipping toggle switches to Windows 95 kind of an upgrade. The previous commenter was amazed by the transition from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.

But, again, it's boring because we watched the development of those sensors as it was happening. In the past the masses would have been unaware of the development going on. But nowadays we know what's coming and it seems old hat by the time it hits the market.

rowanG0774y ago

You are contradicting yourself. A self-driving tractor that requires an operator is not fully self-driving.

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