New Podcast: The Future of Farming: Smart Tractors and Automation

Listen to Praveen Penmetsa explain the latest innovations in smart tractors and AgTech. As CEO and co-founder at Monarch Tractor, Penmetsa is pushing the boundaries of agriculture technology, regulations, labor, and sustainability while going head-to-head with some of the biggest global brands.

Image credit: Monarch Tractor/Praveen Penmetsa

In our new podcast episode, the IoT Integrator Wire editors talk with Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and Co-founder at Monarch Tractor based in Livermore, CA. Penmetsa puts us in the driver’s seat of the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor, which uses a trifecta of electrification, automation, and data analysis tools.

At 147 inches long, Monarch tractors collect and analyze visual and digitized data from the field to accomplish a variety of tasks, including:

Monarch tractor

Image credit: Monarch Tractor

Unlike its AgTech competitors, Monarch sets an unexpected price point at $58,000, much less than a similar John Deere version at $500,000 and diesel-powered tractors that range from $60,000 to $75,000. Penmetsa explains why his company’s 360-degree camera surveillance system can process 240 gigabytes (GB) of crop data every operating day at lower costs with more efficiency.

Penmetsa is an experienced CEO and an expert in building teams that develop and scale the next generation of robotic solutions for mobility, food, and automation. In his current venture, he hopes smart technology on a fully electric tractor platform will lead to digital transformation, innovation, and sustainability in farming.