Agriculture is one of the most tech-advanced industries in the world, and innovations are constantly evolving. I spoke with exhibitors and FFA members at the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo to hear what products are new and next, and how they impact the agriculture industry today.
The company brought two types of drones to the expo: the Hylio AG 210 and the XAG P100 Pro.
“The application drone can do anything from spreading or spraying, and completing applications in that aspect,” chief pilot Dustin Polasek says. “The other drone is an imagery-based drone, so more of a setup for going out and doing crop health monitoring, crop health scouting.”
SIMFORMATION specializes in training technologies for a variety of industries, such as construction and agriculture. It’s a simulation technology that in this case showed a sprayer that users could operate. Wisconsin FFA member Tyler Weeks says that this simulation will help him in his future agriculture career.
“I thought it was cool since my dad has some (sprayers) on his farm, and I would like to drive them,” Weeks says. “So the opportunity to actually experience it helped me prepare for the farm.”
Next Generation in Trucking Association
The Next Generation in Trucking Association’s goal was to educate its audience on the demand for truck drivers. They showcased a simulation where users could drive a truck with three blown-out tires. Co-founder and Patterson High School truck driver instructor Dave Dein says teaching with simulators can prevent dangerous events.
“This is definitely cutting edge technology,” Dein says. “I’ve been using simulators in my program for the last eight years, and I’ve seen real results with how this is used.”
