Self-driving Combine Harvester Ready to Hit Market

Video footage taken on June 15 on the outskirts of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, shows a self-driving combine harvester being put through its paces in a wheat field during a pre-launch demonstration. The vehicle, developed by Kubota Corp., can automatically cut wheat, thresh the grain and steer itself off the field to unload chaff when it becomes full. It will go on sale in December for at least 15.7 million yen, 10-20 percent more expensive than conventional models. A separate mobile GPS base unit, which costs 1.2 million yen, is required for the vehicle to work autonomously.