- Pedestrians
- Other vehicles and obstacles (and automatically detecting them)
- Roads
- Traffic laws
JDs tractors are choreographed, it's not really 'self-driving'
Typically they are following a predefined path, not even having the concept of where the end of the row is, relying on the operator for turning and avoiding any hazards. The most advanced functionality is Machine Sync [1], which is still only using the GPS to synchronize the machines.
Just because the functionality is basic, doesn't mean it's not useful. We are quickly coming to the point where these systems will be installed on every machine. The reduction in fatigue and other benefits are profound.
Another point to note is that getting to this point was a marathon, not a sprint. These systems have been around in one form or another for more that 20 years. Acceptance came in large part with the generation change of the owners. It will be interesting to see if the rollout of self-driving cars follows a similar trend.
[1] quick googling says some countries impose speed limit of 20mph but I don't know if it's on public roads and not private land. http://www.fwi.co.uk/machinery/road-rules-for-tractors-in-th...
have seen a cat picked up by a corn harvester
Lots of small mammals die this way :(