First impressions of big CES show

<p>BIG CROWD: While there are reports that China trade relations have put a dent in attendance from that country, it was hard to tell “on the ground” during CES 2020. The show was once called the Consumer Electronics Show, but today it’s just CES. Crowds line up outside the doors just ahead of the Day 1 opening.</p>

<p>REMOTE-CONTROL SKID STEER: The idea of a remote-control system for a skid-steer loader isn’t new. The industry has had the tool for some time; there are situations where it make sense for the driver to be outside the machine. Bobcat, a division of Doosan, which was at the show, shared the MaxControl platform, which takes the bulky system for remote control and puts it in a smartphone. Remote control for a skid steer on the farm? Consider one case shared by Lincoln Voss of Bobcat: “If you’re putting in fence posts, you usually have two people, one to drill the hole and another to place it; or if you work alone, you drill the hole, get out, place the post, get back in. With this, you can be outside the skid steer, drill the posthole, place the post and keep moving.”</p>

<p>The smartphone-based approach is less expensive, too, costing just $2,000. The company plans more features, including object avoidance and programmed navigation (for repetitive tasks), in the future. The tool is actually backward-compatible to skid steers built as early as 2004, provided they use drive-by-wire systems. Check with your Bobcat dealer for more information. Learn more at <a href="http://bobcat.com" target="_blank">bobcat.com</a>.</p>

<p>NEW DRONE: Autel has launched the new Evo II series of drones. It features an extended battery life, with up to 40 minutes of operating time. It also features 12 vision sensors controlled by a dual processor and machine learning, to detect obstacles and avoid a collision. There are three levels — the Evo II with an 8k video sensor, the Evo II Pro with a more flexible camera, and the Evo II Dual outfitted with a thermal camera and an 8k video camera. The rising use of drones by first responders and businesses is pushing new ideas to the drone industry. Learn more about the Evo II line at <a href="http://auteldrones.com" target="_blank">auteldrones.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>SURPRISING NAME IN COMPUTERS: Ever heard of Motile computers? Farm Progress hadn’t, either, but it’s an online-only private brand of feature-filled computers that includes a top-end gaming laptop (which means plenty of computing power). The surprise is that Motile is a private-label brand of Walmart; and according to company officials at the exhibit, these machines sell well to a wide range of users, including millennials looking for computing power. For farmers looking for a laptop, the Motile brand from Walmart may be the right choice. Learn more at <a href="http://walmart.com/motile" target="_blank">walmart.com/motile</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>DRONE DETECTOR: Using defense technology, the Scorpion 2 from WhiteFox may offer a service farmers can deploy. The Scorpion 2 is a portable drone detection system. It also has the capability to “mitigate” drone activity in an area; however, active suppression of a drone signal is currently illegal in the United States. The key to the Scorpion 2 for your farm is the ability to know when there’s an unfamiliar drone nearby, and perhaps alert authorities about its presence. The box is not yet commercial, but WhiteFox is working to bring the unit to market. If mitigation is made legal, the user would wear the unit on a belt and create a radio frequency signal denial-protection area that drones can’t penetrate. Learn more at <a href="http://whitefoxdefense.com" target="_blank">whitefoxdefense.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>PRINT THAT IN METAL: The promise of 3D printing continues to remain elusive. There are great stories about polymer-based artificial limbs; but often in agriculture, the answer is that the part has to be made from metal. This piston arm was “printed” in a Markforged 3D printer. The company is already working in a variety of types of steel and titanium and will be adding other materials in 2020. While it may be some time before you’re printing parts in the shop, this kind of technology offers opportunities for creating obsolete parts from drawings, and even for future dealers to have a tool like this on hand — so a part can be available in hours, not days. Learn more at <a href="http://markforged.com" target="_blank">markforged.com</a>.</p>

<p>GETTING CONNECTED: This utility vehicle shows off a number of ways you can attach tablets and smartphones as needed. The distributor of these tools is CTA, and the company offers a wide range of ways to connect — and protect — a tablet. If you’re looking for just the right bracket for that special connection, CTA may have the answer. Learn more at <a href="http://ctadigital.com" target="_blank">ctadigital.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>YES, THAT’S WATER: Smartphones and tablets are becoming more important to farmers every day, but everyone knows that agriculture is tough on equipment. Catalyst has a long history of providing protective covers for smartphones, tablets and now smartwatches. This display shows a phone and tablet underwater. The company provides a wide range of covers that make these tools waterproof, some even to 33 feet deep. Drop that phone in a puddle? With these cases, all you do is pick it up, wipe it off and keep moving. Learn more about the line at <a href="http://catalystcase.com" target="_blank">catalystcase.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>NEW LIVESTOCK FEED TECH: You’ll be hearing more about this tool, but this is the Grōv Pod — or rather a model. This is a feed-making tool that is totally automated. Seed goes in trays and keep moving up, across and down a large tower that, in real life, is 20 feet tall and 25 feet long. At the end of six days, the farmer harvests fresh grass — usually barley or wheat, but there’s research work on other sources. A large Utah dairy has installed such a system, and it offers the productivity of 50 to 100 acres (depending on what’s raised) in a much smaller space, with less labor. Learn more at <a href="http://grovtech.com" target="_blank">grovtech.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>NEW FROM DJI: Many farmers know the DJI name for its Phantom drone product line. While the company has a new Phantom Mini (details in a future post), a key rollout at CES is the Robomaster S1. This is an educational robot designed to teach students through a “learn-by-doing” model. Essentially, students work to create innovative programs for the robot; and through the process of coding, they can learn a lot. DJI uses the phrase “learn to win” with this machine, which provides a range of features, including the ability for students to learn about artificial intelligence. Learn more at <a href="http://dji.com" target="_blank">dji.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>A NEW KIND OF SEGWAY: Segway is now allied with Ninebot, which is bringing many innovations to market from CES. While the Segway chair did get some attention online, farmers may find the line of Segway off-road machines of greater interest. This unit is the Villain, which is a higher-speed “sport” side-by-side. The company is also offering the Snarler ATV and the Fugleman utility side-by-side. There are a range of engine options, but the highest-power choices come from electric hybrid engines, including increased horsepower and torque. There are conventional engine choices, too. Learn more at <a href="http://powersports.segway.com" target="_blank">powersports.segway.com</a>.</p>

<p>SMART MOUSE PAD: The term “smart” here refers to the design idea of merging a mouse pad with a wireless phone charger. If you’re working in the office and your phone needs a boost, just do some work — but drop your phone on the pad, and it gets charged. This requires that your smartphone has qi (pronounced “chee”) wireless charging capability. There are two versions: the one on the left is PowerTrack Plush, with an ergonomic wrist rest; on the right is the PowerTrack Wireless Charging Mousepad. The fabric is designed to boost mouse tracking for more accurate computer use. With wireless charging becoming more common, this tool can spiff up your office and provide added convenience. Learn more at <a href="http://allsop.com" target="_blank">allsop.com</a>.</p>

<p>MAXIMIZE YOUR CELL SIGNAL: The Fusion2Go Max is a new product from Surecall that was honored with an innovation award at CES. The magnetic-mount antenna connects to that box, which then includes a small “antenna” in the cab of the vehicle. The system boosts 3G and 4G LTE and works with all carriers. The company claims it is the most powerful multi-user, in-vehicle cell signal booster. Anyone in your truck would get a better signal if near that in-cab antenna (the small box to the right). With cell coverage in the country spotty, boosting what you can get might help. Check the next slide for a lower-cost single-user system. Learn more at <a href="http://surecall.com" target="_blank">surecall.com</a><em>.</em></p>

<p>BETTER CELL COVERAGE: Farmers who spend quality time in the pickup cab, but have spotty cell service, might like the Surecall N-Range 2.0. This unit has an antenna and an in-cab holder, which links the phone to the system. It’s powered by a cigarette-lighter plug and retails for $99. It’s a way to boost your cell signal to get better coverage in the cab, though it must be in the holder. Learn more at <a href="http://surecall.com" target="_blank">surecall.com</a>.</p>

<p>SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Drones are popular at CES, but it’s hard to tell what may happen in the future here. This is the Hyundai people-carrying drone — and it had an Uber logo on the side, too. Not sure when people will be ready to step into an autonomous drone to get from place to place, but there was plenty of interest at CES. Reliance on autonomy is a big theme at CES.</p>

<p>A ROLLING SMOKER: Who doesn’t like access to a good mess of smoked ribs — anywhere?&nbsp;Well, Thor Drake with See See Motorcycle Racing must really like having a smoker handy, because he attached a Traeger Grill to an Indian motorcycle for his ride to Sturgis, S.D., in 2019. It’s clear you can find a wide range of “innovations” at CES. This machine was in the Goal Zero exhibit. Goal Zero is a company that produces a wide range of portable power products (you can see two in front of the motorcycle). Want to know more about Goal Zero? Visit <a href="http://goalzero.com" target="_blank">goalzero.com</a>.</p>