Driving Autonomy in Agriculture

Autonomous Nation is a conference bringing together the best and brightest minds in the autonomous industry. Join influential stakeholders, industry entrepreneurs, and innovators leading the way in advancing autonomous technology!

From tackling workforce shortages to eliminating inefficiencies and bridging technology gaps, this conference will showcase the latest innovations and solutions that will shape the future of our industry. We will also feature several live demonstrations to showcase the latest technology in real-time and real-world demonstrations!

On September 12th, 2024 we hosted several engaging speakers, heard from innovative panelists, and witnessed incredible live demonstrations. 

This event was held on September 12, 2024.

This event was held on September 12, 2024. 

Conference Goals

  • Showcase latest technologies
    • Serve as a platform to showcase cutting-edge technologies in the autonomous ag industry.
  • Bridge technology gaps
    • Facilitate discussion and collaboration aimed at bridging gaps in the autonomous ag industry.
  • Address workforce shortages
    • Explore how autonomous technologies can help mitigate workforce gaps
  • Real-time demonstrations:
    • Showcase the latest technology in real-time and real-world demonstrations.

Keynote Speakers

Darcy Cook

Noel Anderson

Panels

Grower Panel

AI and Autonomy's Role in Weed Detection and Destruction

Mainstage Speakers

Terri Zimmerman

Bodo Siefert

Lukas Koch

Adam Gilbertson

Hector Xu

Startup Pitches

Arun Seelam

Lucas Buckland

Ty Audronis

Julien Laffont

Lawrence Ibarria

Topics to Cover

How do we bridge the gap with existing infrastructure and practices to reach the next level of autonomy?

Adaptability and scalability of autonomous systems:

Discuss how autonomous systems can be designed to adapt to diverse agricultural environments and scale effectively to different farm sizes and types.

Use cases of autonomy in agriculture:

What are different types of autonomous applications in ag both on farm and off farm?

Integration with existing infrastructure and practices

Exploring strategies for integrating autonomous technology with existing equipment, workflows, and agricultural practices to minimize disruption and maximize efficiency gains.

Data management and connectivity:

Addressing challenges related to data collection, processing, storage, and connectivity in rural agricultural settings, and showcasing innovative solutions and best practices for managing agricultural data effectively

Reverse pitch sessions

What are the challenges that growers and industry want to see solved that autonomy can solve?

2024 Schedule

Coffee & Networking

Conference Introduction 

Darcy Cook, Head of Autonomous Solutions, PTx Trimble 

Terri Zimmerman, CEO, Packet Digital

Bodo Seifert, Senior Automotive Functional Safety Engineer and Practice Lead, TÜV Rheinland Group

Grower’s Panel

A space to hear from farmers themseleves on autonomous technology and the impact it has on agriculture. 

Moderator: Stetson Urlacher, Grower Program Coordinator, Grand Farm

Panelists:

  • Drew Courtney, Grower, North Dakota Corn Growers Association
  • David Gorder, Grand Farm Grower Advisory Board Member
  • Verna Kragnes, Grand Farm Grower Advisory Board Member

Startup Pitches

  • Arun Seelam, Boson Motors
  • Lucas Buckland, Bovi

Lukas Koch, Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems

 

TechConnect Education Workshop

The TechConnect Workshop, for students and educators, will connect educators and students with professionals representing different careers in technology and the autonomous industry, and resources available in our region.

 

AI and Autonomy’s role in Weed Detection and Destruction Panel

This panel will focus on the collaborative effort between Grand Farm, Northern Plains UAS  test site, NDSU, Thales, and iSight on utilizing UAS systems and AI tools to help prevent the spread of the noxious weed, Palmer Amaranth that is spreading in North Dakota. This panel will also cover the opportunities UAS has in agriculture through technologies like the VANTIS network enabling BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) flights. 

Moderator: Johnathan Gehrke, UND

Panelists:

  • Jeremy Amundson, Northern Plains UAS Test Site
  • Doug McDonald, iSight
  • Greta Silewski, Thales
  • Dr. Xin (Rex) Sun, NDSU

Startup Pitches

  • Ty Audronis, Tempest Droneworx
  • Julien Laffont, Naio
  • Lawrence Ibarria, Nighthawk Robotics

 Adam Gilbertson, Senior Vice President – Field Technology and Innovation, RDO Equipment 

Hector Xu, CEO, Rotor

 Dr. Noel Anderson – Keynote

Networking

Live Demonstrations 

James Kim, Amiga Robot

Joe Bridges, NAIO Robot

Devin Nohl, TenacityAg

Arun Seelam, Boson Motors Truck

Dr. Xin (Rex) Sun, NDSU Ag Engineering

Conference Wrap-Up and Social Hour

Keynote Speakers

        

Darcy Cook

Head of Autonomous Solutions

Ptx Trimble

Dr. Noel Anderson

Inventor

 

       

Speakers

Jeremy Amundson

Sr. Project Manager

Northern Plains UAS Test Site

Ty Audronis

CEO

Tempest Droneworx

Lucas Buckland

CEO

Bovi

Drew Courtney

Grower

North Dakota Corn Growers Association

Jonathan Gehrke

Senior Director of Development – School of Aerospace

University of North Dakota

Adam Gilbertson

SVP – Field Technology and Innovation

RDO Equipment 

David Gorder

Grower

 

Lawrence Ibarria

CEO

Nighthawk Robotics

Lukas Koch

CEO 

Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems

Verna Kragnes

Grower

 

Julien Laffont

Director

NAIO

Douglas McDonald

Flight Operations Manager

iSight

Arun Seelam

CEO & Co-Founder

Boson Motors

Bodo Seifert

Senior Automotive Functional Safety Engineer and Practice Lead

TÜV Rheinland Group

Greta Silewski

Project Consultant

Thales

Dr. Xin (Rex) Sun

Associate Professor

NDSU

Hector Xu

CEO

Rotor

Terri Zimmerman

CEO

Packet Digital

Lukas Koch

CEO 

Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems

Julien Laffont

Director

NAIO

Emcees

    

Andrew Jason

Ecosystems Director

Grand Farm

      

Hollie Mackey

CEO

FARMS

    

Artists

     

Kira Knutson

     

Blaine Booher

    

Live Demonstrations

Join us for a real-life glimpse at some of the innovative technology that our partners and researchers have designed and built. Learn about the practical implications of autonomous farming and the role it plays in shaping the future. 

Join us for our live demonstrations at the Big Iron Farm Show from 2 PM – 4 PM on September 12th, 2024. 

Get excited about demos from TenacityAg, NAIO, Boson Motors, and Farm_ng’s Amiga Robot.

TechConnect Education Workshop

TechConnect: Navigating Future Careers in the Autonomous Industry

Many people today hear about the opportunity for a career in tech but are unaware of what types of jobs are available across the industry and in our region. Through this workshop, Grand Farm will connect educators and students with professionals representing different careers in technology and the autonomous industry, and resources available in our region to learn more. This workshop is part of the larger Autonomous Nation Conference taking place on September 12th, 2024.

Objectives:

  • Expose, excite, and equip the attendees with current and future careers in autonomous industries
  • Assist our future workforce with navigating AgTech careers in the region. 

 Join us if you are a:

  • Student (high school and above)
  • Educator
  • Industry Professional

Registrants will Experience:

  • Learning and networking with leaders from the UAS Council, Industry and Higher-ed
  • Step by step process of earning your Remote Pilot License
  • Networking Lunch with more educational resources in the autonomous industry
  • Access to Grand Farm’s demonstration of autonomous technologies at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds

Speakers:

  • Kenley Nebeker, Board Chair, North Dakota Unmanned Autonomous Systems Council
  • Sawyer Hanson, Innovation Solutions Manager, Bobcat
  • Tyler Zima,Product Manager,  RDO Equipment
  • Kenny Lee, Co-Founder, Aigen
  • Molly Hane, COO, Fenworks
  • Dr. Nitin Rai, Postdoctoral Research Associate, NDSU
  • Dr. Billy Ram, Postdoctoral Research Associate, NDSU
  • Dr. Prakash Ranganathan, Associate Professor & Director of Cybersecurity Research Programs, UND
  • Seth Simonson, Associate Professor, NDSU
  • Dr. Ahmed Harb Rabia, Research Assistant Professor, NDSU
  • Sai Sri Sravya Vishnumolakala, Intern at AgCo, NDSU PhD Student
  • Lacee Bjork Anderson, North Dakota UAS

Hosts:

  • Dr. Ruchi Joshi Bhardwaj, Sr. Program Manager of Research and Education, Grand Farm
  • Aaron Sykes, Assistant Director, NCAT

Week of Autonomous Nation Schedule

Big Iron Farm Show

Stop by the Grand Farm booth from 9 AM – 5 PM to connect with the team, learn more about Grand Farm, and get a chance to win some Grand Farm swag!

8:30 AM – 10:30 AM – StartupBREW & Startup World Cup Regional Pitch Competition

Join us at the Grand Farm Innovation Shop for our Autonomous Nation themed StartupBREW from 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM! Immediately following StartupBREW we will host the Startup World Cup Regional Pitch Competition from 9:30 AM until 10:30 AM! 

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Grand Farm Field Day

Join us for our final Field Day of the season!

Autonomous Nation Conference

 

Michelle Liu

Senior Product Manager 

Microsoft Azure

Kenny Lee

Co-founder

Aigen

Mike McHugh

Education Coordinator

ND Aeronautics Commission

Mike Metzger autonomous nation
Mike Metzger

Vice President, Agriculture & Research

Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative

Prashant Mishra autonomous nation
Prashant Mishra

Founder and CEO

Agripilot.ai

Anthony Molzahn

Chief Executive Officer

Devii.io

Senior Program Manager of Field Operations​ Ann Nobriga
Ann Nobriga

Program Manager of Field Operations

Grand Farm

Venkatesh Rao

Director of Product Management, Autonomous Systems

Microsoft

Michael Robbins

Chief Advocacy Officer

AUVSI

Renee Shelton

Associate Vice President

UND Foundation

Dr. Xin (Rex) Sun

Associate Professor, Uncrewed Autonomous Systems (UAS) Faculty Fellow

North Dakota State University

Erin Roesler

Director of Operations 

Northern Plains UAS Test Site

Paul Snyder

Associate Professor, Uncrewed Autonomous Systems (UAS) Faculty Fellow

North Dakota State University

Taya Spelhaug

TechSpark Manager

Microsoft

Arnaud Thiercelin

Engineering and Product Leader

Thread

Terri Zimmerman

Chief Executive Officer

Packet Digital/Botlink