Illinois Startup Turns Old Tractors Into Robot Farmhands

Farmers have a million tasks and never enough time, but an Illinois startup just gave them the ultimate helping hand.

Sabanto, based in Itasca, has created technology that transforms ordinary tractors into self-driving machines. The retrofit kit lets existing farm equipment mow, seed, weed, and handle other time-intensive jobs completely on its own while farmers tackle their endless to-do lists.

Founder Craig Rupp grew up on a farm in northwest Iowa and understood the problem firsthand. American agriculture faces a severe labor shortage driven by rural population loss and worker recruitment challenges that threaten the country's food supply.

Rupp spent a winter in 2018 writing the hardware and software to automate a massive 15-foot-tall tractor. Then he earned a commercial trucking license so he could haul his prototype across the country, demonstrating it to farmers and gathering their feedback.

That grassroots approach worked. After refining his design based on real farmer needs, Rupp raised $2 million in 2019 and hired engineers to perfect the technology.

By 2021, Sabanto had a working model that could upgrade standard tractors into autonomous ones. The company started selling retrofit kits to individual farmers and now employs about 50 people with 300 units operating across the United States and Australia.

The technology uses systems similar to LiDAR sensors in self-driving cars, but adapted for agriculture. Fields don't have pedestrians or traffic, so the tractors don't need the same 360-degree urban awareness that autonomous cars require.

What makes Sabanto special is its ability to physically operate farm equipment. Unlike self-driving cars that can't even open their own doors, these systems manipulate levers and gears to make tractors till, aerate, mow, spray, and seed.

The Ripple Effect

Mike Burdick, Sabanto's vice president, says the technology takes a basic tractor and elevates it to the most advanced in the industry. He estimates it quadruples output and capability, giving farmers the freedom to focus on other critical work while their fields get tended.

The solution addresses a crisis that affects everyone who eats. By helping existing farmers accomplish more without additional workers, Sabanto is helping secure America's food supply while making farm life more sustainable.

This farmer-designed innovation proves that the best solutions come from people who truly understand the problem.