The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-12
Machines That Are
| Almost Human
B y E. C. = VI 0 X
The Robot Plowrnan

-
~ those sOulless machines de-
signed to free mems hands from the
bondage of labor, have not neglect
ed the farmer.
The farmer, of course. benefits
along with the rest of humanity
from the radio and similar ma
chimes of this age of mechanical
wizardry, but a new device has been
built for his especial benefit. Of
course, it has only been demon
strated as yet, and it may be many
years before it will be seen on the
farms of the country, but 1t has
been shown to the public, and it
worked.
1t is the robot plowman. Imag
inc having a mechanical man to
perform that most tedious of farm
tasks, the spring plOwing.
At the University of Nebraska
college of agriculture there recent
ly was demonstrated a remarkable
tractor that ran by itself and sue
cessfully plowed a 20-acre field.
The operator guided it once
around the field, leaving a furrOw
around the outside edge of the field
to be plOwed. Then he started the
engine Of the tractor with one
front wheel of the tractor in the
furrOw already plOwed, and a metal
guide on the front of the tractor
did the rest
The robot tractor chugged along
the constantly diminishing area,
and did not stop until the whole
field was plOwed. Then il came to
rest in the center of the field. and
the operator went out and drove
his robot plowman into the garage
This mechanical plowman has a
device attached to it that prevents
accidents. An automatic cutoff
stops the tractor instantly in case
the plOw hits a rock or other OBJ
struction while the machine is in
operation or whenever the front
wheel leaves the plOwed furrOw
that guides it around the field.
The device used to operate the
robot plowman was similar to that
used to operate ships, trains and
airplanes without a human being
about them. The robot, through the
levers that serve as arms and
hands, starts, stops and steers this
wonderful machine. while sets of
wheels, magnets and electric cells
inside il supply the energy for it to
perform its task.
This particular mechanical plow-
man was started by the operator
pulling a lever. 1t could easily be
made to start at a command by
spoken words. Science could build
a machine that would do the plow-
ing while the farmer sat on his
porch and shouted his orders to the
robot across the field
Huge harvesters. threshing ma
chimes. reapers. corn cutters and
shOckers and other farm imple-
mentS could be operated hy this rO-
bot just as easily as the tractor
was operated in the demonstration
at the University Of Nebraska.
Farm engineers have produced
special electric headlights for trac-
tors and food lights for the fields
TO enable farmers to work after
dark during their rush season. hut
this device merely makes it possible
for the farmer to do his own work
for more hours each day. The ro-
bot. however, when the age of me-
chanical men comes into its own,
will do the work for him.
Scientists are constantly at work
to tighten the burden of farm tasks
and to increase the yield from the
soil. New devices that produce al
most miraculous results are now in
use, and more are foreseen as scien-
fists continue their experiments.
The use of the ultraviolet ray.
that source of mysterious power, is
constantly being brOadened on
the farm. Machines spreading "ar-
tificial daylight" in poultry houses
make the hens lay more eggs, and
increase the growth of poultry for
the market.
The use of these rays, directly or
indirectly by subjecting fertilizers
to them, is speeding up productivity
of the soil, doubling the size and
number of the crops.
Ca 1881. Western Newspaper UnionO