According to a media release, when the combine was positioned properly, “the driver took his hands off the wheel and the GPS program took over, navigating itself along 24 precisely programmed lines and angles.”
It took the combine about four hours to complete the 500-metre-wide maple leaf.
"GPS technology is in all the combines these days,” David Lee, a geomatics researcher with the Ministry of Agriculture, said in a release. “Being hands-free reduces fatigue for the operator and allows them to focus on running the machine efficiently. With this level of precision, farmers are no longer wasting energy and time on overlapping cuts."
While the demonstration proved to be a tribute to Canada, it was also a tip of the cap to precision agriculture.
“Combined with field and satellite monitoring, farmers can know real time weather, soil, air quality and crop maturity in their fields at the click of a button. They also know when and where to apply fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides…The efficiencies gained directly translate into profits for farmers and a healthier environment for Canadians,” the release said.