# Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit: robot model

Canonical ID: `08bcaf47-3702-4e9c-9d48-0b638d56e8c2`

- **Slug:** bear-flag-autonomous-tractor
- **Form factor:** agriculture
- **Maturity stage:** commercial
- **Lifecycle:** active
- **Deployments registered:** 1

## Specs

- **crops:** Lettuce, wheat, cotton, tomatoes and other vegetables
- **tasks:** Tillage, cultivating, ground prep
- **region:** California (Salinas Valley, Central Valley)
- **base_tractor:** John Deere 8RT (primary); other brands in development
- **sensor_suite:** Lidar, cameras, GPS
- **service_model:** Autonomous Tillage-as-a-Service (~$20/acre)

## Deployments

- [bear-flag-church-brothers-salinas](/deployments/bear-flag-church-brothers-salinas.md) at Salinas (id: `6d7a5945-2795-4bcd-ac1a-31d667f0283a`)

## Supply chain

_No verified supply relationships on file. Supply-chain coverage is being added across the registry; check back as the seed populates this model's suppliers._

_Suppliers appear when verified with at least two strong sources. Sources are append-only; corrections add new sources rather than rewrite history._

## Common questions

### What is Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit?

Autonomous retrofit kit for existing farm tractors. Bear Flag added lidar, cameras, and GPS hardware drawn from the autonomous vehicle industry to standard tractors, enabling driverless tillage and ground-prep operations. Deployed commercially in California's Salinas Valley and Central Valley from 2020. The technology was acquired by John Deere in August 2021 and contributed to the John Deere autonomous 8R tractor program announced at CES 2022.

### Who makes Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit?

Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit is made by Bear Flag Robotics, based in Sunnyvale, California, USA, founded in 2017.

### Where is Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit deployed?

1 verified deployment of Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Salinas.

### What is Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit's maturity stage?

Bear Flag autonomous tractor retrofit is at the commercial stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Commercial stage means production-grade deployments are operating at named customer sites.


## Sources (2)

1. **Custom Autonomous Tillage and Kits to Retrofit Tractors Drive Company** · https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/equipment/article/2021/02/16/custom-autonomous-tillage-kits-drive · 2021-02-16
2. **AgFunder exit review: John Deere's $250M acquisition of Bear Flag Robotics** · https://agfundernews.com/agfunder-exit-review-why-john-deere-acquired-bear-flag-robotics-for-250m · 2021-08-05

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