The Ames-based autonomous farming platform Smart Ag has been acquired by Raven Industries, a Sioux Falls-based industrial company with the precision agriculture division Raven Applied Technology. The acquisition falls under the newly-established Raven Autonomy, the company’s strategic growth platform for autonomous agriculture solutions announced on Oct. 28. Smart Ag launched in 2015 and is most known for the Auto Cart system, an autonomous driving interface that can be installed over an existing grain cart tractor’s controls for remote operation. The company reported in August that it expects to start selling the Auto Cart system commercially in the second quarter of 2020.
