| 11:05-12:00 | Keynote
Speaker: Nicholas Butts, John Deere, USA
Session Chair: Scott Shearer
Title: Plows to Neurons: The Role of HPC and AI in Agriculture
Abstract: The convergence of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the landscape of autonomy and automation in agriculture. In this keynote, we explore how HPC serves as the backbone for advancing AI-driven systems, unlocking new capabilities in decision-making, real-time processing, and adaptive control. We emphasize the critical importance of performance per watt, highlighting the need to optimize energy efficiency as AI adoption scales in resource-constrained environments. Furthermore, we argue that while larger AI models have garnered significant attention, there is a pressing demand for more efficient and specialized AI architectures that deliver superior performance without compromising computational resources. Lastly, we discuss the necessity of innovative sensor fusion methods to enhance situational awareness and decision-making in complex, dynamic environments. By addressing these challenges, we pave the way for smarter, more sustainable, and scalable autonomous systems that will shape the future of technology.
Speaker Bio: Nicholas Butts has over 25 years of experience in embedded systems. He holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from North Dakota State University. Currently, Nicholas is a Senior Staff Research Engineer at John Deere, where he focuses on high-performance computing at the edge and machine learning applications in perception and robotics. In the past he has worked on center pivot irrigation control systems, forklift displays, predictive semi-truck cruise controls, tractor displays, telematics devices, software-defined radios, cockpit video recorders, combine grain quality cameras, and digital signal processing for acoustic blockage monitors and seed counting. He has over 18 patents in the agriculture and aerospace markets.
|