If you’re bored with slug pelleting duties in the cold, noisy cab of a UTV, or short of staff to run farm-based errands, then US firm Dataspeed might have the answer.

It has designed a driverless kit for the Polaris Ranger XP1000 North Star that allows it to follow designated paths entirely autonomously.

See also: On test: Battery-powered Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic

The drive-by-wire system uses sophisticated electronics to control the components, tapping into the existing canbus-based control network with minimal mods to the original parts.

Handily, top-spec Rangers come as standard with electronic power steering and throttle, meaning they can be relatively easily hacked into.

But there are a couple of purely mechanical elements, such as the brakes, for which Dataspeed fits discrete actuators to work them.

© Dataspeed

High-tech

Most of the industrial-grade hardware and associated software has been heavily modified from the automotive sector.

Among the array of technology that helps the buggy follow its route without coming a cropper is a OxTS guidance receiver, several colour cameras, and radar and lidar sensors.

The company typically produces its unmanned autonomous systems for research and development purposes, the defence industry, and any situations where working conditions are particularly hazardous.

However, it does propose several farm-related uses, such as ferrying parts or tools from the workshop to the field, conducting regular passes around a large site to act as a security deterrent, and running feed out to pastures.

All potentially nice ideas, albeit somewhat stymied by the $100,000 (£77,000) list price.