With recent advances in technology, people are making all sorts of innovations and personal improvements. It's interesting when the imaginations of ambitious youngsters can turn established products into something unique.

Students in Olin College's Senior Capstone Program for Engineering (SCOPE) recently collaborated to design a robotic version of the standard John Deere Gator XUV that's controlled 100 percent by a computer chip. Sponsored in part by Draper Laboratory, this project included five students who made the Gator capable of driving itself and detecting paths to avoid obstacles.

After testing the Classic John Deere vehicle in the campus parking lot, the team members decided to add advanced GPS features to improve its autonomous capacity. Of course, there were many technical mishaps the students had to overcome, but in the end, it was worth the occasional stress.

"Being a SCOPE sponsor is rewarding personally and professionally," Troy B. Jones, autonomous systems capability leader at Draper, told the press. "I get to work with excellent students and they provide me innovative ideas and demonstrations that our company would otherwise not have the bandwidth to pursue."

Imagine how much of an advancement it would mean for farm life when growers can till their fields while sitting on a lawn chair.