As agriculture meets digital technologies, a new frontier of innovation is emerging and creating multiple pathways to a smart farming future. This paper presents a case study of a smart farming innovation originating from a small-to-medium sized enterprise (SME) that designs and manufactures machinery used in broadacre, conservation tillage farming. The innovation, known as DOT™, is an entrepreneur’s response to problems in the agriculture industry. Applying the innovation opportunity space (IOS) conceptual framework, this study identified the process of innovation was based on synthesis of tacit knowledge (experience-based knowledge of farming and agribusiness) and codified knowledge (drawing on computer programming). The innovation offers a solution for farming problems, and other firms are incorporating the autonomous functionality into their short-line manufacturing operations through licensing agreements, and early farmer adoption is positive. However, this smart farming IOS is presently an Unstable IOS and there remain some gaps: public policy for safe deployment of autonomous agriculture vehicles is lagging behind the invention and commercialization; the new business models for manufacture and commercialization of high-tech equipment are just emerging, and data ownership and control remain unresolved; and evidence of the value of smart farming technologies to farmers and the larger social system and biosphere remains scant.

随着农业与数字技术的融合，创新的新领域正在涌现，并为通往智能农业的未来创造了多种途径。本文介绍了一项智能农业创新案例研究，该创新源自中小型企业（SME），该企业设计和制造用于阔亩，保护性耕作农业的机械。这项创新技术被称为DOT™，是企业家对农业行业问题的回应。应用创新机会空间（IOS）概念框架，本研究确定了创新过程是基于隐性知识（农业和农业综合企业的经验知识）和编码知识（计算机程序设计）的综合。创新为农业问题提供了解决方案，其他公司则通过许可协议将自主功能纳入其短线制造业务中，早期采用农民是积极的。但是，这种智能耕作的IOS目前还不是一个稳定的IOS，并且仍然存在一些差距：安全部署自动驾驶农业车辆的公共政策落后于发明和商业化；高科技设备制造和商业化的新商业模式刚刚出现，数据所有权和控制权仍未解决。尚无证据证明智能农业技术对农民以及更大的社会系统和生物圈具有价值。这种智能耕作的IOS目前是不稳定的IOS，并且仍然存在一些差距：安全部署自动驾驶农业车辆的公共政策落后于发明和商业化；高科技设备制造和商业化的新商业模式才刚刚出现，数据所有权和控制权仍未解决。智慧农业技术对农民以及更大的社会系统和生物圈的价值的证据仍然很少。这种智能耕作的IOS目前是不稳定的IOS，并且仍然存在一些差距：安全部署自动驾驶农业车辆的公共政策落后于发明和商业化；高科技设备制造和商业化的新商业模式刚刚出现，数据所有权和控制权仍未解决。尚无证据证明智能农业技术对农民以及更大的社会系统和生物圈具有价值。