Intern Jaydon Estebo was on SDSU's Quarter Scale Tractor team, which won first place at the ASABE International Quarter Scale Tractor Competition for the second year in a row.
Our team members are actively seeking ways to help farmers serve the world, and they continue to develop groundbreaking innovations that deliver results for farmers.
Test Engineering Intern Jaydon Estebo was on the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Quarter Scale Tractor Competition team, which took home first place at the annual American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) International Quarter Scale Tractor Competition.
Jaydon's role on the team was to design and build various tractor subassemblies, with an emphasis on the front suspension and operator's station. The station featured a custom air ride seat.
This was Jaydon's second year with the team and marked SDSU's second year as the international champion. He said it was a great experience for him to work closely with his team members to design and build a tractor that showcased the team's commitment to innovation.
The tractor competition is the culmination of hours of hard work and determination. Jaydon said the team has been working on the tractor throughout their entire school year, with primary design and development taking place during the fall semester. Throughout the spring semester, the team focuses on building and testing. The team estimates that they spent 6,000 collective hours building the tractor.
The Quarter Scale Tractor team works on all aspects of the tractor, and Jaydon said it was an excellent learning experience for him as the team determined the best ways to innovate their tractor.
"We created our most electrically advanced tractor to date, with five electronic actuators and a complete air system on the tractor. The troubleshooting of these components in addition to mechanical testing was an excellent learning experience."
— Jaydon Estebo, Test Engineering Intern
For Jaydon, the ASABE International Quarter Scale Tractor Competition was rewarding because of its commitment to advancing innovations. He said that the dedication of the judges, volunteers, and sponsors is obvious, and it made the experience even more enjoyable.
CNH Industrial, Raven's parent company, is a Titanium Level sponsor of the competition, showing the commitment we have to helping the next generation of engineers be the best.
The competition encourages growth of those involved, and it helps prepare them for the transition from being students to succeeding in their professional careers. Jaydon was drawn to Raven because of our commitment to advancing farming through technology and innovation, and he said that his time on the quarter scale team is helping him succeed in his role.
"Almost everything I learned as a part of the team has been valuable in my experience with Raven. From designing parts and wiring electronics to working as a team and communicating with others, my knowledge from Quarter Scale is applied each day at work."
— Jaydon Estebo, Test Engineering Intern
The SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor team received the following awards:
Congratulations, Jaydon, and the rest of the SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor team! Your hard work showcases the innovations that will come from the next generation of engineers.
