Sure, that’s not a huge challenge, but they went well above and beyond your standard tractor design. Fresh off celebrating Osaka-based heavy manufacturer Yanmar’s centennial anniversary, designer Ken Okuyama felt it was time to inject some well-overdue fresh style into the generally conservative world of agriculture.

However, these tractors are more than just a pretty face, as we’ll soon learn.

This prototype, eloquently named Y-Concept YTO1 Advanced Tractor, was intended to be a balance of function and form. For example, the slimmed engine compartment and wide/round cabin are in order to maximize the driver’s field of view.

Also, can you see what’s wrong with this picture?

That’s right; no one’s driving the tractor on the left. Yanmar is still in the process of developing an “unmanned work system” which will allow one person to control two tractors at once. Yanmar says this can be effective in combining actions like plowing and sowing simultaneously for greater productivity.

So you have your sleek decked-out tractor that totally looks like a transformer if you stare at it long enough. Now, it’s time to complete the look! Yanmar is also looking to complete change the face of farming with these snazzy new duds.

More than making farm workers look like space marines, these suits were designed by studying the movements involved in such work and interviewing farmers to find out what they want in effective clothing. There’s even some pink and black trim to separate the men from the women.

When the YTO1 was unveiled on 25 July, Japanese netizens chimed in saying almost unanimously that this tractor was “a Decepticon”, except for one who thought it was a “new kind of metal gear.” Others were anticipating a high price tag for such a ride, but since it’s a concept we aren’t likely to see it for sale at all in this exact form.

Nevertheless, Ken Okuyama and Yanmar certainly look ready to make some big changes to how future farming will look. At the announcement they said a mass-produced model of the YTO1 is expected for 2015. They’re also hoping the driverless technology will be ready in the nearer future for their other models.

Source: Yanmar (Japanese/English) via Nikkei, Hachima Kiko (Japanese)