Thiago Príncipe is 14 years old, he built a tractor with salvaged parts and now he wants to automate it: "I felt the innovation"

The teenager lives in the rural area of San Ambrosio, near Río Cuarto; after presenting his "tractor" in exhibitions, he visited the CNH plant in Córdoba to learn how agricultural machinery is manufactured - 4 minutes reading In the countryside where Thiago Príncipe lives, near Río Cuarto, there were old cars on which a tornado had knocked down trees. Among those vehicles, the 14-year-old found parts to shape his own project: building a small tractor. He recovered components, disassembled, and experimented with putting them together to make his "tractor" work. This work led him to present his creation in exhibitions and to get an inside look at an agricultural machinery factory. "I am from San Ambrosio, a rural area near Río Cuarto, and I have been interested in tractors since I was young. I made mine with scrap metal that was in the countryside, from old cars that were left after a tornado that threw plants up over them. I disassembled and reassembled until I built my little tractor with the parts I had," Thiago told CNH when he visited the industrial plant. His interest in mechanics had already led to other projects. According to the newspaper UNO, at nine years old, during school holidays, he built a kart with materials from the family workshop. At eleven, he repaired his first engine and, later, assembled a small homemade truck that, despite its rudimentary appearance, worked. This article described a childhood surrounded by tools, engines, and agricultural machines, in a family where inventiveness has an important place. In this learning process, the way his parents supported his initiatives also played a role. According to the UNO note, his father, Hugo Príncipe, said that he prefers to let him try and make mistakes so that he finds how to solve problems on his own. With the parts available and the tools of his family environment, Thiago was gaining experience to tackle new tasks. The construction of the "tractor" had its difficulties. In the visit to CNH, where Case IH and New Holland agricultural machines are manufactured, he said that one of the biggest challenges was developing the tractor's steering. Figuring out how to maneuver it was part of the process of transforming the recovered components into his own vehicle. Accompanied by his parents, the Minister of Production, Science and Technological Innovation of Córdoba, Fernando Sibilla, and company collaborators, Thiago was able to observe how an activity that has attracted him since childhood is developed on an industrial scale. His initiative began to transcend the workshop when he presented it at the Rural Exhibition of Río Cuarto. Then he went to the Provincial Fair of Science, Technologies, Arts, Movement and Innovation, where he sparked the interest of the educational and productive community. During the visit, he toured the production line and learned about the automation processes, from assembling the parts to the operation of industrial machinery. The teenager especially highlighted the technology he found in the factory: "I felt the innovation they do here and all the technology they implement. It was very interesting to know how they work," he expressed. The company presented the experience as part of its commitment to bringing new generations to the world of manufacturing, engineering, and agricultural technology. According to him, these visits seek to show how curiosity and practical learning can open opportunities for training and professional development. Daniel Álvarez Reyna, Plant Manager at CNH, valued the teenager's interest in mechanics and technology. "Stories like his reflect how curiosity and creativity can transform an idea into a concrete project. For us, it is very important to open the doors of our plant and show the new generations how that passion can connect with an industry that generates knowledge, employment, and opportunities," he stated. While learning other ways to manufacture machinery, Thiago is already thinking about new modifications for his tractor. According to UNO, among the improvements he is projecting are the automation of the start-up, lights, and the alarm. Furthermore, along with his brother Joel, he wants to incorporate an autonomous driving system. In this way, it was learned that the next challenge will start with that machine he built with the parts he found in the countryside. "We are going to put that system on the little tractor to automate it," he explained about the new goal he has with Joel. - 1 - 2 Super Child 2026: increased the probability of the phenomenon having a historical magnitude by 75%, warns a report - 3 Super Child: Brazil projects a record harvest of 354.5 million tons of grain, but there is a threat - 4 Meat to Europe: slaughterhouses are starting to demand traceability and there is a debate about prices