From a small town in western Nebraska to the frontlines of agricultural robotics, Jacob Hansen is building technology that could reshape how cattle feedlots operate.

In this episode of Building Nebraska, we sit down with Jacob Hansen, founder of ALA Engineering, to talk about the real-world challenge he set out to solve: labor shortages and efficiency in cattle feeding operations.

After graduating from Gering High School and studying software engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Hansen co-founded ALA Engineering with his team to develop autonomous feed trucks designed specifically for the cattle industry. What started as an idea inspired by robotics and autonomy has turned into a full-scale engineering effort combining cameras, lidar, radar, and software to keep feedlots operating safely and efficiently—day and night.

Now, just years into development, the team is moving from prototypes to production-ready autonomous trucks with real customers preparing for deployment across Nebraska and beyond.

This conversation covers:

• Building a deep-tech startup in rural Nebraska
• Why agriculture is the next frontier for autonomy
• The evolution from robotaxis ambition to ag robotics reality
• What it takes to engineer autonomy for harsh, real-world conditions
• How ALA Engineering is preparing for commercial deployment

Featured: Jacob Hansen, Founder, ALA Engineering
Supported by: University of Nebraska–Lincoln & the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program University of Nebraska–Lincoln