New Zealand-based company Robotics Plus, a specialist in agricultural automation solutions, has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Yamaha Motor Co to form the foundation of Yamaha Agriculture.
The new company is focused on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions that help growers in the specialty crop market become more sustainable, pro table and resilient in the face of scarcer resources and climate change.
Robotics Plus specialises in developing automation solutions for agriculture, combining expertise in robotics, automation, sensing, and data analytics.
With a proven track record of delivering innovative technologies to global markets, the company continues to push the boundaries of agricultural automation.
Its latest development, Prospr, is a robust, autonomous, multi-purpose hybrid vehicle designed to perform a range of orchard and vineyard tasks.
Built to tackle labor shortages and enhance efficiency, precision, sustainability, and safety, Prospr is capable of multiple activities including spraying and weed control, with additional attachments such as mowing in development.
Robotics Plus’ innovations also include the Aporo Fruit Packer, which automates fruit packing, and a robotic log scaler to automate log measurement for trucks and trains.
Since 2017, Yamaha Motor, the parent company of newly launched US-based Yamaha Agriculture has supported Robotics Plus with strategic investment to drive development of agricultural automation technologies and to expand its presence in the agtech sector.
Following Robotics Plus’ acquisition, the company will continue to operate its core business at its headquarters in Tauranga, retaining high value skilled jobs and IP development in New Zealand, while bene ting from the support of Yamaha Agriculture, to grow globally.
Co-founder and chief executive of Robotics Plus Steve Saunders, says the business was founded on a vision to develop state-of-the-art robotic technology to solve some of the global agriculture industry’s biggest challenges, including labour, productivity and sustainability issues.
“This acquisition is a testament to the strong partnership were built with Yamaha over the years, driven by a shared vision and commitment to empowering large-scale growers,” Steve says.
“Innovations such as Prospr are at the heart of Yamaha Agriculture’s global strategy, enabling a data-driven approach to precision agriculture,” he says.
“With Yamaha’s support, we are poised to accelerate our robotics innovations, significantly scale our hardware manufacturing, and expand further into key markets such as the US, and beyond.”
At Robotics Plus, co-founder and chief engineer Dr Alistair Scarfe says to drive meaningful change in agriculture, you need to think big and tackle globally scalable challenges.
“That mindset has allowed Robotics Plus to build a world-class team of specialists across agriculture, technology, and engineering – delivering best-in-class robotic solutions that are now deployed worldwide,” Alistair says.
“Over the years, we’ve greatly benefited from Yamaha Motor’s deep industry expertise, and we’re excited to take our innovations even further with Yamaha Agriculture with a continued focus on quality, reliability, and safety,” he says.
The group chief executive of Yamaha Ag, Nolan Paul, says guided by his company’s mission to ensure growers are sustainable, pro table, and resilient, YA recognises the challenges facing specialty crop growers require thoughtful solutions that will take time to develop.
“We believe meaningful innovation in agriculture emerges through close collaboration with growers and industry partners,” Nolan says.
“The capabilities of Robotics Plus in robotics and automation will be an important building block in addressing these challenges along with AI-powered data analytics,” he says.
“We are committed to a deliberate approach that prioritises creating real value for growers while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability for which Yamaha Motor is known.”
