Prospr is an autonomous, hybrid vehicle designed to carry out various orchard and vineyard tasks. | Credit: Robotics Plus
Yamaha Motor Co. has acquired Robotics Plus Ltd. to seed a new agricultural technology company called Yamaha Agriculture Inc. It will focus on delivering autonomous equipment and artificial intelligence-powered digital systems to help growers in the specialty crop market.
Japan-based Yamaha Motor made the strategic acquisitions of Robotics Plus and The Yield Technology Solutions to develop and deliver robots for varied applications and to apply advanced analytics and AI to precision farming of wine grapes, apples, and other specialty crops across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
“Guided by our mission to ensure growers are sustainable, profitable, and resilient, Yamaha Agriculture recognizes that the challenges facing specialty crop growers require thoughtful solutions that will take time to develop,” stated Nolan Paul, group CEO of Yamaha Agriculture. “We believe meaningful innovation in agriculture emerges through close collaboration with growers and industry partners.”
“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 added. “We are committed to a deliberate approach that prioritizes creating real value for growers while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability for which Yamaha Motors is known.”
Robotics Plus provides autonomous agricultural robots
Robotics Plus has developed systems to address labor shortages and improve efficiency. They include Prospr, an autonomous orchard and vineyard vehicle capable of spraying, weed control, and eventually mowing. Other innovations include the Āporo automated fruit packer and a robotic log scaler.
Yamaha Motor has supported Robotics Plus since 2017, investing $10 million. It said the company will remain headquartered in Tauranga, New Zealand, retaining jobs and intellectual property, while expanding globally with Yamaha’s support.
“Robotics Plus 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 labor, productivity, and sustainability issues,” said Steve Saunders, co-founder and CEO of Robotics Plus. “This acquisition is a testament to the strong partnership we’ve built with Yamaha over the years, driven by a shared vision and commitment to empowering large-scale growers. Innovations like Prospr are at the heart of Yamaha Agriculture’s global strategy.”
The Yield brings advanced analytics
The Yield provides advanced data analytics and AI-powered models to deliver yield predictions and optimize on and off-farm operations. Yamaha Agriculture said it will combine Prospr with these analytics to support farmers with data-driven decision making.
“Establishing Yamaha Agriculture is a pivotal milestone in our Long-Term Vision 2030 — ART for Human Possibilities,” said Jim Aota, chief strategy officer at Yamaha Motor. “This initiative embodies the three core pillars we aim to achieve in our 2030 Long-Term Vision: Advancing robotics, rethinking solutions, and transforming mobility.”
With Yamaha Motors’ experience as a manufacturer of high-performance products, it said the new agriculture business will integrate The Yield and Robotics Plus’ complementary technologies to create a comprehensive platform for precision farming. By combining autonomous equipment with intelligent data insights, Yamaha Agriculture said it will help growers reduce input costs, optimize resource utilization, and improve overall productivity.
Yamaha Agriculture to offer precision agriculture globally
Vineyards are one of the target markets for the new portfolio of solutions from Yamaha Agriculture. | Credit: Robotics Plus
Robotics Plus had grown to a team of 130 people, and Saunders said he expects the new company to continue scaling worldwide.
“Scale is the key to making technology more accessible and affordable for growers in New Zealand and beyond, so we are global from Day 1,” he said. “Partnering early on with a global corporation that shared our vision allowed us to accelerate our expansion. The Robotics Plus team has shown it’s possible to build a world-leading agritech business from New Zealand that can successfully scale on a global level.”
“To drive meaningful change in agriculture, you need to think big and tackle globally scalable challenges,” observed Dr. Alistair Scarfe, co-founder and chief engineering officer at Robotics Plus. “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.”
“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 said.
More automation within the CEA/open field ag industry is essential for continued growth. NAIO has a robotic weed pulling machine that helps the grape growers in the West without the need for strong herbicides. GREAT idea that has long been needed.