Robotics & Automation News

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agricultural automation

WSU researchers design robot that can pick ‘hidden strawberries’

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By Shawn Vestal, WSU News

Strawberries are delicate and hard to harvest – easily bruised and often hidden under a canopy of leaves.

This creates headaches for scientists trying to design robotic harvesters. Now a Washington State University-led team has designed one that combines an artificial-intelligence vision system, soft silicone “fingers”, and a fan that gently move leaves out of the way to get at hidden fruit.

Experiments in the lab and in outdoor fields showed that the harvester correctly detected strawberries 80 percent of the time, on average, and could classify whether the berries were hidden 93 percent of the time. [Read more…] about WSU researchers design robot that can pick ‘hidden strawberries’

Rugged electric actuators provide reliable steering for extensible, self-driving platform 

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It’s all about autonomy. When a large global berry producer approached OxDrive co-founder and managing director Chris Horton with a request to provide an extensible, self-driving cart to transport soft fruit, he and co-founder Terence Goad saw a great opportunity for their advanced smart hub technology in the burgeoning electrification of agribusiness.

The client would handle all the robotics, route planning and AI guidance. OxDrive, a UK-based electric drive unit manufacturer, would design and build GoFAR, a self-driving platform outfitted for multiple transport purposes, integrating optical sensors, motors, transmissions and controls.

They just needed to find the right actuator to enable the steering. [Read more…] about Rugged electric actuators provide reliable steering for extensible, self-driving platform 

4AG Robotics raises C$40 million Series B for its automated mushroom harvesting

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4AG Robotics, a pioneer in fully autonomous mushroom harvesting, has closed its C$40 million (Canadian dollars) Series B financing.

The investment round was led by Astanor and Cibus Capital, with support from new investor Voyager Capital and existing investors InBC, Emmertech, BDC Industrial Innovation Fund, Jim Richardson Family Office, Stray Dog Capital and Seraph Group.

This round follows a $17.5 million round in 2023, bringing total capital raised to $57.5 million in the past two years. [Read more…] about 4AG Robotics raises C$40 million Series B for its automated mushroom harvesting

China achieves ‘97 percent mechanization rate in cotton farming’ through robotics

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In China’s top cotton-growing region, Xinjiang, the path to full mechanization begins with a seed.

Xinjiang, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the country’s cotton output, has surpassed a 97 percent mechanization rate in cotton farming.

This was achieved in large part through the use of robotics, such as the one jointly developed by Xinjiang University and EAVision Robotic Technologies (EAVision). [Read more…] about China achieves ‘97 percent mechanization rate in cotton farming’ through robotics

Exclusive interview: John Deere deepens its automation strategy

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John Deere has been a consistent force in the agricultural automation space, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with connected machines, autonomous tractors, and AI-powered harvesters.

As Robotics and Automation News has recently reported, the company is evolving on multiple fronts – from launching a new generation of combine harvesters with advanced automation features, to unveiling long-term autonomy plans in exclusive interviews with leaders such as Jesse Haecker.

In a follow-up to our recent feature John Deere: Harvesting the future – automation, autonomy, and the investor landscape and our technical deep-dive Deere unveils new combine harvester with expanded advanced automation, we now speak with Mike Moeller, senior group product manager for connectivity, planning and guidance at John Deere. [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: John Deere deepens its automation strategy

John Deere: Harvesting the future – automation, autonomy, and the investor landscape

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Our recent article, Deere unveils new combine harvester with ‘expanded advanced automation’, became one of our most-read pieces in the past few months.

This probably underscores a strong public interest in the intersection between agricultural tradition and cutting-edge technology that is capturing the attention of both farmers and, increasingly, investors.

Deere & Co. (DE), listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), currently trades around $481. As of early May 2025, its market capitalization stands at approximately $130-131 billion. [Read more…] about John Deere: Harvesting the future – automation, autonomy, and the investor landscape

PTx Trimble launches ‘first’ autonomous grain cart solution

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PTx Trimble, formed in 2024 by AGCO and Trimble, has launched “OutRun”, which it describes as “the first commercially available autonomous retrofit grain cart solution on the market”.

The innovation has already been awarded the prestigious Davidson Prize at Commodity Classic 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

The award, presented by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), recognizes breakthrough innovations in agricultural engineering that improve efficiency, sustainability and productivity. [Read more…] about PTx Trimble launches ‘first’ autonomous grain cart solution