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CNH Industrial Acquires Advanced Farm’s Robotic Apple Picker Technology
In a significant move for agricultural technology, CNH Industrial has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets and intellectual property of Advanced Farm, a startup renowned for its robotic apple-picking innovations. This acquisition comes on the heels of successful pilot tests conducted by various growers in Washington state during the recent 2024 harvest season, where the robotic system demonstrated its effectiveness in apple harvesting.
According to a spokesperson from CNH, the investment in Advanced Farm’s technology is driven by the pressing need to combat labor shortages in agriculture while simultaneously boosting efficiency and resilience within the sector. “Integrating Advanced Farm’s technologies into our broader innovation strategy aligns with our goal to enhance robotic harvesting solutions. We are also excited to welcome key members of Advanced Farm’s team to our technology and innovation divisions, which will further bolster our internal development capabilities in this area,” the spokesperson remarked.
CNH Industrial was an early backer of Advanced Farm Technologies Inc., which is based in Davis, California. The partnership facilitated the development of a new robotic solution for picking apples and strawberries. Sources indicate that CNH intends to pursue the commercialization of this advanced platform further.
During an interview with The Robot Report, Advanced Farm CEO, Kyle Abbott, acknowledged the recent achievements of the company in reaching critical technical milestones. However, he also expressed concern regarding the challenging investment environment currently faced by agtech startups. The choice to sell the company’s assets and intellectual property to CNH was a tough decision, yet Abbott believes this move ensures the continuity and future potential of their innovations.
Abbott confirmed that the intellectual property will be integrated into CNH’s existing projects, while a significant portion of Advanced Farm’s skilled technical team will transition to CNH, reinforcing their capabilities as they move forward with these advancements in agricultural robotics.
Source
www.therobotreport.com