Tauranga company Robotics Plus has gone commercial with its multipurpose, hybrid autonomous machine for orchard use. The Prospr machine has evolved from Robotic Plus’s early efforts to develop an autonomous kiwifruit picking machine. After developers recognised that having a crop-specific machine limited global sales prospects, they moved to develop a multifunctional, platform-type machine with multiple applications across different fruit and orchard types.
According to CEO Steve Saunders, he expects to see 20 machines in commercial use by early next year, with one a week being manufactured on the company’s Tauranga production line. This will increase to two a week in the new year. The machine is being showcased at the robotic agricultural event FIRA 2023 this week, in Salinas, California.
Source: farmersweekly.co.nz
