Bonsai Robotics’ Visionsteer, whose vision-based navigation is proven right here, works with gear from a number of OEMs.
Bonsai Robotics Inc. at this time introduced its acquisition of farm-ng Inc. This strategic mixture brings collectively two revolutionary agtech firms. They mentioned they’ve a shared imaginative and prescient to ship synthetic intelligence and robotic programs to deal with the labor, value, and effectivity challenges that growers face at this time.
San Jose, Calif.-based Bonsai Robotics mentioned it should combine its high-performance autonomous AI expertise with farm-ng’s customizable robotic platform to rework crop administration. This mix of software program and {hardware} will allow cost-effective, mixed-fleet options that increase effectivity and scale back operational prices throughout numerous crops, duties, and environments, the firm asserted.
“Up to now, our imaginative and prescient has been to make autonomy and AI accessible, simple to make use of, and deployable throughout all farm gear, whether or not retrofitted onto present tractors or constructed into the subsequent technology machine,” mentioned Tyler Niday, co-founder and CEO and co-founder of Bonsai Robotics.”
“This acquisition permits us to now develop these next-generation machines to enhance and empower at this time’s workforce whereas optimizing farm productiveness,” he added. “We’re shifting the {industry} from iron to intelligence.”
Bonsai mentioned that it and farm-ng have a powerful observe document of collaboration throughout vineyards, orchards, and bedded crops, demonstrating confirmed discipline outcomes and business momentum. It famous that the acquisition positions the mixed firm for speedy progress, supported by energetic business deployments and powerful monetary backing.
“From Day 1, each groups have been deeply aligned on making robotics and AI sensible and seamless for real-world agricultural workflows,” mentioned Brendan Dowdle, former CEO of farm-ng and now chief enterprise officer of the mixed firm. “By becoming a member of forces, we will transfer sooner, serving to growers undertake transformative instruments that help their operations and enhance their backside line.”
farm-ng final week introduced updates to its on-robot software program stack. The agricultural robotics firm said that the updates show its dedication to offering inexpensive, sensible, and user-friendly programs for small and mid-sized farms.
Bonsai Robotics CEO shares origin story
Niday informed The Robotic Report that the acquisition resulted from a pure alignment between Bonsai and Farm-ng. The businesses had related theses about agriculture expertise and had been interacting at commerce exhibits. They began speaking and located they meshed effectively culturally and shared a imaginative and prescient for the way forward for agricultural autonomy.
The companions had complementary strengths — Bonsai was software-heavy and farm-ng has revolutionary type elements and {hardware}, in response to Niday. The merger was natural, pushed by shared targets quite than exterior pressures, he mentioned.
The main focus of the mixed firm is to turn out to be the world chief in autonomy and clever software program for out of doors machines, significantly in agriculture. Key goals embrace:
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- Growing a easy and intuitive app to handle agricultural machine fleets from a central interface
- Including intelligence to present gear to increase its usability
- Unlocking new type elements for agricultural equipment, significantly smaller “micro tractors” that may enhance return on funding (ROI)
- Utilizing superior AI and laptop imaginative and prescient applied sciences for autonomous navigation and operation
- Making a complete software program stack that may combine with present farm gear and allow autonomous operations
- Specializing in functions like spraying, mowing, herbicide utility, weeding, and transportation
The mixture of Bonsai and Watsonville, Calif.-based farm-ng goals to transition agriculture from conventional “iron” equipment to software-driven, clever programs that may function extra effectively and with much less human intervention.
The brand new Amiga-Max cellular robotic platform from farm-ng. | Credit score: The Robotic Report
Agtech and autonomy skilled names new execs
The mixed group, together with current new hires, brings deep experience spanning agriculture, robotics, AI, and engineering. Becoming a member of the Bonsai group in reference to the acquisition are Chief Working Officer John Teeple, former director of expertise at John Deere, and Gary Bradski, a key determine within the evolution of laptop imaginative and prescient and founding father of OpenCV, as chief science officer.
“We’re excited to have the ability to carry collectively an industry-leading group of engineers to deal with the very troublesome process of integrating {hardware}, compute, and notion essential to accommodate the unpredictability of real-world farming,” mentioned Ugur Oezdemir, co-founder and chief expertise officer of Bonsai. “With this acquisition, we will develop a unified platform that’s complementary to our OEM companions and able to addressing the variability throughout type elements, crop varieties, and geographies to ship efficient and dependable autonomy within the discipline.”
Monetary phrases of this acquisition weren’t disclosed. Current shareholders of each firms will retain possession stakes within the newly mixed entity, to be named Bonsai Robotics.
