Bonsai Robotics’ Visionsteer, whose vision-based navigation is proven right here, works with gear from a number of OEMs.
Bonsai Robotics Inc. in the present day introduced its acquisition of farm-ng Inc. This strategic mixture brings collectively two revolutionary agtech corporations. They mentioned they’ve a shared imaginative and prescient to ship synthetic intelligence and robotic methods to sort out the labor, value, and effectivity challenges that growers face in the present day.
San Jose, Calif.-based Bonsai Robotics mentioned it is going to combine its high-performance autonomous AI expertise with farm-ng’s customizable robotic platform to rework crop administration. This mixture of software program and {hardware} will allow cost-effective, mixed-fleet options that enhance effectivity and cut back operational prices throughout numerous crops, duties, and environments, the firm asserted.
“Thus far, 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 current tractors or constructed into the subsequent era 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 reinforce and empower in the present day’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 monitor report of collaboration throughout vineyards, orchards, and bedded crops, demonstrating confirmed subject outcomes and business momentum. It famous that the acquisition positions the mixed firm for fast progress, supported by lively 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 are able to transfer quicker, serving to growers undertake transformative instruments that assist their operations and enhance their backside line.”
farm-ng final week introduced updates to its on-robot software program stack. The agricultural robotics firm acknowledged that the updates display its dedication to offering inexpensive, sensible, and user-friendly methods 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 reveals. 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 components and {hardware}, based on Niday. The merger was natural, pushed by shared objectives moderately than exterior pressures, he mentioned.
The main focus of the mixed firm is to change into the world chief in autonomy and clever software program for outside machines, notably in agriculture. Key targets embody:
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- Growing a easy and intuitive app to handle agricultural machine fleets from a central interface
- Including intelligence to current gear to increase its usability
- Unlocking new type components for agricultural equipment, notably smaller “micro tractors” that may enhance return on funding (ROI)
- Utilizing superior AI and pc imaginative and prescient applied sciences for autonomous navigation and operation
- Making a complete software program stack that may combine with current farm gear and allow autonomous operations
- Specializing in purposes like spraying, mowing, herbicide software, weeding, and transportation
The mix of Bonsai and Watsonville, Calif.-based farm-ng goals to transition agriculture from conventional “iron” equipment to software-driven, clever methods that may function extra effectively and with much less human intervention.
The brand new Amiga-Max cell robotic platform from farm-ng. | Credit score: The Robotic Report
Agtech and autonomy knowledgeable names new execs
The mixed workforce, together with current new hires, brings deep experience spanning agriculture, robotics, AI, and engineering. Becoming a member of the Bonsai workforce 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 pc imaginative and prescient and founding father of OpenCV, as chief science officer.
“We’re excited to have the ability to convey collectively an industry-leading workforce of engineers to deal with the very troublesome job 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 are able to develop a unified platform that’s complementary to our OEM companions and able to addressing the variability throughout type components, crop varieties, and geographies to ship efficient and dependable autonomy within the subject.”
Monetary phrases of this acquisition weren’t disclosed. Present shareholders of each corporations will retain possession stakes within the newly mixed entity, to be named Bonsai Robotics.
