Following the machines, people and ideas shaping agriculture. Selected developments, clear context and a link to the original source.
Robotics. Intelligence. Agriculture.
Yanmar announced two tractor automation configurations in June 2018, combining RTK positioning and tablet control with a distinction between assisted operation and unmanned work supervised by an operator.
Japanese startup Inaho reported an updated harvesting robot in April 2019, emphasizing a narrower body and handling of dense spring asparagus ahead of its planned commercial service launch.
Kubota used its 130th-anniversary exhibition to present an autonomous electric tractor concept, combining independent crawler drives with adjustable ground clearance and a vision of data-connected field operations.
A June 2020 competition announcement paired agricultural researchers and experienced growers in Yunnan, testing how sensing, greenhouse automation and cultivation knowledge could contribute to strawberry quality and productivity.
Kubota’s August 2020 announcement introduced a 35-hectare demonstration site in Chonburi, combining machinery trials, cultivation methods and training around the practical conditions of Southeast Asian agriculture.
XAG’s June 2021 report described an orchard demonstration in Nagano where its R150 vehicle sprayed a pollen solution, extending agricultural ground robotics beyond weeding and conventional crop protection.
Mahindra’s October 2021 app release brought multilingual crop guidance and farm records together with a separate image-based pest and disease tool, illustrating a service-led approach to digital farming.
Malaysia’s Poladrone announced a US$4.29 million seed round in October 2021, linking drone development with service centres, spare parts and training for agricultural customers across the region.
Fendt’s October 2020 Xaver update combined a three-wheel electric robot, a Precision Planting seed unit and fleet software, examining how several small machines could share sowing work while recording plant positions.
Aerobotics announced a $17 million Series B in January 2021, backing further technology development and international delivery of agricultural intelligence tools from a company founded in Cape Town, South Africa.
CNH Industrial completed its acquisition of Raven Industries in November 2021, bringing precision-agriculture capabilities in house and announcing plans for the first integrated products to become available during 2022.
At CES 2022, John Deere presented an autonomous tillage system combining an 8R tractor, a connected chisel plow, stereo cameras and mobile monitoring, with farmer availability planned later that year.
