New Zealand-based company Robotics Plus has officially launched Prospr, an autonomous, multi-use agricultural vehicle tailored for orchard and vineyard crop tasks. This innovative creation seeks to address issues such as land scarcity, increasing global food demands, and the ongoing shortage of labor in the sector.
Prospr, characterized by its hybrid nature and low-emission capabilities, boasts a flexible design that can accommodate a variety of swappable tools, including tower sprayers suitable for grapes, apples, or tree crops. The vehicle’s adaptability shines as it allows users to attach the ideal tool for the day’s specific agricultural task, and multiple Prospr units can collaborate within a fleet to efficiently accomplish the required work. This autonomous vehicle relies on a combination of advanced perception systems to navigate its environment, thereby enabling data-driven insights to enhance productivity.
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Furthermore, Prospr is equipped with its own wireless network infrastructure, ensuring that the vehicles remain connected online and facilitating seamless software updates for the integration of new features and improvements.
The global debut of Prospr occurred at the esteemed agricultural innovation conference, FIRA 2023, which took place in California from September 19th to 21st. Steve Saunders, CEO of Robotics Plus, expressed enthusiasm about the unique modular architecture of Prospr, emphasizing its potential to offer versatile utility and flexibility. This design enables the attachment of different tools suited for various crop types and applications throughout the year, ultimately maximizing the return on investment for users.
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Saunders remarked, “It’s great to be back at FIRA to launch Prospr, with the first vehicles rolling out to customers this month. It’s a fantastic milestone.”
Moreover, Robotics Plus has entered into partnerships with industry leaders to refine and enhance its agricultural vehicles. Collaborations include working with Yamaha Motor to “refine and productize” Prospr for scaling up its production. Additionally, a partnership with Croplands, known for its innovations in sprayer technology, aims to improve the robot’s spraying capabilities, ensuring precision and efficiency in crop management.
