CLAAS enters ag robot market

German farm equipment company, CLAAS, is officially throwing its hat into the autonomous machinery ring by acquiring a minority shareholding in AgXeed B.V’s recent international funding round.

Netherlands-based AgXeed B.V. is the brains behind the AgBot, a driverless machine designed to work night and day carrying out monotonous tasks on farms such as spraying, hence freeing up the farmer to take care of more important business around the operation.

The AgBot features a diesel-electric drive with power output of up to 156hp; standard three-point linkage with lift capacity of up to eight tonnes and can be ordered with either wheels or crawler tracks depending on farmer requirements.

Its low maximum weight of six tonnes (without ballast) makes the AgBot very soil-friendly, AgXeed B.V. said. The vehicle also features adjustable track width, load-sensing hydraulics, optional electric PTO and optional external high-voltage connections.

The AgBot is equipped with plenty of safety tech for hazard and obstacle detection, in addition to an RTK steering system, AgXeed B.V. added.

CLAAS said the partnership is a win-win situation for both companies.

“Our involvement provides CLAAS with access to innovative technologies in a familiar market segment and complements our own expertise in autonomy and robotics”, said CLAAS Group CEO, Thomas Böck.

"In turn, AgXeed benefits from our extensive expertise and networks in many areas such as data transfer, interfaces and drivetrain solutions. It's a win-win situation in our view, and one reason why we decided to invest in this start-up company, as well as the fact that the targeted AgXeed technologies are in an advanced state of development.

“This solution offers farmers and contractors concrete economic added value, and what’s more, it will soon be available."

"This type of cooperation reflects exactly what we stand for at AgXeed", said the company’s co-founder, Joris Hiddema.

"And this means setting up future-orientated alliances between innovative companies striving for sustainable agriculture where farmers are able to optimize productivity, while preserving the soil and the environment.

“In CLAAS we have a partner on board that believes in and shares our ideas on the future of agriculture and will accelerate bringing our solutions to the fields of farmers”.

AgBot, together with the associated software solutions and platforms, is expected to be launched in 2022. AgXeed B.V. added it will be available in various sizes and performance classes.

CNH, parent company of leading machinery brands such as Case IH and New Holland, cut a similar deal with California-based startup, Monarch Tractor, earlier this year. The innovative company claimed to be the first in the world to commercialise a fully electric, driver-optional tractor. Since its launch, the tractor has been deployed at one of the oldest family run vineyards in the US - Wente Vineyards in California.

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