Kubota Corporation and Aurea Imaging, a Dutch start-up developing “crop Intelligence” products, announced a year-long strategic partnership, under which the two companies will demonstrate the feasibility of autonomous orchard and vineyard farming systems that combine Kubota’s machine technology with Aurea’s crop intelligence technology.
On April 24th 2020, Kubota Corporation and Aurea Imaging announced their partnership to explore, validate and demonstrate their combined technology and system solutions for fruit growers around the world. Source: Kubota
Background and outline of the partnership
In June 2019, Kubota launched an Innovation Center as a division for the pursuit of open innovation based on coordination with external partners. To better cater to the unique needs of each geographic region, an Innovation Center is now located in Japan and the Netherlands.
Fruit growing is one area of farming that offers enormous growth potential as it has yet to be fully mechanized. So far, Kubota has decided to invest in three start-ups (all in the U.S.) with advanced technologies for growing fruit.
Aurea is a start-up based in the Netherlands. By combining data gathered by drones and IoT sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this crop intelligence specialist offers such solutions as yield prediction and soil mapping for fruit growers. With a wealth of experience in drone mapping services, Aurea has built a global network for data collection by drones.
Kubota and Aurea have decided to conduct a year-long joint demonstration to further advance Aurea’s services. Aurea’s advanced sensing technology and Kubota’s farming machinery for fruit farms complement each other and, by integrating the two, Kubota and Aurea will verify the feasibility of autonomous orchard and vineyard farming systems in Europe. Through this partnership, Kubota aims to offer comprehensive solutions in the fruit growing business, one of its focus areas, in the future.
About Aurea Imaging
Name
Aurea Imaging
Establishment
2014
Location
Utrecht、Netherland
Business
By Combining data gathered by drones and IoT sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, offering such solutions as yield prediction and soil mapping for fruit growers.
For reference
Name
FarmX, Inc.
Establishment
November 2014
Location
California, the U.S.
Business
All-in-one platform to manage and automate irrigation, minimize crop stress and maximize yield
Name
Advanced Farm Technologies, Inc.
Establishment
2018
Location
California, the U.S.
Line of business
Development of automated strawberry harvesting robots, contract harvesting services
Name
Abundant Robotics, Inc.
Establishment
2016
Location
California, the U.S.
Business
Development of automated apple harvesting robots and contract harvesting services
Copyright 2017-2023 All rights reserved.