I N N O V A T I O N
WORLD-LEADING
KIWI AGRICULTURAL
ROBOTICS RECOGNISED AT
PRESTIGIOUS TECHNOLOGY AWARDS
Robotics Plus wins Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution for its robotic Aporo
apple packers and Hi-Tech Maori Company of the Year at NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Robotics Plus, a worldleading
agricultural
robotics and
automation company,
has scooped two awards at
New Zealand’s most prestigious
technology awards, the 2019 NZ
Hi-Tech Awards. Robotics Plus’
robotic Āporo apple packer won
the NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech
Agritech Solution and the company
was named Callaghan Innovation
Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau -
Māori Company of the Year.
The awards capped off a
successful 12 months for Robotics
Plus, which included the launch
- -
of its first commercial products
and an investment of $US8M from
partner Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.
(Japan), to bring its total investment
to $US10M.
Steve Saunders, co-founder and
chairman of Robotics Plus, says:
“It’s an absolute honour for the
team to be recognised with these
awards, which recognise the
dedication of our staff, partners
and supporters. We share a
commitment to help industry meet
the challenges of feeding the world
in a sustainable way assisted by
smart automation and intelligent
robotics.”
-
-
Robotics Plus’ award winning
robotic Āporo apple packers,
commercially launched in May
2018, identifies and safely place
up to 120 apples per minute in
display trays. The technology is
being marketed by Global Pac
Technologies, a Jenkins Group
(NZ/Australia) and Van Doren Sales
(US) joint venture, and is already
operating in packhouses in New
Zealand and the USA, with Europe
to follow.
Dr Matt Glenn, ceo of Robotics
Plus, says: “It’s been a pivotal year
for Robotics Plus. We’re working
on a very ambitious growth plan,
with the support of local and
international partners such as
Global Pac Technologies, ISO
Limited, Trimax and Yamaha Motor,
who are helping us scale quickly to
achieve this.”
George Kellerman, ceo and and
managing director Yamaha Motor
Ventures & Laboratory Silicon
Valley, says the company invested
in Robotics Plus as increasingly
agricultural demands, including
labour shortages globally, will
need sophisticated and precision
robotics and automation
technologies that will transform the
agricultural industries.
46 July 2019