RECOGNISED AT PRESTIGIOUS TECHNOLOGY 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,
Saunders says, “Our core
company values are ‘he aronga
nui’ (pioneering), ‘manaakitanga’
(collaboration), ‘tika me te pono’
(principled) and ‘kaitiakitangi’
(stewardship). Importantly, these
values also resonate strongly
with our local and international
partners.
“It was very apt that the Māori
Company of the Year was
supported by Callaghan Innovation
and the Hi-Tech Agritech award
was supported by New Zealand
Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), as
these New Zealand Government
agencies have been very
supportive of our growth and
innovation plans, along with MBIE,
MPI and TPK.”
Robotics Plus has a range of
technologies under development
to address major issues in the
horticulture industry caused by
labour shortages and increasing
consumer demand for fresh
fruit, include: an autonomous
agricultural vehicle, robotic
pollinator, robotic harvesters,
crop estimator, and a number of
confidential projects.
Dr Glenn says: “It’s an exciting
time for Robotics Plus. We’re
rapidly adding to our world-class
development team to rapidly
prototype new ideas, validate new
components and integrate these
into our robotic systems. Our
efforts are well supported by our
investors, commercial partners
and collaborative research
relationships with the University
of Waikato, the University of
Auckland, Massey University, Plant
& Food Research and PlantTech.”
Earlier, Robotics Plus launched its
Robotics Plus wins
Most Innovative Hi-Tech
Agritech Solution for
its robotic Āporo apple
packers and Hi-Tech
Māori Company of the
Year at NZ Hi-Tech
Awards
second commercial innovation, an
industry-changing Robotic Scaling
Machines (RSM) which give a
faster, safer and more accurate
measure of logs on the trucks and
trailers than the manual process.
Mount Maunganui-based ISO
Limited commissioned the world’s
first two automated logging truck
scalers, which are now scanning
logs at Port of Tauranga.
ROBOTICS WORLD-LEADING KIWI AGRICULTURAL
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.
“We’re thrilled that over the past
12 months Robotics Plus has
launched its first two commercial
products. It was fantastic to be in
New Zealand with Robotics Plus
to see their success recognised
at the country’s most prestigious
technology event.”
The role Māori heritage has played
in Robotics Plus’ development saw
the company win the Callaghan
Innovation Hi-Tech Kamupene
Māori o te Tau — Māori Company
of the Year.
"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.”
H O R T I C U LT U R E
26 JULY 2019