Velodyne Lidar Sensors powering AGROINTELLI’s Autonomous Farm Vehicles

Velodyne Lidar Sensors powering AGROINTELLI’s Autonomous Farm Vehicles

Velodyne Lidar, Inc. today announced a three-year sales agreement with AGROINTELLI, a developer of intelligent farming solutions. AGROINTELLI uses Velodyne lidar sensors in production of its Robotti autonomous tool carriers that increase efficiency on fields and help professional farmers save time and money.

Robotti uses Velodyne’s Puck™ sensors for safe and efficient navigation on farmland. It supports a wide range of equipment such as a precision seeder, mechanical inter-row weeder and seed drill. Robotti performs highly accurate, site-specific agricultural operations including seedbed preparation, seeding, weeding, fertilizing, spraying and mowing.

Robotti is suitable for conventional and organic farms as well as in conservation agriculture. Farmers can let the robot work autonomously or manually control it from a tablet by using an app. Designed with uncompromising attention to safety, Robotti is built to react quickly and accurately should risk of accident arise.

“Robotti is a powerful automation tool to increase agricultural productivity,” said Tommy E. Madsen, CTO, AGROINTELLI. “It has the same capabilities as a smaller tractor but can complete the operations without a driver. Velodyne’s lidar sensors are essential to helping Robotti start a new agri-tech era where autonomous implement carriers become commercially sustainable and integrated into daily farming operations.”

“AGROINTELLI innovation in sustainable automation technologies and equipment is shaping the future of crop production,” said Erich Smidt, Executive Director Europe, Velodyne Lidar. “Robotti demonstrates how Velodyne sensors enable precision and safety in autonomous vehicles. Automation technologies like Robotti help address the shortage of qualified labor facing farms and the need to handle in-season cultivation without using crop protection products.”

Velodyne Puck sensors provide rich 3D computer perception data that allows real-time object and free space detection supporting safe navigation and reliable operation. The Puck is a small, compact lidar sensor that delivers 100 meters range. Its reliability, power-efficiency and surround view make it an ideal solution for affordable low speed autonomy applications.

Velodyne provides smart, powerful lidar solutions for autonomy and driver assistance. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Velodyne is known worldwide for its portfolio of breakthrough lidar sensor technologies. Velodyne’s founder, David Hall, invented real-time surround view lidar systems in 2005 as part of Velodyne Acoustics.

Mr. Hall’s invention revolutionized perception and autonomy for automotive, new mobility, mapping, robotics, and security. Velodyne’s high-performance product line includes a broad range of sensing solutions, including the cost-effective Puck™, the versatile Ultra Puck™, the autonomy-advancing Alpha Prime™, the ADAS-optimized Velarray™, and the groundbreaking software for driver assistance, Vella™.