Key Takeaways
- Hesai Technology will supply its JT series 3D lidar sensors to Agtonomy and Alpha Werke for next-generation autonomous farming equipment.
- The JT series enables real-time, wide-field environmental perception critical to precision tasks such as weeding, spraying, and hauling.
- Agtonomy and Alpha Werke cite improvements in safety, scalability, and reliability with the integration of Hesai’s lidar solutions.
- Hesai has shipped over 100,000 JT lidar units to date, positioning itself at the forefront of agricultural automation.
- The partnership reflects growing demand for robust AI-based farming systems to address labor shortages and operational pressures.
Hesai Technology Accelerates Agricultural Robotics with JT Series Lidar
Hesai Technology (Nasdaq: HSAI), a global lidar sensor provider, has announced a new collaboration with agricultural automation companies Agtonomy and Alpha Werke. The partnership centers around the deployment of Hesai’s JT series lidar sensors in autonomous farming robots aimed at improving precision and reducing labor dependency in modern farming.
The initiative comes as farming systems worldwide contend with labor shortages, cost pressures, and growing climate-related uncertainty. To meet these challenges, Agtonomy and Alpha Werke are incorporating Hesai’s lidar systems to enable real-time environmental awareness and robust performance under varying field conditions.
Hesai Technology’s JT Series: Compact Lidar Tailored for Autonomous Farming
Hesai’s JT series lidar units are designed specifically for robotics applications, offering a mini hemispherical 3D format that captures large fields of view in real time. Their technical features address core needs in agriculture:
- Wide field of view: Covers the area of approximately two football fields with 3D spatial mapping.
- Compact design: 70% smaller than comparable systems, allowing integration into a variety of farm robots.
- Close-range sensing: Minimum detection range of 0 meters ensures zero blind spots during precise maneuvers.
- Environmental resilience: Sensors are waterproof, shock-resistant, and tested for extreme conditions, enabling day/night operations in variable terrain.
“The seamless integration of Hesai’s lidar into Agtonomy-enabled tractors has significantly enhanced precision automation in agriculture,” said Tim Bucher, CEO and Co-Founder of Agtonomy. “They allow us to automate numerous tasks—delivering an affordable and scalable solution for modern farms.”
Patrick Neuhauser, CEO of Alpha Werke, added: “Powered by Hesai’s lidar, we’re bringing autonomy to places GPS can’t reach—dense forests, orchards, and solar farms.”
Empowering Agriculture Through Strategic Integration
Agtonomy, headquartered in California, develops software-enabled autonomous tractors. Their systems utilize Hesai’s JT128 lidar to perform routine farming tasks remotely and autonomously.
Meanwhile, Austria-based Alpha Werke specializes in agricultural robotics suited for rugged, off-road applications. Their TracPilot solution, integrated with Hesai’s JT16 sensor, operates in remote and forested environments where GPS access is limited.
These collaborations underscore a broader shift toward AI-powered farming “agents” that can reduce manual workload while increasing consistency and sustainability in operations.
