US demand for apple industry robotics driving change at Hawke's Bay manufacturer
A New Zealand-based manufacturer, Hawk Technology, is experiencing a surge in demand for its AI-powered apple packing robots from the U.S. market. The company has successfully scaled its operations to meet the needs of Washington state's large-scale apple industry.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing integration of AI and robotics in agricultural supply chains to solve labor shortages and improve efficiency.
A surge in global demand for robotics and AI from the apple industry is driving big changes for a Hawke's Bay robot manufacturer.
Hawk Technology is making the robots in Hastings, then shipping the machines to the US where apple packhouses in Washington are lining up to get them.
General manager Sam Combs told RNZ it had built a few hundred machines for the New Zealand market over the past few years, and now the US market is really taking off.
He said the first 50 Gen 5 Apple Packers had been installed in Washington, with another 250 on order.
"The American market's about seven times the size of New Zealand for apples only. Washington's the Hawke's Bay equivalent of New Zealand and grows about two-thirds of the fruit.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in