Padma AgRobotics LLC
Mesa, Arizona startup founded in 2022 by ASU alumni, building AI robots for organic crops: a sprayer, weed puller, AI scarecrow and cilantro harvester.
Padma AgRobotics LLC is a US agricultural robotics startup in Arizona that develops AI-driven robots for specialty and organic vegetable farms. The company was started by Arizona State University alumni. Co-founder Raghu Nandivada, who holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from ASU and previously worked in the semiconductor industry, began with the idea of a weed-pulling robot in 2018; he met co-founder Cole Brauer in 2020, and the two worked on the technology from a garage until 2023 before moving to an office in Mesa, Arizona. The LLC was formed in 2022.
The product line focuses on tasks that are labour-intensive in specialty crops. An autonomous crop sprayer is being developed with Duncan Family Farms, a large organic grower in Surprise, Arizona, with funding through the Cultivate PHX agrifood tech incubator. An intelligent weed-removal system uses a robotic arm to identify and pull weeds. An AI-powered cilantro harvester is designed to cut, bunch and wrap cilantro; this project received a 2023 USDA SBIR Phase I award of USD 181,500 for an autonomous harvester with bunching and tying capability. An autonomous bird deterrent, an AI scarecrow that carries an inflatable tube figure, was tested at Blue Sky Organic Farms in Litchfield Park and is designed to run 8 to 12 hours a day. Machine platforms include the DV-64 for 60-68 inch beds and the DV-80 for 80-86 inch beds, both gasoline powered, and the PA-WS, which uses LiDAR and is IoT enabled. The company has also launched an AI assistant in its mobile app and web platform that answers operational questions, flags crop anomalies and recommends spray and weeding windows.
Funding to date has come from non-dilutive sources: first place and USD 15,000 at ASU's Venture Devils in 2020, the 2023 USDA SBIR award, a USD 175,000 Arizona Innovation Challenge grant followed by further grants from the same programme, and Cultivate PHX support. Desert Premium is also named as a customer.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Autonomous Crop Sprayer
Autonomous sprayer for specialty crop beds developed with Duncan Family Farms in Arizona.
Cilantro Harvester
AI harvester prototype designed to cut, bunch and wrap cilantro, backed by a USDA SBIR award.
AI Scarecrow
Mobile autonomous bird deterrent robot for crop beds, designed to run 8-12 hours a day.
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Contact Padma AgRobotics LLC
WEBSITE
https://www.padmaagrobotics.com/HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2022
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Grant / Non-profit
Funding Total
-
