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Autonomous Large-Scale Mowing and Agricultural Weeding

Autonomous Large-Scale Mowing and Agricultural Weeding. Intelligence. GPS. Laser. Autonomous Mowing and Weeding Systems. Value Proposition: Reduce Operating Costs Reduce labor (75%: one person deploys four mowers) Increase asset utilization (24 hr operation)

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Autonomous Large-Scale Mowing and Agricultural Weeding

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  1. Autonomous Large-Scale Mowingand Agricultural Weeding Intelligence GPS Laser

  2. Autonomous Mowing and Weeding Systems • Value Proposition: Reduce Operating Costs • Reduce labor (75%: one person deploys four mowers) • Increase asset utilization (24 hr operation) • Improve performance (precise/repeatable paths, cutting) • Recoup costs within 1 year • Total Market: • Mowing – (e.g., golf courses, fields, parks, highways) - $470 M / year • Weeding – (e.g., organic farms, fruit and vegetable maintenance) - $500M / year • Technologies: • Can be used on existing mowers/farm equipment or built into new units • GPS and laser-based guidance (costs are now economically feasible) • Leverage technology developed at Stanford, Trimble, and UC Davis • KeyBarriersto Address: • Union perception, liability, entrenched customer base, psychology of autonomous vehicles

  3. Three key assumptions 1. The technology is ready (or close), robust and reliable 2. The cost of the system is significantly less than the cost of labor being replaced (i.e., ROI within 6-12 months). 3. There are no legal constraints regarding autonomous mowers

  4. WEEK 2 DELIVERABLES IN REMAINING SLIDES

  5. Business Model – Hypotheses & Tests (1) Test: Does the automation allow reducing the headcount by at least one? How much equipment capacity is idle? Is the mowing quality an issue? Value Proposition Reduce Operating Cost Through: - Labor reduction - Better utilization of assets - Improved performance (less rework, food safety) • Segment 1: Mowers • Owners of public or commercially used green spaces (e.g. golf courses) • Landscaping service provider • Segment 2: Farmers • Farmers with manual weeding operations Test: customer identification: would you use our product if you got it for free? Customers Test: Is it convincing enough to have a dealer explain the technology? Will customers travel to a partnering site/golf course to see a demo? Any differences between segments? Personal assistance through dealers and demo partners (pre-sale) as well as an own support/training center (after-sale) Customer Relation-ships (Demand Creation)

  6. Business Model – Hypotheses & Tests (2) Channel Dealer Network (partner stores, wholesaler) Direct-To-Consumer (retrofit existing equipment) Test: Do targeted customer segments buy their equipment only from dealers? Or are there some customers being served through other channels such as a direct sales force? Asset sale Our revenue stream derives from selling the equipment. Test: Do targeted customer segments buy or rent/lease their equipment? Revenue Streams • Value-driven: focus on customer support • Variable costs: main costs are COGS • Some scale benefits for purchased components Cost Structure Test: Do customers prefer low price over good customer support? Check price-volume elasticity for purchased material.

  7. Business Model – Hypotheses & Tests (3) Key Partners • Research labs • Manufacturers of conventional machinery • Dealers Test: Can we do all the R&D on sensors and software ourselves? Can we design and manufacture the machinery ourselves? Can we built up our own distribution network? Can we serve the market with an own sales force? • Innovation • Customer Education • Customer Support Test: Are our products self-explanatory to customers? Do they trust the technology right from the start? Can customers solve technical problems with our products themselves? Key Activities Intellectual & Human (Technology, Innovation, Patents) Key Resources Test: Would we succeed with competitors having the same technology?

  8. Total Market – Mowing Preliminary numbers Golf Courses About 30,000 golf courses in key markets* Estimated market = $190 million Sport Fields (Soccer, Football, Baseball) About 55,000 fields in key markets* Estimated market = $110 million Total Market = $473 million Municipal Parks About 135k acres of municipal parks in key markets* Estimated market = $135 million Highways/ Waterways About 6.3 million miles of paved roads in key markets* Estimated market = $38 million *.: Key markets: USA, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Japan

  9. Total Market – Weeding Total Market = $500 million

  10. This week’s learnings Interviews Unique industry. It will be hard to get large volume of interviews but experts are available and helpful. Industry Partners Determining the method to partner with industry leaders will be a key element for success. Technology For mowing, all technology is available. Business model must be developed. For weeding, technology is close, but still needs work. Risk is higher with weeding, but a large market available.

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