U.S. companies Sabanto Inc. and Verdant Robotics have integrated their systems for the first time, enabling producers to automate field work from navigation to plant-level input application without an operator in the cab.
The integration connects Sabanto’s Autonomy System with Verdant Robotics’ SharpShooter precision application system. SharpShooter, which uses Aim & Apply technology to identify individual plants and weeds and apply inputs only where needed, now runs behind Sabanto-equipped autonomous tractors. According to the companies, the two systems now function as a single, integrated solution.
The tractor handles navigation and powers the implement, while SharpShooter communicates directly with the Sabanto-equipped tractor through the CAN bus, feeding real-time field data to the Sabanto Autonomy System during active navigation. Based on that data, SharpShooter directs the tractor to adjust speed and implement height according to field conditions. Sabanto says the combined system autonomously executes decisions that would previously have required a skilled operator in the cab.
The integration is already running in commercial operations across various crop markets, including sod production at Bethel Farms in Arcadia, Florida. Bethel Farms, a family-owned sod, citrus and grass plug grower, has worked over 9,900 acres using Sabanto’s autonomy system. The company says the combined system is demonstrating reliable performance in demanding field conditions.
“Our goal has always been to make full autonomy accessible and immediately valuable for everyone in the ag industry – farmers, implement providers, retailers, input providers, and tractor manufacturers alike”, says Craig Rupp, Founder and CEO of Sabanto. “By pairing our retrofit autonomy system with Verdant’s technology, we’re giving producers and stakeholders a complete solution that works on their existing equipment. Farmers can run precision operations 24/7, addressing labour shortages head-on while dramatically cutting input costs.”
“Growers invested in SharpShooter to reduce inputs, run operations their crews can’t always staff, and take back control of their application window,” emphasises Gabe Sibley, Co-Founder and CEO of Verdant Robotics. “This integration means they can do all of that without an operator in the cab – more acres covered, fewer people required, and the same plant-level precision on every pass.”
Sabanto’s autonomy system combines high-precision GNSS, cameras, an advanced vehicle operating system and proprietary path-planning. The integration with SharpShooter is compatible across a wide range of tractor makes and models, in line with Sabanto’s retrofit philosophy of using farmers’ existing equipment.
Sabanto is headquartered in Ames, Iowa, with operations in Itasca, Illinois. The company builds aftermarket retrofit kits that convert existing tractors into fully autonomous machines. Verdant Robotics, headquartered in Hayward, California, develops precision application technology for weeding, thinning and input delivery with millimetre-level accuracy. Its SharpShooter system uses what the company describes as physical AI to aim before applying inputs, targeting individual plants and weeds.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the agricultural sector, two times a week.
"*" indicates required fields
Sep 8-10, 2026 TaiNEX 1, Tapei
"*" indicates required fields
Leave a Reply