Hesai to supply lidar sensors for autonomous farming robots

PALO ALTO - Hesai Technology (NASDAQ:HSAI), a rapidly growing lidar technology company with 24.2% year-over-year revenue growth, will provide its JT series lidar sensors to Agtonomy and Alpha Werke for their autonomous farming robots, the company announced Wednesday.

The partnerships aim to address challenges in the agricultural sector including labor shortages, rising operational costs, and climate unpredictability by deploying advanced robotics technology.

Hesai’s JT series sensors feature a field of view covering the equivalent of two football fields and can detect objects at a minimum range of zero meters, eliminating blind spots for close-range operations. The company states the sensors are 70% smaller in volume than similar products, allowing for embedded installation on various farming robots.

The lidar technology will support Agtonomy’s autonomous farming software and Alpha Werke’s TracPilot solution, enabling tasks such as mowing, spraying, weeding, and hauling to be performed autonomously.

"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, according to the press release.

Patrick Neuhauser, CEO of Alpha Werke, noted that Hesai’s technology brings "autonomy to places GPS can’t reach—dense forests, orchards, and solar farms."

Hesai reports it has delivered over 100,000 JT lidar units as of June 2025. The company’s sensors have undergone reliability tests including IPX6 waterproofing, vibration and shock resistance, UV aging, and extreme temperature cycling.

The announcement comes as agricultural technology companies seek solutions to help farmers increase efficiency and sustainability amid growing industry pressures.

In other recent news, Hesai Group’s first-quarter 2025 earnings showed strong performance with revenue meeting expectations and net profit exceeding them, as reported by Goldman Sachs. The company’s gross margin improved to 41.7%, surpassing Goldman Sachs’ estimate, driven by increased engineering services revenue. Operating expenses decreased by 9% year-over-year, contributing to better-than-expected financial results. Hesai Group is also appealing a U.S. District Court decision regarding its designation under the National Defense Authorization Act, which it contests as lacking factual and legal bases. In terms of analyst ratings, Morgan Stanley upgraded Hesai Group from Equal-weight to Overweight, citing increasing market share in China and growing demand for LiDAR technology. Jefferies initiated coverage on the company with a Buy rating, while Goldman Sachs maintained its Buy rating and raised the price target to $23.30. Morgan Stanley also adjusted its price target to $23, reflecting updated volume forecasts for LiDAR adoption in advanced driver-assistance systems. These developments highlight Hesai Group’s expanding influence in the LiDAR market and its ongoing legal challenges.

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