Ag & Energy Specialist Aurova Robotics Selected as Finalist for Propel-AIR

MULGRAVE, VIC: Aurova Robotics has been selected as one of seven finalists in Propel-AIR 2026, Australia's dedicated AI and robotics sprint delivered by the ARM Hub AI Adopt Centre.

The company will now compete for the opportunity to work with and alongside MassRobotics in Boston, the global epicentre of robotics innovation, with its zero-emission autonomous ground platform for vegetation management in orchards, vineyards and solar farms.

Mowing where GPS can't go

Vegetation management is a costly, labour-intensive burden for growers. Aurova estimates the average 40 to 50 hectare Australian orchard spends 250 to 300 hours and between $35,000 and $50,000 a year on it, with overgrown rows carrying a yield penalty on top.

The problem for existing robot mowers is that orchards are hostile territory. Netting, canopy and dense rows block satellite signals, and GPS-guided machines give trees and posts a wide berth, leaving the hardest areas uncut. Aurova's platform navigates without satellites. Its patent-pending navigation system and patented object hugging capability let the machine mow tightly around trunks, posts and irrigation lines, reaching the confined spaces other platforms avoid.

The modular base is designed to carry future spraying, scanning and tilling modules, extending the platform beyond mowing.

"We build autonomous platforms for the agriculture and energy sector, and the main differentiator of our business is we don't rely on GPS," says co-founder and CEO Dr Hugh Zhou.

Early traction across three industries

Aurova has secured ten pilot partners providing access to 50 sites across horticulture, viticulture and solar farms, with its pilot program launching in May 2026. The company is actively securing letters of intent (LOIs) while conducting field trials across its growing network of pilot sites, with commercial rollout of its first production version targeted for 2027.

Founders Dr Hugh Zhou and CTO Dr Tianhao Liu are both Monash University robotics PhDs. Zhou is a 2024 Australian Economic Accelerator grant recipient and led an Engineers Australia Victorian Project of the Year in 2023. The team includes orchardist Brad Fankhauser of Fankhauser Apples as an agribusiness partner and advisor, bringing a grower's perspective, and Tom van Gammeren as CorpDev Partner, who has advised more than 100 agriculture and renewable energy startups, contributing commercialisation and business development expertise.

Growth plans

Through Propel-AIR, Aurova is refining its go-to-market ahead of commercial launch, with field validation running across its pilot network through 2026 and new modules planned to expand what each machine can do.

The winner will be announced in early August, travelling to MassRobotics in Boston later in 2026 for a one-month residency, with access to leading robotics companies and world-class institutions like MIT and Harvard.

ENDS

About Aurova Robotics Aurova Robotics builds zero-emission autonomous ground platforms for vegetation management in orchards, vineyards and solar farms. Its GPS-independent navigation and patented object hugging technology allow precise operation in confined and covered environments where satellite-guided machines cannot work. The company was founded by Dr Hugh Zhou and Dr Tianhao Liu.

About Propel-AIR ARM Hub's Propel-AIR program is Australia's AI and Robotics Sprint, designed to fast-track Australian robotics and AI innovators by equipping them with tools, guidance, and networks to scale their business. This pioneering program provides business opportunities for AI and robotics companies, culminating in a virtual pitch to an international panel of experts. The winner receives a month's residency in Boston with MassRobotics.