Petronas farms in for robotic innovation

摘要

Malaysians could soon be on the lookout for androids picking carrots on Kuala Lumpur rooftops after state giant Petronas made its debut in venture capital investment on home turf with a project that develops robots for farming. Petronas Ventures has hatched a deal with agriculture technology start-up Braintree Technologies, a compatriot that develops artificial intelligence-driven robots for farm automation, often associated with smart farming. Braintree develops robotic devices and proprietary software that could convert non-revenue-generating, unattended agricultural land into high-value crop farms. Petronas Ventures head Mohd Azli Ishak said the investment reflects the company's strategy to venture into Malaysia's start-up ecosystem in scouting for breakthrough technologies that support its growth beyond the oil and gas business.