Pexxon Rubber, a rubber products supplier, reported on August 16th: To tackle the labor shortage in the natural rubber industry, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) has unveiled AI-powered rubber-tapping robots, which are set to reshape the rubber production sector. Developed jointly by CATAS and Beijing-based tech firm Automotive Walking Technology, these robots will undergo field trials in rubber plantations during the upcoming tapping season.
Equipped with multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arms and caterpillar-track mobility, the robots can navigate complex terrains in plantations effortlessly. Leveraging AI, they execute precise cuts on rubber trees and dynamically adjust cutting angles based on bark thickness, achieving 80% of manual workers’ efficiency while maintaining high latex quality.
Labor Shortage: A Pressing Industry Pain Point
Harsh working conditions, nocturnal shifts, and a high incidence of occupational diseases have caused a severe exodus of rubber tappers, creating a critical labor deficit in China’s natural rubber industry. The Rubber Research Institute of CATAS noted, “The rubber-tapping robots address this core challenge of labor shortages.”
Technical Advantages: Efficiency Meets Affordability
Performance: Powered by lithium batteries, the robots can tap 100–120 trees per hour, with a 20-second battery swap enabling over 8 hours of continuous operation—ideal for large plantations.
Cost-Effectiveness: Once mass-produced, the cost per robot is projected to drop to $13,800, slashing labor costs for rubber growers.
Global Impact & Future Vision
The innovation has already attracted interest from multinational tire companies and rubber growers in Southeast Asia (e.g., Indonesia, Thailand). As CATAS refines the technology, users will soon remotely monitor robots via smartphones, integrating big data and AI for fully automated plantation management—heralding a new era of productivity in the rubber industry.
