China is renewing attention around its earlier ambitious robot combine project, the H9700, developed by Haoyun Technology (a subsidiary of Country Garden). First revealed as a prototype in 2021, the H9700 was designed with full autonomy in mind, capable of harvesting rice at scale (up to 200 hectares per day) with its 400-HP powertrain, relying on AI and an array of sensors for operation.
Today, with the government pushing for massive AI adoption across industries — targeting use in 70% of activities by 2027 and 90% by 2030 — agricultural automation is once again spotlighted. Though little concrete progress has been reported since the original prototype, the revived focus suggests that China’s investment in autonomous farm machinery may soon yield surprises. Whether the H9700 or similar machines will move beyond prototype to full production remains to be seen. But with strong policy backing and growing R&D spend, the robot harvester could mark a turning point for autonomy in agriculture.
To dive deeper: https://maquinac.com/2025/09/vuelve-la-cosechadora-robot-china/
