In a strategic move to penetrate the growing U.S. agriculture automation market, Cyngn Inc., a leading provider of autonomous mobile robot technology, has announced a new partnership with Chandler Automation. This collaboration, revealed on December 26, 2025, positions Chandler as an official dealer for Cyngn's DriveMod Tugger, targeting food processors and packers who require seamless automation in material transport operations.

Chandler Automation, renowned for its expertise in factory automation solutions including optical sorting, inspection, robotic palletizing, and custom processing machinery, brings deep industry knowledge to the partnership. The company has established itself as a trusted partner for food producers seeking to reduce labor costs, improve operational efficiency, and adopt cutting-edge technologies. By integrating Cyngn's DriveMod Tugger into its offerings, Chandler enables customers to automate repetitive, high-frequency material movements between upstream processing lines and downstream inspection, packaging, and palletizing systems.

The DriveMod Tugger represents a breakthrough in autonomous vehicle technology, featuring advanced AI-driven navigation, real-time obstacle avoidance, and seamless integration with existing warehouse management systems. Designed specifically for industrial environments, the Tugger can handle heavy payloads while navigating complex facility layouts with precision. This capability is particularly valuable in agriculture processing plants, where continuous-flow operations demand uninterrupted material flow to maximize uptime and throughput.

Lior Tal, CEO of Cyngn, emphasized the strategic fit of this partnership: "Chandler Automation is deeply embedded in the food processing ecosystem, and their team is trusted across the agriculture sector. As food producers increase their investment in automation, the ability to autonomously move product between processing, inspection, and packaging lines becomes a meaningful opportunity." This expansion builds on Cyngn's recent momentum in deploying DriveMod solutions across multiple industries, including manufacturing and logistics.

Sean Chandler, CEO of Chandler Automation, highlighted a key pain point addressed by the technology: "Many of our customers have modernized inspection and packaging but still rely on manual transport between stations. Cyngn’s autonomous vehicle technology gives us a solution that aligns with the continuous-flow operations our customers are designing." This partnership not only enhances Chandler's portfolio but also accelerates the adoption of autonomous robotics in labor-intensive agriculture segments.

The U.S. agriculture sector is undergoing a profound transformation driven by labor shortages, rising costs, and demands for higher efficiency. According to industry reports, food processing facilities are increasingly turning to automation to maintain competitiveness. Autonomous mobile robots like the DriveMod Tugger fit perfectly into categories such as Integrated Processes and IT solutions and Search Detection & Auto Regulating Systems on PlantAutomation-Technology.com, enabling real-time monitoring, adaptive routing, and predictive maintenance.

This development comes at a time when U.S. manufacturers are navigating supply chain challenges and policy uncertainties, as noted in recent analyses of rare earth material restrictions impacting automation OEMs. By focusing on domestic partnerships like Cyngn-Chandler, the industry mitigates risks associated with global trade tensions while fostering innovation in homegrown technologies. The DriveMod Tugger's modular design allows for easy scalability, supporting payloads from standard totes to heavy pallets, making it versatile for diverse agriculture applications including fruit and vegetable packing, meat processing, and dairy operations.

Implementation of the Tugger involves minimal infrastructure changes, leveraging existing facility features for navigation rather than requiring costly modifications like magnetic tapes or laser reflectors. Cyngn's AI platform provides fleet management capabilities, allowing operators to monitor multiple vehicles via a centralized dashboard. Safety features include 360-degree perception, emergency stop protocols, and compliance with ANSI/RIA standards for industrial robots.

Looking ahead, this partnership signals broader trends in Industrial R&D and robotics integration within U.S. food machinery sectors. As agriculture automation investments surge, expect more collaborations that blend specialized integrators with cutting-edge OEMs. For plant operators and system integrators, this means faster ROI through reduced downtime, lower error rates, and optimized labor allocation. Technology vendors like Cyngn stand to benefit from expanded dealer networks, driving market penetration in underserved verticals.

In summary, the Cyngn-Chandler alliance exemplifies how targeted partnerships can propel industrial automation forward, particularly in agriculture where efficiency gains directly translate to bottom-line improvements. Stakeholders in Textile, Farm, Wood & Food Machinery should monitor this development closely as it sets a precedent for autonomous transport solutions in continuous processing environments.

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