Chandler Automation partners with Cyngn to bring DriveMod to agriculture

The Cyngn Tugger in a Chandler Automation warehouse.
Chandler can now offer the Cyngn DriveMod, which automates repetitive hauling for more productive operations. | Source: Cyngn

Cyngn yesterday announced that Chandler Automation has joined its dealer network. Chandler will begin offering Cyngn’s autonomous DriveMod Tugger to food processors and packers in the agriculture sector.

“Chandler Automation is deeply embedded in the food processing ecosystem, and their team is trusted across the agriculture sector,” stated Lior Tal, CEO of Cyngn. “As food producers increase their investment in automation, the ability to autonomously move product between processing, inspection, and packaging lines becomes a meaningful opportunity to increase uptime and throughput. This partnership represents a strong extension of our work into a new industry vertical.”

Founded in 2013, Cyngn said it has designed its autonomous vehicle technology to streamline repetitive material handling tasks, reduce operational variability, and improve productivity across large distribution centers. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company asserted that it addresses challenges facing manufacturers and logistics providers, such as labor shortages and costly safety incidents.

Chandler to automate repetitive transport

Chandler Automation is a full-service partner in factory automation, specializing in optical sorting, inspection, robotic palletizing, and custom processing machinery. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based company said it combines deep industry expertise with advanced automation, controls, and data-driven insights.

Chandler added that it designs and integrates systems to help food and agricultural processors reduce labor dependency, increase throughput, and improve consistency.

“Many of our customers have modernized inspection and packaging but still rely on manual transport between stations,” said Sean Chandler, CEO of Chandler Automation. “Cyngn’s autonomous vehicle technology gives us a solution that aligns with the continuous-flow operations our customers are designing.”

Under this new partnership, Chandler Automation will offer the DriveMod Tugger, enabling food producers to automate high-frequency, repetitive material transport between upstream processing lines and downstream inspection, packaging, and palletizing systems.

DriveMod enables Motrec MT-160 Tuggers, which can haul up to 12,000 lb. (5,443.1 kg), travel indoors and outdoors, and target a typical payback period of less than two years. DriveMod works with BYD Forklifts to lift heavy loads that use non-standard pallets, and the DriveMod Forklifts are currently available to select customers.

Cyngn expands deployments in 2025

In June 2025, Cyngn showed off at Automatica its collaboration with NVIDIA. It uses the NVIDIA Isaac platform to develop its mobile robots.

In July, Cyngn raised $32 million in capital. In August, the company said it had secured its 23rd patent, for a modular sensor system for automated guided vehicles (AGVs). In October, Cyngn announced plans to make strategic acquisitions of assets and revenue-generating companies.

In November, G&J Pepsi, the largest independent Pepsi bottler in the U.S., said it is deploying Cyngn’s DriveMod Tugger. The deployment marked Cyngn’s first deployment in material handling for consumer packaged goods (CPG).

A month later, G&J Pepsi signed a new purchase order for a multi-vehicle expansion of its DriveMod Tugger program. The order represents a continuation of G&J Pepsi’s shift toward scaled autonomy across its distribution network.

Cyngn noted that this next phase of deployment is notable because G&J Pepsi has not yet finalized which facilities will receive the DriveMod systems. It claimed the decision “reflects the consistency of DriveMod’s performance and its applicability across a range of workflows.”

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Written by

Automated Warehouse Staff