Small and simple robot takes top spot
Five finalists in the Ag Robot of the Year (AROTY) 2025 ranged in price from €500,000 down to just €12,000 for the eventual winner, the simple FarmRobo iMog, which was by far the lowest priced machine ever to enter.
The iMog also won the farmers’ choice award, judged by Future Farming readers and visitors to its website. Indeed, the simple, diminutive machine won by taking more than half of the votes – with its closest rival, from Siza Robotics – securing a quarter of the remainder.
By its very nature, as an annual competition, AROTY traces autonomous developments and is likely to represent the state of the art. So, what can we learn from the jury and farmers choosing by far the smallest and most affordable machine as the winner?
The answer possibly lies in the economy of scale and the crop value, as well labour availability and, to a certain extent, its cost. In quite a few instances the cost of labour is still less than the investment required for an autonomous alternative, which is bought simply because there are no people to tend and harvest crops.
Technological leap
In other countries, such as the FarmRobo’s domestic market of India, much farm work is still carried out manually. In this instance the autonomous iMog has the possibility of skipping a mechanisation generation, with farmers going from manual labour straight to autonomous operations.
One of the judges remarked the iMog can in some way be compared with the famous Ferguson T20 tractor. By introducing affordable mechanisation, the ‘Little Grey Fergie’ changed agricultural mechanisation forever. As possibly the first truly affordable autonomous option, could the iMog do the same?
In many countries, across all continents, labour shortages are now a real problem for farmers and growers, and one that is now often being compounded by political influences. For premium crop growers, investment is easier to justify than for most farmers and there are still limited autonomous options for broad-acre, large scale operations.
There’s a huge, pent up demand for autonomous machines to lower costs, replace unavailable labour, increase precision and quality, while at the same time, in many cases protecting the environment.
Perhaps all that’s holding back investment is the current high costs. Would machines costing even just half the price of those available today begin to shift the dial towards autonomous operations? For example, an 156hp AgXeed in the UK starts at about €300,000, and that’s a price many farmers are thinking makes it a serious option.
Which of the five finalists would get your vote?
FarmRobo iMog
Designed and built in India, the FarmRobo iMog, is a compact, fully autonomous multi-function robot, which costs €12,000. Equipped with a linkage and PTO it is also able to tow trailers for transport operations.
Its compact, 1.22m long x 0.61m wide x 0.76m high, dimensions and low weight are designed to fulfil a range of roles for smallholders. At the same time the diminutive machines are likely to find work in other row crop situations, vineyards and orchards.
Electrically powered by 90Ah batteries, the four-wheel drive machine has a running time of about four to five hours between recharges. This produces a workrate of less than 0.4ha/hr.
Navigation for autonomous operations is provided by RTK GPS, with AI-enhanced camera assistance and guidance optimised by a row-seeking algorithm. It also has a range of obstacle detection systems as well as an automatic stop.
Operations can be pre-planned on route maps and the machine comes with a touchscreen controller.
Spec Check: FarmRobo iMog
Dimensions: 1.22m long x 0.61m wide x 0.76m high
Weight: 250kg
Power source: Batteries (90Ah)
Running time: 4 – 5hr
Navigation system: RTK GPS, AI camera (plus remote handset)
Workrate: less than 0.4ha/hr
Price: €12,000
FarmRobo Website
Nature Robotics Lero.03
Developed by Nature Robotics, a spin off from DFKI – the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, the Lero.03, costs from €60,000 to €120,000.
Fully autonomous, it is a multi-function machine that is designed to carry a range of different implements, such as laser and mechanical weeders or seeding/planting equipment. It is also equipped with sensors and software to continually identify, map and assess plants in 3D during operations.
A modular navigation suite can be tailored to work in open fields, horticultural crops, vineyards as well as forests and hilly terrain. This uses GNSS/RTK enabled systems as well as, IMU inertia sensors, LiDAR and SLAM* mapping for areas that are difficult for satellite signals to penetrate. (*Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping)
The fully electric vehicle, which weighs 700kg, is powered by a 9kWh battery and 0.68kW solar, which provide enough power for 10 to 12 hours of laser weeding.
Spec Check: Nature Robotics Lero.03
Dimensions: 1.60m long x 1.76m high x 2.25m track widths (other widths available)
Weight: 700kg
Power source: 0.68kWh solar and 9kWh battery
Running time: 10 – 12hr – laser weeding
Navigation system: Dual GNSS/RTK, IMU + Visual SLAM
Workrate: 0.45ha/hr – 3 weeds/sec (laser weeding)
Price: €90,000 to €120,000
Nature Robotics Website
Odd.Bot Maverick
Developed in the Netherlands, the Odd.Bot Maverick, costs €95,000. It is a specialist autonomous robot for mechanical weeding row crops – including carrots, onions and chicory – with more to come. One machine is said to be able to do the work of 10 people weeding manually.
Sensors detect the weeds in the crop, which are pulled out by special grippers mounted to the end of up to three weeding arms. Travelling at up to 600m/hr the 1.5m wide machine (which can be extended to 2.25m) can weed 1ha in 16 hours.
Power is provided by one, or up to three, 12V batteries, which can run for eight hours before requiring recharging. A simple electrical driveline transmits power to two out of the four wheels.
On board navigation is provided by sensor fusion crop line following from different inputs, as well as 3D visual navigation and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor.
Spec Check: Odd.Bot Maverick
Dimensions: 2.02m long x 1.39m high x 1.70m wide (1.5m or 2.25m track widths)
Weight: 400kg
Power source: 1 to 3 12V batteries
Running time: 8hr/battery
Navigation system: Sensor fusing crop line following, 3D Vision and IMU
Workrate: 0.0625ha/hr (1ha/16hr)
Price: €95,000
Odd.Bot Website
Siza Robotics Toogo
The Siza Robotics Toogo, is an autonomous toolcarrier equipped with a 1,400kg capacity, three-point linkage with PTO, which enables users to employ existing machines for autonomous operations.
The autonomous toolcarrier, which costs €140,000, also has an electrically adjustable track width from 1.5m to 2.2m allowing it to adapt to work in a range of different planting and bed widths.
A front-mounted camera detects the plants, and this data is used to align the tools in row crops – including sugar beet, carrots, artichokes and garlic. It will also operate in vineyards with less than 2.5m spacings.
Power is supplied by two batteries delivering up to 70kWh that deliver up to 12hr of working time (hoeing or sowing) before requiring a recharge. The batteries are said to hold 80% of their nominal capacity for seven years.
For navigation the Toogo uses camera row detection and two GNSS RTK receivers. It also has a remote handset for manual control.
Spec Check: Siza Robotics Toogo
Dimensions: 3.70m long x 1.75m high x 1.835m or 2.535m track width
Weight: 1,800kg
Power source: Two batteries delivering 70kWh
Running time: Up to 12hr (working at 3.8kmh)
Navigation system: Camera row detection, two GNSS receivers (plus remote handset)
Workrate: Depends on implement and speed
Price: €140,000
Siza Robotic Website
Traktorarvid Drever 120
The Swedish designed and built Traktorarvid Drever 120 looks very much like a small artic-steer tractor and that’s probably because it’s targeted at taking on heavy cultivation and, in the future, ploughing.
Weighing in at 5,300kg, the autonomous tractor comes with an equally hefty €500,000 price tag. Despite that, the manufacturer says it’s lighter than conventional tractors and, equivalent to a 150hp tractor, it reduces compaction. Working with a 3m wide cultivator 24/7, it can achieve outputs of about 3.6ha/hr.
A 250kWh battery swap system supplies the 600V, direct current electric driveline. This powers individual motors on each wheel, the 3t capacity three-point linkage, an electric power outlet as well as the hydraulic system, with four double acting valves.
One battery pack lasts between four and twelve hours, depending on the work intensity and other conditions. Swapping batteries requires the use of a front-end loader or similar and it requires a conventional tractor to tow it to the fields.
For navigation it employs the ROS – Robot Operating System with two RTK-GNSS receivers, LiDAR, geofence and bumper combined safety system, 360° camera and web-based planning system.
Spec Check: Traktorarvid Drever 120
Dimensions: 5.00m long x 2.35m wide x 2.40m high
Weight: 5,300kg
Power source: Electric with 250kWh battery pack swap system
Running time: 4hr to 12hr (depending on workload)
Navigation system: ROS, LiDAR two RTK-GNSS receivers
Workrate: Depends on implement and speed
Price: €140,000
Traktorarvid Website
Ei Operator is grateful to René Koerhuis and Future Farming magazine for providing detailed information and images of the AROTY Finalists.
