Fruit robot brings orchard tasks back down to size

The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few — so the Germans have developed a small, totally autonomous robot, designed specifically to perform typical orchard and vineyard chores.

Developed by a consortium of private firms and the Technical University of Dresden, with funding from the EU and the state of Saxony, the C‰ser “fruit robot” is being introduced to the marketplace by Raussendorf Machine and Equipment Manufacturing, with an €85,000 price tag.

Guided by GPS with an RTK correction signal, C‰ser can make its way along a predetermined path through an orchard or vineyard performing a variety of tasks, such as fertilising, tillage, grounds care, and transporting. It has four-wheel steering and a PTO drive and hitch linkage, all powered by a 65 horse power Kubota engine.