Robot and autonomous tractor
Autonomous robots are becoming increasingly common in vineyards. They come in the form of tractors and (more compact) inter-row or high-clearance robots. Demonstrations have been multiplying over the last 5 years, and the range of equipment and its versatility is growing from one year to the next. Their arrival in the farming world is a veritable revolution, not only because they represent a new technology, but also because of the challenges they take up, such as the problem of manpower, sustainable practices and optimised productivity.
The common feature of this type of equipment is itsautonomy.
They don't need a driver, physically speaking, but rather an operator who has to set up the GPS data for the plots and the location of the vines to be worked. This is calledsurveying the plots.
The robot then needs to be operated on a day-to-day basis by a physical person to move it around the plot, monitor and maintain it.
Autonomous robots or tractors come in electric (battery and solar power) and thermal (diesel, hydrogen, etc.) versions.