In response to the threat of a ban on herbicide use and the increasing shortage of skilled workers, we have started pilot trials of autonomous green space management for large agricultural areas together with Vitirover, a French manufacturer of mowing robots. In 2020, these trials will be carried out in a number of vineyards as well as in an electricity substation. Thanks to our initial successes and high customer demand we are optimistic that we will soon be able to commercialise the service for our customers.
As a participant in the Acceleration Program of the Agro Innovation Lab in 2018, Vitirover was able to reach many important commercialisation milestones in cooperation with the technical experts of RWA:
– Carrying out of several pilot trials in Austrian vineyards, organised and supervised by AIL, in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences and the Krems School of Viticulture
– Expansion of the target group by adding electricity substations, including a pilot test with two Vitirover mowing robots
– Technical training of an RWA project manager in St. Emilion, France
– Development of the business model “robots as a service”
Further information about Vitirover itself can be found here.
Project findings
The pilot tests confirm high customer demand for autonomous green space management.
In the vineyard, precise weed control close to and between the vines is very important. With its front-mounted knife motors, the Vitirover is ideally suited for this. The Vitirover is powered by an integrated photovoltaic module rather than a charging station. The output per unit area fluctuates due to the shadows of the vines and the higher energy requirements caused by uneven ground but can be increased by changing the integrated buffer battery. The optimisation of this output per unit area is the focus of the ongoing pilot tests.
The main focus in electricity substations is on the safety of the work process. Here, the output per unit area can be increased by reducing the number of obstacles.
If you are interested, please contact us at: office@agroinnolab.com
Photos: AIL, Hannes Schauer