The integration of robots into farms continues to transform modern agriculture, offering innovative solutions to improve efficiency and reduce costs. In New Zealand, the Burro robot is beginning to find its place on farms, demonstrating its potential through testimonials from local farmers. With Future Farming, we followed Chris from Agri-Automation, the distributor of the machine, on two of these demonstrations. We also met Mitchel, orchard manager at 45S South, who invested six months ago in a fleet of six Burro machines.
The Burro robot is designed for maximum flexibility, boasting four distinct operating modes. In manual mode, it is primarily used for logistics tasks such as trailer loading. The camera-guided Inrow mode is often used for moving between rows during harvesting. The more complex A-B Track mode, which combines GPS points and camera guidance, is ideal for tasks requiring precise trajectory patterns, such as harvesting assistance, bird scaring, or mowing. Finally, the Follow Me mode is used for logistics or harvesting assistance. Highly adaptable, the Burro offers numerous options for use, including mowing, bird scaring, scouting, weed spraying, and much more.
During our visit, Burro robots were demonstrated at one of the largest vineyards in the Marlborough region. Although the harvest season can last up to two months, only 1% of this vineyard is harvested by hand, leaving little time for the robot to operate. The vineyard manager noted, “He sees the value in harvesting, but for him it’s not enough – the machine needs to run more!” Once installed, the two Burro robots made the same trips back and forth between the rows and the unloading area as the quads. Although the robots can only carry 12 basins weighing 8 to 10 kg, compared with 26 for an ATV, the two of them easily managed to replace a quad bike and two people. The main challenge for this vineyard lies in the fact that it works with an external company for manual labor, which implies language barriers and the need to continually train workers. Additionally, Chris confides that a larger fleet of machines is needed to see a consistent and measurable change in productivity. The winery prefers to rent the machine until other tasks can be found to use it all year round.
Mitchel Patrick, the orchard manager at 45S South in Central Otago, has been working with a fleet of six Burro robots for the past six months. Automating and anticipating logistics is a major challenge, as it requires precise planning and constant adaptation to changing organization. Ongoing training of new employees, often necessary due to staff turnover, further complicates robot integration. Off-grid recharging and power supply for various tasks also pose significant logistical challenges. The robot’s interaction with the canopy and its camera’s lack of discernment in detecting obstacles are further technical obstacles. Harvesting does not represent enough working time; it is crucial to find additional tasks for the robot during the rest of the season to maximize its use and return on investment.
Recently launched on the market, the Burro Grande represents a significant evolution from its predecessor. Designed to meet the needs of larger-scale farming operations, this enlarged and reinforced model retains the versatility and efficiency for which Burro is renowned, while offering enhanced capabilities. With its increased load capacity and larger dimensions, the Burro Grande is equipped to transport larger volumes of crops or materials, reducing the number of trips required and optimizing farm logistics. Featuring the same advanced technologies as the original model, such as GPS navigation and camera sensors, the Burro Grande also benefits from new enhancements for better interaction with the canopy environment and more accurate obstacle detection. Its increased autonomy and robustness enable it to meet the challenges of more difficult terrain and more intensive working conditions.
Next year, Mitchel plans to upgrade his robots to the new version of the Burro Grande robot to benefit from increased capacity and new options. The deal will cost around an additional NZ$21,000 per machine, with monthly subscriptions increasing by NZ$200. Mitchel estimates that this investment will quickly pay for itself, thanks to increased hours of use and the diversification of tasks that the Burro Grande will be able to perform. Potential savings include reduced inputs thanks to more precise applications, such as spot spraying of herbicides or UV-C flashes. With its enhanced capabilities, the Burro Grande is set to become an even more essential tool in this farm organization.
After six months of use and over 200 hours of work, mainly during the harvesting season, Mitchel’s farm is testing two robots: one for mowing and another for scaring birds. The first year has been used to better understand the system and its limits. Mitchel told us that profitability will come from reducing the number of drivers, multiplying the number of passes, and lowering input costs. During the two months of harvest, the robots were assigned to each skip picker. At present, there is no reduction in staff, but an improvement in working conditions. Each robot transports