Videos: Robots in the vineyard, new technology applied
Viticulture is expensive, and a lot of the cost is paying people to do quite boring, repetitive work. Of course, it’s great to give people jobs, but in many regions worldwide it can be a challenge finding people, especially for seasonal tasks that require a lot of people. Here I’ve collated some YouTube videos of vineyard robotics, beginning with one of my own.
This is a film I shot of the Vitibot Bakus in operation in Burgundy – it’s now quite widely used in France
This is a robot called Frasky in operation in Italy
This is a robot called Burro Grande that can be used to mow
And here are some robots in action at Pernod Ricard’s Brancott Estate in New Zealand
Here’s a trial of a robot that can actually pick grapes, being used in the UK
And here’s another grape-picking robot
Another robot, called Traxx. This, like Bakus, is suited to low canopies and close-planted vineyards with its over-row design.
Vinbot is used to estimate yield – an important job
These are Thorvald robots used to deliver UV-C to defeat powdery mildew. They need to be used in the dark.
Same technology: UV-C robots
And here’s a trial of a legged robot! Can do rocky vineyards.
