Ted, the versatile vineyard weeding robot
Toulouse – France
December 12th, 2016
In a collaborative project with the French IFV Institute for Wine and the LAAS-CNRS research lab for System Analysis and Architecture, Naïo Technologies has created Ted, the first electrically driven robotic straddler to autonomously weed vineyards.
At the international Vinitech-SIFEL trade fair, Ted received the Silver Trophy for Innovation in the category of Cultivation Techniques, which rewards projects that will impact the future of the wine sector. Ted could first be seen in action weeding the experimental vineyards of the French South-West Vinopôle early this winter.
Ted, the vineyard robot that has multiple assets
Guided by lidar, camera and GPS, Ted’s main goal is to mechanically weed vineyards and vine plants while airing the soil in order to help vineyard owners save precious time thanks to different tools.
However, Ted will also be able to complete other tasks, such as mowing, debudding, trimming, spraying and collecting data.
The R&D test series will be launched this winter with the help of four wine growers. Ted is expected to be marketed in 2018.
Technical data
- Autonomy: 8 to 10h
- Speed: 4 km/h
- Large vineyards: 2m to 3m
- Weight: about 600 to 800kg (depending on battery type)
- Size: Length 2.30m / Width 1.80m / Height 2.10m (adaptable)
- Work debit: 5 to 6 ha/day
Naïo Technologies
Anouck Lefebvre
Head of Communications
Naïo Technologies
235 rue de la montagne noire
31750 Escalquens
Tel: +33 6 43 06 64 90
Mail: anouck.lefebvre@naio-technologies.com
About Naïo Technologies
Created by robotics engineers Gaëtan Séverac and Aymeric Barthes in 2011, Naïo Technologies is an Agtech company based in Toulouse which designs, manufacturers and markets agricultural robotics solutions co-built with farmers and consumers. Being people- and environmentally-friendly, these weeding robots can, in particular, compensate for the lack of an agricultural workforce, reduce the drudgery linked with some agricultural tasks and limit the need for chemical inputs. To date, nearly 150 robots are in circulation worldwide, including Oz, designed for diversified market gardeners, Dino for weeding mound-grown vegetables and Ted, for wine growing.
