Aigro UP vs Inter-Plant Weeder SA-AI
Two weeding machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Compact Dutch autonomous robot for orchards, vineyards and tree nurseries — mows, hoes and harrows between and under tree rows. Camera-based row recognition does the in-row navigation (GPS only switches rows/fields), so it keeps working under thick foliage where GNSS robots struggle. Swappable dual 48V batteries change over in about a minute for near-continuous operation; commercial rollout in the Netherlands runs through importer Mechan.
Best for: Fruit growers and tree nurseries in the Benelux wanting a light, affordable (~€45k) electric robot for continuous mowing and mechanical weed control under canopy.Tractor-mounted, chemical-free in-row weeder from SPAPPERI N.T. S.R.L. (Città di Castello, Italy; est. 1964). A hydraulic PTO-driven frame (1-4 rows) carries per-row "BOX AI" units — a 3D camera plus AI vision developed with Czech partner Ullmanna — that detect each plant's root and drive independent vertical rotary tillers or fixed knives to weed within the row. Spapperi's own brochure calls it both "SA-IA" and "SA-AI"; the product is marketed via that brochure and lead-gen listings rather than a dedicated page on Spapperi's main site as of this check.
Best for: Commercial vegetable and root-crop growers (Spapperi's own examples include lettuce, cabbage, pumpkin and sugar beet) who already run an appropriately-sized tractor with rear hydraulics and want mechanical in-row weed control without GPS guidance or chemical herbicides.| Aigro UP Verified 2026-07-16 | Inter-Plant Weeder SA-AI Verified 2026-07-19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Weeding | Weeding |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | AI-assisted |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | Italy |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | Pending |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-19 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Battery-electric · dual swappable 48 V Li-ion packs, ~1-minute changeover | Tractor PTO-driven hydraulics — dedicated independent hydraulic circuit per weeding element, shared oil tank |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled) | Not disclosed — Spapperi specifies PTO-driven hydraulic transmission but publishes no minimum tractor horsepower figure for the SA-AI |
| Dimensions | 55 cm wide (2WD and 4WD) or 75 cm wide (4WD) chassis | Not disclosed — modular frame (1-4 rows, single or double planting-row spacing); overall width/length vary by configuration |
| Weight | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Not disclosed — no hectare threshold published; the multi-row tractor-mounted design targets commercial vegetable/root-crop operations |
| Productivity | Up to 24 h/day operation with battery rotation | 4,500-8,500 plants/hour per row, depending on in-plant spacing |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | AI camera row recognition for in-row navigation · GPS for row/field switching · app monitoring with remote takeover on alerts | 3D camera plus integrated lighting per weeding element ("BOX AI", AI vision by Ullmanna) for day/night plant-root detection; anti-collision sensors on each element arm; central "Power Box" CPU with GPS and internet connectivity |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | €45,000 | Not disclosed |
| Native price | €45,000 | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy; commercial rollout via importer Mechan (Achterveld, NL) | Buy — tractor-mounted implement sold direct from Spapperi NT S.r.l. (Città di Castello, Italy); AI vision developed with Czech partner Ullmanna, integrated as Spapperi's "BOX AI - Ullmanna System" |
| Ongoing cost | Battery packs and wear parts; support via Aigro/Mechan | Interchangeable rotary-tiller/knife wear parts; hydraulic oil and PTO-pump upkeep; AI crop models update automatically over the internet (Spapperi states a new crop can be added in about 6 hours) |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Mowing/weeding labour in orchard rows Unattended autonomous operation up to 24 h/day with battery swaps · vendor | In-row weeding labour Vendor testimonial states each row unit replaces about 10 manual workers · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked for the EU market (sold commercially in NL) | Not disclosed — no CE-marking statement found for the SA-AI on Spapperi's site, its brochure, or the dealer-contact page |
| Machinery Regulation | Placed on the EU market by Aigro B.V.; autonomous-machine provisions of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 apply | Not disclosed — would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 as a mounted implement with AI-driven functions if placed on the EU market; no explicit compliance statement found |
| CAP subsidy | Mechanical weed control supports eco-scheme / herbicide-reduction measures under CAP | Not disclosed — mechanical/AI in-row weeding removes herbicide use, which is relevant to CAP eco-schemes rewarding reduced chemical inputs, but Spapperi does not tie the SA-AI to CAP explicitly |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.