Aigro UP vs Field Friend (Feldfreund)
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.Modular AI mini field robot from Zauberzeug (Havixbeck, Münsterland) — a ~100 kg tracked platform under 1 m³ that uses onboard camera AI (the "Zauberzeug Robot Brain" edge-compute unit) to distinguish crops from weeds and mechanically remove them, including deep-rooted weeds. Offered both as a pay-per-hour weeding service (no machine purchase) and as a development platform; trade press reported roughly €20,000 for the machine with tools up to ~€5,000 extra. Winner of the Münsterland Innovation Award 2023/24.
Best for: Small-scale German vegetable and row-crop growers, market gardens and research users who want camera-guided mechanical in-row weeding without a big capex — pay per hour of weeding done.| Aigro UP Verified 2026-07-16 | Field Friend (Feldfreund) Verified 2026-07-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Weeding | Weeding |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | Germany |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-17 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Battery-electric · dual swappable 48 V Li-ion packs, ~1-minute changeover | Battery-electric; solar panel and backup battery cited for extended operation |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled) | Is the vehicle (compact tracked mini robot) |
| Dimensions | 55 cm wide (2WD and 4WD) or 75 cm wide (4WD) chassis | Under 1 m³ compact footprint (dev-kit chassis: 845 × 670 × 685 mm) |
| Weight | Not disclosed | ~100 kg (dev-kit chassis 100 kg) |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | Up to 24 h/day operation with battery rotation | Not disclosed |
| 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 | Camera AI crop/weed differentiation · GPS-RTK navigation · Zauberzeug Robot Brain edge-AI computer |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | €45,000 | ~€20,000 |
| Native price | €45,000 | ~€20,000 (machine, trade-press reported, Nov 2024) + up to ~€5,000 tools; service model priced per hour |
| Business model | Buy; commercial rollout via importer Mechan (Achterveld, NL) | Pay-per-hour weeding service as the headline model; machine and dev-kit purchase also offered |
| Ongoing cost | Battery packs and wear parts; support via Aigro/Mechan | Service model includes maintenance; battery cycling and tool wear if machine is owned |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Mowing/weeding labour in orchard rows Unattended autonomous operation up to 24 h/day with battery swaps · vendor | Herbicide use Camera-guided mechanical single-weed removal, herbicide-free, including deep-rooted weeds · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked for the EU market (sold commercially in NL) | German-built machine operating commercially in Germany; CE status not independently verified |
| Machinery Regulation | Placed on the EU market by Aigro B.V.; autonomous-machine provisions of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 apply | EU-built; conformity route under the EU machinery regime not published |
| CAP subsidy | Mechanical weed control supports eco-scheme / herbicide-reduction measures under CAP | Herbicide-free mechanical weeding supports CAP eco-scheme and organic goals |
"—" 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.