MoonDino vs Ted
Two weeding machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Solar-powered autonomous mechanical weeding robot for rice paddies, built by ArvaTec Srl (Rescaldina, Lombardy, Italy — a 2002 Politecnico di Milano agricultural-engineering spin-off). GNSS RTK/GPS-guided, uniquely shaped wheels weed and pad the soil immediately after sowing without touching the rice plants, working on both dry and flooded paddy ground. Launched in 2022 and still actively demonstrated in Italy as of 2026 (dedicated "DEMO MOONDINO 2026" events on ArvaTec's own site); ArvaTec does not publish a price — third-party directories cite an indicative €50,000, unverified at the source and stated as quote-dependent.
Best for: Italian (and other EU) rice growers wanting to cut herbicide use and hand/mechanical weeding labour on paddy plots around the machine's roughly 10-hectare-per-cycle coverage, including organic or reduced-chemical operations.Fully electric autonomous vine straddler from Toulouse-based Naïo Technologies for mechanical under-vine weeding and soil work — GNSS RTK navigation, up to 6.5 ha/day, 600 kg tool lift, and a growing catalogue of approved implements (Clemens, Souslikoff, Boisselet, Naïo's own EVOLT intervine). Billed by Naïo as the lightest autonomous vineyard robot on the market.
Best for: Mid-width vineyards replacing herbicide passes with unsupervised mechanical under-vine weeding, day-long electric operation and low soil compaction.| MoonDino Verified 2026-07-19 | Ted Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Weeding | Weeding |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Italy | France |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | Pending | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-19 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Solar-electric — 1200 W electric motor, battery continuously charged by 2 onboard photovoltaic panels; zero fuel cost, zero operating CO2 emissions per ArvaTec | 100% electric — 26.5 kWh battery (39 kWh option) |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled) | Is the vehicle (electric straddle tool carrier, 600 kg lift capacity) |
| Dimensions | Not disclosed | ~450 × 142–185 (adjustable) × 200 (±30) cm |
| Weight | Not disclosed | ~2.1 t |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | Roughly 10 hectares covered per working cycle, with up to 16 h autonomous operation per charge (agtecher.com; ArvaTec publishes no numeric figures) | Up to 6.5 ha/day (vendor); up to 8 h autonomy depending on tools and terrain |
| Max speed | 1 km/h | Up to 6 km/h |
| Sensors | GNSS RTK positioning with GPS navigation and onboard sensors for high-precision mechanical weeding | GNSS RTK centimetre navigation · Naïo "Augmented Autonomy" unsupervised-operation stack · annual vineyard mapping required |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Direct purchase from ArvaTec Srl (Italy), quote-based — ArvaTec does not publish pricing on its own site; third-party directories cite an indicative ~€50,000, explicitly described there as varying by configuration and subject to contacting ArvaTec for a precise quote | Buy direct from Naïo Technologies or via distributors (France; North America via dealer network) |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — no ongoing/subscription costs published | Battery life-cycle; tool wear parts; annual RTK vineyard mapping update; electricity |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Herbicide use in rice paddy weed control Mechanical weeding via robot wheels replaces chemical herbicide application, aligning with organic-farming practice · vendor | Herbicide under the row Mechanical under-vine weeding, no herbicide · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | Not disclosed — no CE-marking evidence found on ArvaTec's own site or product brochure checked this session | CE marked — series product sold on the EU market |
| Machinery Regulation | Not confirmed directly, but the machine is sold from and demonstrated in Italy (EU); would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions if/when formally placed on the EU market | Designed and manufactured in France with primarily European components; conformity maintained under the EU machinery regime |
| CAP subsidy | Mechanical weeding removes chemical herbicide use, aligning with organic-farming and herbicide-reduction eco-scheme measures under CAP | Electric, herbicide-free mechanical weeding supports CAP eco-scheme and pesticide-reduction 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.