Compact S9000 vs Burro
Two harvesting machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Dutch selective white-asparagus harvesting robot from AvL Motion (Westerbeek, NL) — a diesel-electric, self-propelled platform that uses optical RGB/AI plus underground spear detection across 12 rotating harvest modules to locate and cut ripe stalks in the row. Vendor marketing repeatedly calls it "autonomous", but the manufacturer's own spec table and FAQ both confirm one operator must be present in the field to direct the robot via remote control and collect the harvested spears — so it is classified here as assisted, not autonomous. Second- generation model, in commercial development since 2017 and launched 2021; the manufacturer's own product page is live and actively soliciting demo requests as of July 2026.
Best for: White-asparagus growers farming above the manufacturer's own stated profitability threshold (roughly 10 ha) who want to cut peak-season hand-picking labour while keeping one on-site operator directing the robot through each row.American autonomous collaborative carrier — follows pickers or runs fixed A-to-B routes hauling harvest totes and materials; 550+ robots sold and ~300,000 autonomous hours across the US, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Israel and Latin America.
Best for: Labour-squeezed berry, table-grape and nursery operations that lose picker time to walking full trays back to the collection point.| Compact S9000 Verified 2026-07-19 | Burro Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | AI-assisted | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | United States |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | Pending | Pending |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-19 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Diesel-electric — 25 kW 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine (Stage 5) driving a 20 kVA electric power-distribution system; the manufacturer states the harvest mechanism itself runs fully on electricity (no hydraulics) and is "hybrid-ready" | 2.56 kWh LFP battery (base Burro), swappable |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable — self-propelled platform, no tractor required | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | 6 m long x 2.36 m wide x 2.93 m tall; turning radius 4.5 m | Not disclosed |
| Weight | 4,500 kg operational weight (manufacturer spec table) | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | Manufacturer states the robot is "on average profitable from 10 hectares"; single-unit field capacity is 15 ha total | 2 ha |
| Productivity | Up to 9,000 stalks/hour harvesting rate; field capacity 5 ha/day, 15 ha total per unit (each bed harvested roughly every 3 days) | Carries ~227 kg (500 lb); up to 16 km (10 mi) range per battery |
| Max speed | 3.6 km/h (1 m/s), both travel and harvesting | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | Optical RGB combined with AI, plus underground/subsurface spear detection | Computer vision (people-following) · high-precision GPS · IP65-rated for 40 °C+ operation |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | ≈€21,000–72,000 |
| Native price | Not disclosed | US$25,000–85,000 depending on model (trade-press reported range) |
| Business model | Direct sale from AvL Motion (Westerbeek, NL); price on request, not published on the manufacturer's site or found in independent coverage. Belgium/Luxembourg availability was claimed in early-2023 third-party listings but is not confirmed at the manufacturer, so it is not listed here. One operator must be present in the field to direct the robot via remote control and collect harvested spears; the robot itself autonomously navigates the bed and executes harvesting once directed. | Buy per unit via Burro or distributors (e.g. AdeptAg in the US); fleet software included |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — no published service or subscription costs found on the manufacturer's site. | Battery replacement by cycle life; software/fleet services |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | — No verified outcome | Fleet scale in commercial use 550+ robots sold, ~300,000 autonomous hours · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | Not disclosed — no CE-marking statement found on the manufacturer's site or in independent coverage | No CE marking verifiable as of July 2026 |
| Machinery Regulation | Not disclosed — no explicit compliance statement found; the autonomous-navigation/remote-operated cutting functions would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 if placed on the EU market | Not established for the EU market; conformity under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 would be required for EU sales |
| CAP subsidy | Harvest automation — not directly tied to CAP eco-schemes | Not applicable without EU availability |
"—" 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.