Compact S9000 vs GRoW
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.Israeli dual-arm greenhouse robot that harvests vine tomatoes on pipe-rail systems using an AI 3D vision system, developed with Dutch greenhouse-tech partner Ridder. Running in Dutch greenhouses — validated at grower Lans in the 2025 NPPL-R trial by Wageningen UR (up to ~90% of eligible vines harvested, operator supervision still required) and picking ToBRFV-resistant varieties at Axia Vegetable Seeds' demo greenhouse.
Best for: Large Dutch-style vine-tomato greenhouses on pipe rails wanting to automate harvest labour, with tolerance for a validation-stage machine that needs supervision and a crop structure adapted to robotic picking.| Compact S9000 Verified 2026-07-19 | GRoW Verified 2026-07-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | AI-assisted | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | Israel |
| Availability | Available now | Pilot / limited |
| EU market | Pending | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-19 | 2026-07-17 |
| 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" | Electric, self-propelled on greenhouse pipe rails |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable — self-propelled platform, no tractor required | Not required (pipe-rail trolley platform) |
| 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 | Not disclosed (targets large commercial greenhouses) |
| 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) | WUR NPPL-R 2025: up to ~90% of vines meeting crop criteria harvested; cycle-time figures not published |
| 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 | AI 3D vision system with high-resolution colour imaging for truss detection and ripeness |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| 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. | Direct from MetoMotion / via partner Ridder (NL); demo-request sales process, commercial terms not published |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — no published service or subscription costs found on the manufacturer's site. | Not disclosed |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | — No verified outcome | Vine tomato harvest success (vines meeting crop criteria) ~90% harvest success · independent |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | Not disclosed — no CE-marking statement found on the manufacturer's site or in independent coverage | CE status not published; operates in Dutch commercial greenhouses |
| 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 | Placed on the EU market with partner Ridder; Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions apply |
| CAP subsidy | Harvest automation — not directly tied to CAP eco-schemes | Greenhouse harvest automation — not directly tied to CAP eco-schemes |
"—" 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.