Compact S9000 vs Rubion
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.Strawberry-picking robot for tabletop systems; little public evidence of commercial rollout since ~2021, with Octinion's picking activities continuing under picking.technology — commercial status uncertain.
Best for: Tabletop strawberry growers facing harvest-labour shortages and tight picking windows.| Compact S9000 Verified 2026-07-19 | Rubion Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | AI-assisted | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | Belgium |
| Availability | Available now | Pilot / limited |
| EU market | Pending | CE-marked |
| 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" | Battery-electric · shift-length runtime |
| 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 | 1.50 × 0.90 × 1.60 m |
| Weight | 4,500 kg operational weight (manufacturer spec table) | 340 kg |
| Min farm size | Manufacturer states the robot is "on average profitable from 10 hectares"; single-unit field capacity is 15 ha total | 1 ha tabletop |
| 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) | Picks at ~human single-hand rate, 24 h |
| Max speed | 3.6 km/h (1 m/s), both travel and harvesting | Aisle travel pace |
| Sensors | Optical RGB combined with AI, plus underground/subsurface spear detection | Stereo vision · ripeness detection · soft gripper |
| 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. | Lease / harvest-as-a-service (pilot) |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — no published service or subscription costs found on the manufacturer's site. | Not disclosed — pilot terms |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | — No verified outcome | Harvest labour dependency partial automation · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | Not disclosed — no CE-marking statement found on the manufacturer's site or in independent coverage | CE marked (pilot units) |
| 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 | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 |
| CAP subsidy | Harvest automation — not directly tied to CAP eco-schemes | Eligible under horticulture innovation 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.