Grande 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.
Larger "pallet-scale" sibling of the base Burro cart — carries up to 680 kg (1,500 lb) and tows up to roughly 2,270 kg (5,000 lb) on flat terrain, versus the base Burro's ~227 kg (500 lb) capacity, aimed at nursery and orchard/vineyard operations moving pallets or loaded trailers through rows and corridors without a driver. Distinct from Burro's newer, higher-power "Grande 44" (44 hp, pre-order, deliveries H2 2026), which supersedes Grande at the top of the range.
Best for: Nursery, orchard and vineyard operations that need to move pallets or loaded trailers over long corridors and rows autonomously, and need more capacity than the base people-scale Burro.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.| Grande Verified 2026-07-19 | Rubion Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United States | 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 | Battery-electric (Burro platform); exact capacity not disclosed for Grande specifically | Battery-electric · shift-length runtime |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | Not disclosed | 1.50 × 0.90 × 1.60 m |
| Weight | Not disclosed | 340 kg |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | 1 ha tabletop |
| Productivity | Carries up to 680 kg (1,500 lb); tows up to ~2,270 kg (5,000 lb) on relatively flat terrain (per AgFunderNews' Series-B coverage, agfundernews.com "With a fresh $24m, Burro grows from people- to pallet-scale", Jan 2024) | Picks at ~human single-hand rate, 24 h |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Aisle travel pace |
| Sensors | Autonomy via the Burro Operating System (follow-me and waypoint modes, as on the base Burro's vision + GPS platform); Grande-specific sensor hardware not disclosed in reached sources | Stereo vision · ripeness detection · soft gripper |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy per unit via Burro (direct) — RFQ / Request for Quote pricing, no published price found; Burro Operating System fleet software included | Lease / harvest-as-a-service (pilot) |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — no Grande-specific ongoing-cost information found in accessible sources | Not disclosed — pilot terms |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | — No verified outcome | Harvest labour dependency partial automation · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | No CE marking verifiable as of July 2026 | CE marked (pilot units) |
| Machinery Regulation | Not established for the EU market; conformity under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 would be required for EU sales | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 |
| CAP subsidy | Not applicable without EU availability | 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.