Burro 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.
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.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.| Burro Verified 2026-07-16 | 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 | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | 2.56 kWh LFP battery (base Burro), swappable | 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 | 2 ha | 1 ha tabletop |
| Productivity | Carries ~227 kg (500 lb); up to 16 km (10 mi) range per battery | Picks at ~human single-hand rate, 24 h |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Aisle travel pace |
| Sensors | Computer vision (people-following) · high-precision GPS · IP65-rated for 40 °C+ operation | Stereo vision · ripeness detection · soft gripper |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | ≈€21,000–72,000 | Not disclosed |
| Native price | US$25,000–85,000 depending on model (trade-press reported range) | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy per unit via Burro or distributors (e.g. AdeptAg in the US); fleet software included | Lease / harvest-as-a-service (pilot) |
| Ongoing cost | Battery replacement by cycle life; software/fleet services | Not disclosed — pilot terms |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Fleet scale in commercial use 550+ robots sold, ~300,000 autonomous hours · vendor | 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.