Gen 5 Strawberry Harvesting Robot 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.
Cambridge-built autonomous strawberry picker running commercially as picking-as-a-service — 50+ robots deployed in the UK and internationally, picking tabletop strawberries by night and day. Raised £14m in July 2026 to scale the fleet.
Best for: Tabletop strawberry growers on pipe rails (≥55 cm spacing) in the UK, Australia or California who cannot recruit seasonal pickers.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.| Gen 5 Strawberry Harvesting Robot Verified 2026-07-16 | Rubion Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom | 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 | Battery-electric · 8 h swappable Li-ion, ~400 W draw | Battery-electric · shift-length runtime |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled on pipe rails/rows) | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | 2.4 × 0.7 × 1.8 m | 1.50 × 0.90 × 1.60 m |
| Weight | 400 kg | 340 kg |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | 1 ha tabletop |
| Productivity | ~200 kg/day per robot · 80–90% extraction rate · machine-made waste <2.5% | Picks at ~human single-hand rate, 24 h |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Aisle travel pace |
| Sensors | Stereo vision picking arms · 5-camera onboard grading unit · onboard lighting for night work | Stereo vision · ripeness detection · soft gripper |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Picking-as-a-service (RaaS); ~£30k/unit hardware figure reported but not a public list price | Lease / harvest-as-a-service (pilot) |
| Ongoing cost | Service contract per harvest season (terms not disclosed) | Not disclosed — pilot terms |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Picking labour Robot picks ~200 kg/day, up to 16 h with battery swap incl. night shifts · vendor | Harvest labour dependency partial automation · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | No CE marking published — operates in UK (UKCA regime), AU and US | CE marked (pilot units) |
| Machinery Regulation | Not verified for EU market placement | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 |
| CAP subsidy | Not applicable — service not offered in the EU | 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.