Fieldworker 1 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/Plymouth-rooted raspberry harvesting robot with four soft picking arms and AI-enhanced 3D vision — spectral-frequency ripeness sensing removes human bias from pick decisions. Running a two-year harvesting-as-a-service programme with Place UK (Norfolk) and Littywood Farm (Stafford), backed by £3m funding; international trials planned in Portugal and Australia, commercial multi-robot fleets targeted from 2027.
Best for: Raspberry growers in the UK who want early access to soft-fruit harvest automation via a service programme rather than buying hardware.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.| Fieldworker 1 Verified 2026-07-17 | Rubion Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom | Belgium |
| Availability | Pilot / limited | Pilot / limited |
| EU market | Pending | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-17 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Battery-electric (details not disclosed) | Battery-electric · shift-length runtime |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled between rows) | 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 | Designed to match human picker speed and quality; figures not published | Picks at ~human single-hand rate, 24 h |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Aisle travel pace |
| Sensors | AI-enhanced 3D cameras · spectral-frequency ripeness sensing · machine learning pick selection | Stereo vision · ripeness detection · soft gripper |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Harvesting-as-a-service (2-year programme with Place UK and Littywood Farm); no hardware list price | Lease / harvest-as-a-service (pilot) |
| Ongoing cost | Service contract terms not disclosed | Not disclosed — pilot terms |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Ripeness assessment Spectral-frequency sensing removes human bias from ripeness analysis · vendor | Harvest labour dependency partial automation · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | No CE marking published — UK (UKCA regime) pilots; Portugal trials planned, EU placement not verified | CE marked (pilot units) |
| Machinery Regulation | Not verified for EU market placement | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 |
| CAP subsidy | Not applicable — service not yet 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.