Aramis II vs Astronaut A5 Next
Two robotic barn machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Rail-guided all-in-one feeding robot from Tyrolean specialist Hetwin — weighs, cuts, mixes, doses and pushes feed around the clock from an overhead rail, with two horizontal mixing augers producing a homogeneous ration from batches as small as 50 kg. Aimed at medium herds of roughly 50–150 animals; sold and serviced in Switzerland via Harvestore.
Best for: Medium dairy and fattening barns (≈50–150 animals) wanting fully automatic group-specific fresh feeding without a mixer wagon — overhead rail keeps the feed alley clear.Robotic milking system — cows milk on their own schedule around the clock; the A5 Next (June 2025) adds a new OS with over-the-air updates, laser+camera teat detection and an automatic milk filter.
Best for: Dairy herds of 50–120 cows seeking to cut milking labour and lift yield per cow.| Aramis II Verified 2026-07-16 | Astronaut A5 Next Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Robotic barn | Robotic barn |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Austria | Netherlands |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | ~20 wk |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Mains electric via sliding power line on overhead rail — up to 60% energy saving vs comparable systems (vendor) | Mains electric · vacuum + compressed air |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | Overhead rail-guided unit, sized to barn | Single box ~3.5 × 2.5 m footprint |
| Weight | Not disclosed | Fixed installation |
| Min farm size | ~50 animals | 50 cows / unit |
| Productivity | Batches from 50 kg; feeding around the clock, group-specific rations | ~60 cows per robot |
| Max speed | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Sensors | Weighing cells for ration accuracy | Laser + camera teat detection · milk MDi sensors · cow ID |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | €165,000 per unit, installed (indicative) |
| Native price | Not disclosed | €165,000 |
| Business model | Buy via Hetwin and country distributors | Buy · finance; national livestock-modernisation grants |
| Ongoing cost | Electricity; auger and knife wear parts; service via distributor | €4,500/yr service; consumables + energy |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Feeding working time -70% · vendor | Milking labour −73% · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked | CE marked |
| Machinery Regulation | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (AT manufacturer); Swiss market access via CH–EU Mutual Recognition Agreement | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 |
| CAP subsidy | Eligible under rural-development livestock schemes | Eligible under rural-development livestock 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.