AX-1 vs Ted
Two weeding machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Norwegian ultra-precision weeding robot for open-field vegetables — an AI vision system detects individual weeds and a patented Single-Drop nozzle (SDT) fires one micro-droplet of herbicide directly onto each weed at 6x6mm resolution, cutting herbicide input by a manufacturer-claimed average of 96.6%. Independently tested by Wageningen University & Research at over 99% spray-drift reduction (Dutch DRT99, the system's highest class), and commercially deployed since 2021 across Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia, with a 2025 Kubota partnership now expanding EU dealer-network sales.
Best for: Open-field vegetable and root-crop growers (carrots, onions, beets, celery/celeriac, spinach, salads, parsley and similar) in Norway and neighbouring EU markets who still spray herbicide and want to sharply cut volume and drift without switching to purely mechanical or laser weeding.Fully electric autonomous vine straddler from Toulouse-based Naïo Technologies for mechanical under-vine weeding and soil work — GNSS RTK navigation, up to 6.5 ha/day, 600 kg tool lift, and a growing catalogue of approved implements (Clemens, Souslikoff, Boisselet, Naïo's own EVOLT intervine). Billed by Naïo as the lightest autonomous vineyard robot on the market.
Best for: Mid-width vineyards replacing herbicide passes with unsupervised mechanical under-vine weeding, day-long electric operation and low soil compaction.| AX-1 Verified 2026-07-18 | Ted Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Weeding | Weeding |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Norway | France |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | Pending | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-18 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Electric drive with a small onboard petrol generator (per GOFAR robotics database; not itemized on the manufacturer's own site) | 100% electric — 26.5 kWh battery (39 kWh option) |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled autonomous unit) | Is the vehicle (electric straddle tool carrier, 600 kg lift capacity) |
| Dimensions | Approx. 220 x 215 x 150 cm (third-party listing; not published by Kilter) | ~450 × 142–185 (adjustable) × 200 (±30) cm |
| Weight | 280 kg dry / 365 kg wet (GOFAR database; distributed to minimise soil compaction) | ~2.1 t |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | Not disclosed — third-party estimates conflict (0.33-1 ha/hr) and Kilter does not publish a figure | Up to 6.5 ha/day (vendor); up to 8 h autonomy depending on tools and terrain |
| Max speed | Up to 2 km/h (third-party listing; not published by Kilter) | Up to 6 km/h |
| Sensors | AI vision with a deep-learning neural network for real-time weed/crop detection at 6x6mm targeting resolution; RTK-GNSS (dual-antenna) and IMU for autonomous navigation (third-party listing) | GNSS RTK centimetre navigation · Naïo "Augmented Autonomy" unsupervised-operation stack · annual vineyard mapping required |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | ≈€130,000 | Not disclosed |
| Native price | ≈€130,000 (third-party: Future Farming robot database — Kilter quotes individually) | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy — direct from Kilter AS (Langhus, Norway) via a consultative sales process (farm details submitted for a quote; no public price list), or through regional distributors such as Croplands (Australia). A Kubota partnership (announced at Agritechnica 2025) is expanding dealer-network sales in Germany and the Netherlands through 2025-2026. | Buy direct from Naïo Technologies or via distributors (France; North America via dealer network) |
| Ongoing cost | Herbicide/bio-herbicide refills (any crop-registered agrochemical usable in a boom sprayer, e.g. pelargonic acid); Single-Drop nozzle module (SDT-N2) wear parts. Specific service cost figures not disclosed. | Battery life-cycle; tool wear parts; annual RTK vineyard mapping update; electricity |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Spray drift vs. a conventional reference sprayer More than 99% spray-drift reduction — qualifies for DRT99, the highest class in the Dutch drift-reduction classification system · independent | Herbicide under the row Mechanical under-vine weeding, no herbicide · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | No explicit CE-marking statement found on Kilter's public materials; the AX-1 is sold and in active commercial/pilot use in EU member states (Sweden, Germany, Netherlands) and passed independent Dutch DRT99 spray-drift certification (WUR/TCT) | CE marked — series product sold on the EU market |
| Machinery Regulation | Not explicitly addressed by the manufacturer; as an autonomous field-spraying machine placed on EU markets, would fall under the autonomous-machine provisions of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 if formally assessed | Designed and manufactured in France with primarily European components; conformity maintained under the EU machinery regime |
| CAP subsidy | Precision spot-application (manufacturer-claimed ~95-96.6% herbicide reduction) supports CAP eco-scheme and integrated-pest-management / pesticide-reduction objectives | Electric, herbicide-free mechanical weeding supports CAP eco-scheme and pesticide-reduction goals |
"—" 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.