Astronaut A5 Next vs T-Moov Poultry Robot
Two robotic barn machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
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.Small autonomous barn robot for cage-free layer, breeder and turkey houses — patrols the litter on 4-wheel drive, stimulating birds with lights, sounds and lasers to keep flocks moving, cut floor eggs and aerate litter. Developed by Breton startup Tibot (200+ Spoutnic/T-Moov units in 22 countries); Tibot's assets were acquired by fellow French poultry-robotics firm Octopus Biosafety in November 2022, which now manufactures and sells the T-Moov.
Best for: Cage-free layer and breeder houses fighting floor eggs, and turkey barns needing flock activity and litter aeration without a person walking the house several times a day.| Astronaut A5 Next Verified 2026-07-16 | T-Moov Poultry Robot Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Robotic barn | Robotic barn |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | France |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | ~20 wk | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Mains electric · vacuum + compressed air | Rechargeable lithium battery · ~10 h operation, ≤3 h charge on a standard outlet |
| Required tractor power | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dimensions | Single box ~3.5 × 2.5 m footprint | 65 × 54 cm, height 18.5–22.5 cm (fits under feed lines) |
| Weight | Fixed installation | 15 kg |
| Min farm size | 50 cows / unit | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | ~60 cows per robot | One robot covers ~1,200 m² of barn floor |
| Max speed | Not applicable | 0.1–0.7 m/s, six adjustable speeds |
| Sensors | Laser + camera teat detection · milk MDi sensors · cow ID | Obstacle detection with bypass manoeuvres; ammonia-, dust- and water-resistant housing designed for disinfectants |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | €165,000 per unit, installed (indicative) | Not disclosed |
| Native price | €165,000 | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy · finance; national livestock-modernisation grants | Buy via Octopus Biosafety and its international distributor network |
| Ongoing cost | €4,500/yr service; consumables + energy | Battery replacement; cleaning/disinfection consumables |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Milking labour −73% · vendor | Floor egg rate Stabilised at ~0.5% claimed with T-Moov patrols · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked | CE marked; designed and made in France |
| Machinery Regulation | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 | Small mobile barn machine placed on the EU market by Octopus Biosafety |
| CAP subsidy | Eligible under rural-development livestock schemes | May qualify under animal-welfare / livestock-modernisation rural development measures (member-state specific) |
"—" 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.