GRoW vs FAR Flying Autonomous Robots
Two harvesting machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Israeli dual-arm greenhouse robot that harvests vine tomatoes on pipe-rail systems using an AI 3D vision system, developed with Dutch greenhouse-tech partner Ridder. Running in Dutch greenhouses — validated at grower Lans in the 2025 NPPL-R trial by Wageningen UR (up to ~90% of eligible vines harvested, operator supervision still required) and picking ToBRFV-resistant varieties at Axia Vegetable Seeds' demo greenhouse.
Best for: Large Dutch-style vine-tomato greenhouses on pipe rails wanting to automate harvest labour, with tolerance for a validation-stage machine that needs supervision and a crop structure adapted to robotic picking.Israeli tethered flying robots that pick tree fruit — apples, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and pears — with AI vision selecting only ripe fruit and logging weight, colour and geolocation per fruit. Commercially harvesting with Rivoira Group in Italy, HMC Farms in California/Washington and Unifrutti in Chile, primarily as picking-as-a-service paid per harvested tonne; machine purchase offered since late 2023. Raised an $18M Series C in March 2026 with Kubota among investors.
Best for: Large orchard operations (apples, stone fruit, pears) in Tevel's active regions wanting to replace scarce seasonal picking crews with a per-tonne harvest service that also delivers per-fruit data.| GRoW Verified 2026-07-17 | FAR Flying Autonomous Robots Verified 2026-07-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Harvesting | Harvesting |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Israel | Israel |
| Availability | Pilot / limited | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-17 | 2026-07-17 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Electric, self-propelled on greenhouse pipe rails | Electric — tethered drones powered and coordinated from a mobile ground platform |
| Required tractor power | Not required (pipe-rail trolley platform) | Ground platform moves through the orchard; drones are platform-tethered |
| Dimensions | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Weight | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed (targets large commercial greenhouses) | Not disclosed (deployments are large commercial orchards) |
| Productivity | WUR NPPL-R 2025: up to ~90% of vines meeting crop criteria harvested; cycle-time figures not published | 24/7 harvesting capability; per-unit picking rate not disclosed |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | AI 3D vision system with high-resolution colour imaging for truss detection and ripeness | AI computer vision per drone — ripeness, size, colour grading and disease detection on each fruit; per-fruit weight and geolocation logging |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Direct from MetoMotion / via partner Ridder (NL); demo-request sales process, commercial terms not published | Primarily harvesting-as-a-service on multi-year plans, paid in €/tonne pegged to direct picking labour cost; revenue shared with regional service partners. Direct purchase offered since Q3 2023. |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed | Per-tonne service fee (rates not published) |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Vine tomato harvest success (vines meeting crop criteria) ~90% harvest success · independent | Total harvesting cost −20–30% total cost (vendor claim) · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE status not published; operates in Dutch commercial greenhouses | CE status not published; operating commercially in Italian orchards with Rivoira Group |
| Machinery Regulation | Placed on the EU market with partner Ridder; Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions apply | EU deployments via service partners; Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions apply, drone elements may engage additional EU rules |
| CAP subsidy | Greenhouse harvest automation — not directly tied to CAP eco-schemes | Harvest automation — not directly tied to CAP eco-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.