Robot One vs Field Friend (Feldfreund)
Two weeding machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Solar-assisted laser weeding robot from Almkerk-based Pixelfarming Robotics — high-power laser modules burst weed cells at the two-leaf stage, chemical-free. Two frame sizes (3.20–3.60 m and 5.80–6.20 m working width) with 360°-rotating wheel units for configurable track widths; four 48 V hot-swappable batteries topped up by roof solar panels, optional diesel range extender for 24/7 work. Machines are working on farms in Europe and Canada; delivery 16–20 working weeks by production batch.
Best for: Fine vegetable and specialty growers (spinach, onion, babyleaf, leek, chicory, herbs, tulips) wanting chemical-free, no-till-disturbance weed control with an open, retrainable crop-detection platform.Modular AI mini field robot from Zauberzeug (Havixbeck, Münsterland) — a ~100 kg tracked platform under 1 m³ that uses onboard camera AI (the "Zauberzeug Robot Brain" edge-compute unit) to distinguish crops from weeds and mechanically remove them, including deep-rooted weeds. Offered both as a pay-per-hour weeding service (no machine purchase) and as a development platform; trade press reported roughly €20,000 for the machine with tools up to ~€5,000 extra. Winner of the Münsterland Innovation Award 2023/24.
Best for: Small-scale German vegetable and row-crop growers, market gardens and research users who want camera-guided mechanical in-row weeding without a big capex — pay per hour of weeding done.| Robot One Verified 2026-07-16 | Field Friend (Feldfreund) Verified 2026-07-17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Weeding | Weeding |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | Germany |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | CE-marked |
| Lead time | ~20 wk | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-17 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Solar + battery — four 48 V hot-swappable batteries, roof solar panels; optional diesel range extender for 24/7 hybrid operation | Battery-electric; solar panel and backup battery cited for extended operation |
| Required tractor power | Is the vehicle (autonomous laser tool carrier) | Is the vehicle (compact tracked mini robot) |
| Dimensions | Working widths 3.20/3.40/3.60 m (Robot One 3.60) or 5.80/6.00/6.20 m (Robot One 6.20); transport width 1.80–2.20 m | Under 1 m³ compact footprint (dev-kit chassis: 845 × 670 × 685 mm) |
| Weight | Not disclosed | ~100 kg (dev-kit chassis 100 kg) |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Productivity | ~10,000 laser shots/h per laser unit; e.g. 300TR with 10 lasers ran 200 m/h in babyleaf at 90% kill rate (vendor); working speed 150–1,000 m/h | Not disclosed |
| Max speed | Working speed 150–1,000 m/h depending on configuration and weed pressure | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | Camera-based crop/weed detection · GPS + RTK autonomous navigation · optional bedtop lighting for improved detection | Camera AI crop/weed differentiation · GPS-RTK navigation · Zauberzeug Robot Brain edge-AI computer |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | ~€20,000 |
| Native price | Not disclosed | ~€20,000 (machine, trade-press reported, Nov 2024) + up to ~€5,000 tools; service model priced per hour |
| Business model | Quote-based purchase direct or via dealers (NL, DE, UK, Scandinavia, FR, CA); delivery 16–20 working weeks by production batch | Pay-per-hour weeding service as the headline model; machine and dev-kit purchase also offered |
| Ongoing cost | Battery cycling; laser module service; 4G/5G data; optional diesel for range extender | Service model includes maintenance; battery cycling and tool wear if machine is owned |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Herbicide use Chemical-free laser weeding (exothermic cell burst at two-leaf stage) · vendor | Herbicide use Camera-guided mechanical single-weed removal, herbicide-free, including deep-rooted weeds · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked — EU-built series product operating on European farms | German-built machine operating commercially in Germany; CE status not independently verified |
| Machinery Regulation | Dutch-built; sold with a continuous-human-supervision requirement to meet current autonomous-machinery rules | EU-built; conformity route under the EU machinery regime not published |
| CAP subsidy | Chemical-free weeding supports CAP eco-scheme and pesticide-reduction goals; solar assist reduces energy footprint | Herbicide-free mechanical weeding supports CAP eco-scheme and organic 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.