Thorvald vs SharpShooter
Two spraying machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Norwegian autonomous UV-C robot that replaces fungicide sprays for powdery mildew control — working at night in UK tabletop strawberries (used by 13 leading growers, around 20–30% of the national tabletop crop) and California vineyards, where over 150 Thorvald 3.0 units ran the 2025 season. Delivered as a service rather than a machine sale, with a vineyard-specific model launched for 2026.
Best for: Larger tabletop strawberry and wine-grape operations in Saga's service regions (UK, US) wanting to cut fungicide programmes without buying or operating robots themselves.US-built AI-guided precision-application implement (Verdant Robotics calls it "SharpShooter" — not "Spraybox"; see maker note below) that identifies each plant with 3D machine vision and fires a targeted micro-dose of herbicide, fertiliser or biological product rather than blanket-spraying the field. Tractor-drawn via a standard 3-point hitch; commercially available with expanded nationwide US availability announced May 2025; no EU sales or CE evidence found.
Best for: Large US specialty-crop operations (leafy greens, root vegetables, tree fruit) running a tractor that can supply ~6.5 GPM hydraulic flow and lift ~3,000 lb, that want to cut blanket-spray chemical volume and hand-weeding labour and are comfortable with a quote-based purchase-plus-financing deal rather than a published price.| Thorvald Verified 2026-07-17 | SharpShooter Verified 2026-07-19 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Spraying | Spraying |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | AI-assisted |
| Country of origin | Norway | United States |
| Availability | Available now | Available now |
| EU market | CE-marked | Pending |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-17 | 2026-07-19 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Battery-electric · 48 V Li-Ion 70 Ah (space for a second battery) · charges from a regular outlet | Tractor-hydraulic implement — no PTO required, needs approximately 6.5 GPM hydraulic flow from the towing tractor |
| Required tractor power | Not required (self-propelled modular platform) | Any tractor able to lift approximately 3,000 lb via a Class I/II 3-point hitch and supply ~6.5 GPM hydraulic flow — no minimum engine power or PTO published |
| Dimensions | Modular platform; configuration-dependent, not disclosed | 20-ft working-width configuration (Model B); folds to a compact travel position for towing on a standard gooseneck trailer |
| Weight | ~200 kg | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | No published minimum; named commercial deployments (e.g. My-T Acres, NY; TopFlavor Farms) are large multi-thousand-acre specialty-crop operations |
| Productivity | Fleet-scale service: ~2,500 acres of US vineyard treated; ~20% of UK tabletop strawberry crop | Up to 7 acres/hour (2.8 ha/hr) field coverage; up to approximately 500,000 plants/hour at 120–480 targeting shots/second |
| Max speed | Typically under 5 km/h in operation | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | Autonomous navigation stack; crop-counting cameras (up to 3 million crop counts per robot per night, vendor claim) | AI-powered 3D field mapping and machine vision ("Aim & Apply") for real-time crop/weed identification and millimetre-level targeting; multiple application turrets; tablet-based operator interface with live visual confirmation of detection and targeting |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | UV-C treatment as a service — Saga deploys, operates and maintains robot fleets; growers pay for treatment rather than buying machines | Purchase, with financing available through Verdant Robotics or its finance partners; price varies by configuration, crop, region and dealer — contact sales for a quote (verdantrobotics.com/faqs, 2026). Sold direct and through regional authorised dealers (e.g. Ag Technologies for the US Southeast). Note a conflict across sources — Future Farming's coverage described Verdant's offering as Robotics-as-a-Service, but the company's current 2026 FAQ describes a purchase-plus-financing model with no RaaS mentioned, so RaaS is not reflected here as the current model. |
| Ongoing cost | Service fee (not published); no grower-side machine ownership | Consumable spray solution/inputs; routine cleaning of spray boxes, filter checks and nozzle inspection (verdantrobotics.com/faqs) |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Fungicide use for powdery mildew −70–100% pesticide use (vendor claim) · vendor | Chemical volume vs. blanket spraying Up to 99% less chemical volume applied · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE status not published; UV-C units carry light-exposure safety interlocks for night operation | Not confirmed — no CE-marking evidence found; the product is US-designed and -built and, as of 2026, sold only in the US market |
| Machinery Regulation | Placed on the EU/UK market by Saga Robotics; Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions apply | No EU placement found; would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions if ever placed on the EU market |
| CAP subsidy | Large pesticide reduction supports EU pesticide-reduction and eco-scheme goals (service currently UK/US/NO, not EU-27) | Not applicable — US-only sales, outside EU CAP scope |
"—" 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.