SwarmBot vs Bakus
Two autonomous tractor machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Australian autonomous farming platform from SwarmFarm Robotics (Gindie, near Emerald, QLD) — a diesel-powered (86 HP), ISOBUS-connected carrier chassis that autonomously drives interchangeable implements (spot-sprayers incl. Weed-It, mowers, spreaders) across broadacre grain and cotton paddocks, rather than one dedicated tool; categorised here as "tractor" for that reason, with spraying/mowing/spreading sold as attachment packages. Commercially available in Australia since 2018 (current generation SwarmBot 5; TRL 10, ~120 units in service, over 5,000,000 acres worked); not sold or serviced outside Australia.
Best for: Broadacre Australian grain and cotton growers (SwarmFarm's own case studies run ~2,000 ha) wanting a diesel-powered, multi-implement autonomous platform for fallow spot-spraying, mowing and spreading, bought or leased direct from the manufacturer.Fully electric autonomous straddle robot for vineyards from Reims-based VitiBot, majority-owned by tractor maker SDF Group since 2022 — 75 kWh battery, ~10 h work autonomy, modular tools for soil work, mowing and spraying; 50+ units working in European vineyards.
Best for: Champagne-style narrow-row and mid-width vineyards replacing tractor passes with quiet, zero-exhaust autonomous soil work — including steep parcels (up to 45% slope).| SwarmBot Verified 2026-07-18 | Bakus Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Autonomous tractor | Autonomous tractor |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Australia | 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 | Diesel-powered self-propelled platform · 86 HP engine | 100% electric — 75 kWh in 4 Li-ion batteries |
| Required tractor power | Not required — self-propelled autonomous carrier (86 HP diesel) | Is the vehicle (four electric wheel motors, straddle frame) |
| Dimensions | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Weight | 2.5 tonnes (SwarmBot 5, current generation); earlier/smaller platform variants reported lighter — exact figure varies by configuration | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed by SwarmFarm; case-study deployments are on 2,000+ ha broadacre grain/cotton properties | 10 ha |
| Productivity | Up to 1,000 acres (400 ha) per day for field spraying operations | ~10 h work per charge; 0–80% recharge in 2 h; operating cost <€2/h (vendor) |
| Max speed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | Computer-vision weed detection (integrates third-party optical spot-spray sensors such as Weed-It); GPS-guided autonomous navigation with obstacle detection and path planning | Dual RTK-GPS · two inertial units for topography · 12 perimeter mechanical emergency-stop detectors · remote e-stop |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | €120,000–180,000 |
| Native price | Not disclosed | from €120,000; ~€180,000 full option (fast charger, high-capacity batteries, tools) |
| Business model | Direct sales from SwarmFarm Robotics (Gindie/Emerald, QLD); early commercial units were also offered on a managed lease basis at commercial launch (~AUD 6,000/month reported in 2018 trade press) — current purchase/lease pricing is not published | Buy via VitiBot direct sales force and growing dealer network (SDF distribution backing) |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — no published service/subscription fee schedule; integrating third-party attachments (e.g. Weed-It spot-spray sensors) adds cost | Battery pack life-cycle; tool wear parts; electricity (<€2/h vendor figure) |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Weed density in fallow paddocks under fortnightly SwarmBot spot-spraying -18 percentage points (~90% relative reduction) over 8 weeks · independent | Operating energy cost <€2 per hour electricity · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | Not applicable — Australian domestic product; no evidence found of CE marking or EU market placement | CE marked |
| Machinery Regulation | Not applicable — not placed on the EU market; would need to meet Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions if it entered EU sale | Series product on the EU market; conformity maintained under the EU machinery regime with SDF Group industrial backing |
| CAP subsidy | Not applicable — Australian machine, no CAP/EU eco-scheme relevance | Electric, zero-exhaust operation supports CAP eco-scheme and herbicide-reduction (mechanical under-vine weeding) 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.