Digitalisation, automation and connectivity: Smart solutions are essential in Agriculture 4.0. These include aerial systems for yield monitoring and automated control of operations and harvesting. The use of robots, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence in agriculture is growing rapidly. For agricultural businesses, these systems are playing an increasingly important role in improving efficiency, promoting sustainability and reducing labour requirements.
Measuring 2.5 metres long, 1.3 metres high and weighing around 800 kilograms, “Dino” specializes in weed control. Dino is an autonomous agricultural robot developed by the French manufacturer Naio Technologies. Powered by a lithium battery, it moves at a speed of four kilometres per hour, covering up to five hectares per day. For three years, this autonomous helper was successfully deployed at the Agro-Nordwest trial field near Osnabrück, Germany, to control weeds in maize crops. Dino now has a successor: Orio, also developed by Naio Technologies, offers even greater precision thanks to a steering system based on RTK GPS signals.
Agrotech Valley – The Silicon Valley of Agriculture
Agro-Nordwest is one of 14 digital experimental fields operated by the Agrotech Valley Forum research institute. Its goal is to test digital tools for crop and livestock farming and address key issues in sustainable agriculture. Osnabrück has become a recognised leader in the digitalisation of agriculture and food production. Robert Everwand, Managing Director of Agrotech Valley Forum e.V., highlights the region's advantages: “"Agrotech Valley is located in the Osnabrück region, one of the most intensively farmed areas in Germany. Here, the entire value chain—from primary production to agricultural technology and the food industry, including leading research institutions—is concentrated in a dense network. With this structure, the economic area between Oldenburg and Münster, known as the 'Agrotech Valley,' is unique in Europe.”
Major companies, such as CLAAS, Kröger Nutzfahrzeuge, AMAZONEN-WERKE H. Dreyer, Maschinenfabrik Bernard Krone, and GRIMME Landmaschinenfabrik are headquartered here and serve on the Valley’s board.
Robots, Sensor Technology and Drones in Agricultural Use
Dino, Orio and their peers represent a new generation of co-robotics in agriculture. Dino’s “brother,” the Oz robot, specialises in GPS and camera-based systems for weed control in vegetable and fruit plantations. Zauberzeug, based in Havixbeck, Germany, has developed the award-winning Feldfreund, an AI-driven agricultural robot with a soil-friendly crawler track that serves as a tool carrier and assists with tasks such as weed control. The Rubion robot from Octinion was specifically designed for strawberry harvesting. It identifies ripe berries and gently picks them with a soft gripping mechanism to avoid damaging the fruit—a technology that can revolutionize fruit harvesting through automation.
In addition to robots and autonomous machines, sensor technology and drones are fundamental to smart farming. They help detect pests, diseases or nutrient deficiencies early on, allowing targeted intervention to prevent yield loss. Fertilisers and pesticides can be applied precisely where they are needed.
Drone technology for agriculture is also being tested in Agrotech Valley. For example, the FlyingData project at the University of Osnabrück uses autonomous drones in greenhouses to collect sensor data such as temperature, light and humidity. Companies such as RIEGL from Austria supply UAV sensor systems such as the VUX-100-25, which was added to their portfolio in 2024. This system offers a high measurement rate of 1.33 million measurements per second, a range of up to 360 metres and a wide field of view of 160 degrees, ensuring precise aerial surveillance. Projects like FlyingData and the Valley's experimental plots are bringing smart farming closer to becoming standard practice in agriculture.
"The Internet of Things (IoT), AI, drones, big data and related research are now critical to precision agriculture. The increasing integration of sensors, such as those presented by our exhibitor RIEGL, and automated systems requires knowledge, tools and technologies, which we will also present at XPONENTIAL Europe," says Malte Seifert, Director of Metals & Autonomous Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. He is responsible for XPONENTIAL Europe, which will be held in Düsseldorf for the first time from 18 to 20 February 2025.
At XPONENTIAL Europe, leading international companies and start-ups will showcase autonomous technologies, robotics and sensors. Visitors will be able to see the latest innovations, components and sensors in the field of autonomous systems and robotics. For further information go to www.xponential-europe.de
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(Expert author: Simone Seidensticker)
