World FIRA 2024, which has become the benchmark event in the agricultural robotics sector, proved a resounding success for its 8th edition: 2,500 visitors from over 50 countries flocked to the Agrobiopôle near Toulouse, France.
From February 6 to 8, farmers (23% of visitors), dealers, agro-industrialists, scientists, investors and advisors were all able to appreciate the latest advances in autonomous machinery for field crops, market gardening, viticulture and arboriculture.
The high level of participation from Chambers of Agriculture, cooperatives and agricultural training establishments proved that FIRA is now a must-attend event in the world of agricultural equipment.
Demos, workshops and conferences confirmed that robots are indeed a solution to agro-ecology and labor issues.
35 robots displayed on 2 hectares of cultivated plots
Since September, the plots of land at the Cité des Sciences Vertes have been worked on with the help of FR CUMA Occitanie and INRAE to provide World FIRA visitors with triticale, garlic, faba bean and radish crops, ready for the robots. Rows of vines, adapted to the specific requirements of the machines, were also set up. On the orchard side, rows of apple trees enabled demos close to real-life conditions.
This 2nd edition of World FIRA in the fields provided a detailed presentation of robots and autonomous solutions in the field, close to the concerns of growers:
- Field crops (sowing, mechanical weeding, grain guidance and analysis):
MOVE ON, Robotti by AGROINTELLI, SoftiRover ” e-K18 ” by SOFTIROB, Newman by ULLMANNA, grain storage management Crover… or the AFARA cotton-picking robot.
- Market gardening and vegetable growing (tillage, mechanical and laser weeding):
Oz and Orio by Naïo Technologies, Trektor by SITIA, K.U.L.T.iSelect, by K.U.L.T, Robot One V2023 by PIXELFARMING ROBOTICS,…
- Viticulture (row and inter-row work, spraying and pruning):
Jo and Ted by Naïo Technologies, Trektor by SITIA, Aigro Up by Aigro BV, Agilehelper by Pek Automotive, TRAXX by EXXACT Robotics, YV01 by Yanmar, Modular-E by INES TEC, automated pruning arm from Robotic Perception…
- Arboriculture (harvesting and orchard maintenance):
RoboCut360 by LEGER, Agilehelper and Slopehelper by PEK AUTOMOTIVE, Free Green Nature by Maschio Gaspardo…
Exclusive announcements at World FIRA: launch of new robots and adapted technologies
Journalists attending the press tour on Wednesday February 7th at 10:00 a.m. were given a sneak preview of:
- New Holland (France): presentation of the STOUT Smart Cultivator system
- Naïo Technologies and CAMSO (France): announcement of an R&D partnership aimed at adapting caterpillar tracks to agricultural robots for greater load-bearing capacity, accessibility and flexibility in the field.
- Agrointelli (Denmark): presentation of new, even higher ROBOTTI capacities for field operations.
- PEK Automotive (Slovenia): the Slopehelper apple-picking robot.
- U.L.T. (Germany): presentation of the new K.U.L.T.ailaser laser weeding system.
- SICK (Germany / France): presentation of SICK sensors for farm machinery automation.
