Making robotics
work
The robotisation debate boils down to practicality, affordability, connectivity and value in real-world conditions, as experiences from France illustrate.
By Brand Wagenaar
Amid rising labour shortages, mounting input costs, and growing demand for greater efficiency and sustainable production, robotic technologies and autonomous systems are revolutionising farming practices worldwide. France is no exception, with farmers seeking robotic solutions that can make their work easier, improve profit margins, and deliver value under real-world conditions. In horticulture, robotics are increasingly being adopted, but they must be adapted to the specific characteristics of greenhouse and shade-hall production, as well as field-cultivated and field-grown hardy nursery stock.
In Dutch and French horticulture, the challenges of mechanisation and robotisation differ slightly. France, for example, has relatively few of the ‘easy-to-robotise’ monocultures found in the Netherlands.
Around 90 per cent of horticultural businesses in France produce an average of 15 to 20 different crops, requiring equipment that offers greater adaptability and modularity.
Mechanisation and robotisation have become essential for nurseries in France because of labour shortages and the lack of skilled workers
Emmanuel Frelon Crop technician at Pépinières Ramette,
Practical considerations No widespread adoption yet Despite their potential, modern mechanisation and robotics have yet to achieve widespread adoption, partly because of unfamiliarity with the technology and its perceived technical complexity. There is also a widespread view that robots and autonomous systems need to become more affordable. Horticultural robots typically cost between €30,000 and €200,000.
Greenhouse and hardy nursery stock growers welcome technological advances, but simplicity is also important. Connectivity is another concern. Reliable internet access and data infrastructure are essential for real-time robotics and AI applications, particularly in remote rural areas.
The automation debate often comes back to one key point: the need for simple, accessible robotic solutions rather than more robots that never make it beyond the trial phase.
Sector-specific needs In open-field horticulture, particularly nursery production, mechanising planting, pruning, and uprooting remains a challenge. Mechanical weeding and targeted treatments are especially important areas for development.
Hardy nursery stock production is often located close to major arable farms and vineyards. Mechanisation and robotisation have already made significant progress in these two agricultural sectors, which carry considerable economic weight.
In greenhouse production, AI and vision technologies are already being used successfully in some cases for the digital quality inspection of fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers. In hardy nursery stock production, GPS-guided mechanical fertilisation and weed and pest control help keep crops clean and healthy. The use of drones is increasing, enabling growers to monitor crops and target insect attacks and fungal diseases locally. More recently, AI has also made it possible to coordinate machines and anticipate operations more effectively.
Across the nursery Automation in daily production Under cover and in greenhouses, climate control remains paramount. Climate computers, which have been used for many years, are gradually being supplemented or replaced by climate-modelling systems that work alongside crop physiology sensors. With the help of AI, these systems support growers in making day-to-day decisions. The resulting precision monitoring can reduce energy, water, fertiliser, and crop protection product consumption.
Planting, plant handling, and plant spacing are increasingly automated. Applications include potting machines, conveyor belts for plants and trays, plant spacing and gathering, and the cleaning of cultivation surfaces.
More recently, the trend has been towards versatile, adaptable machines equipped with different modular tools mounted on a common base, as demonstrated by Javo. This evolution requires staff to develop a combination of horticultural and technological skills. AI software is also helping to strengthen the links between production and marketing.
With advances in AI, the integration of plant health monitoring and greenhouse climate control has become increasingly common. The next step is to integrate sales planning and crop programming, enabling predictive positioning and more proactive, data-driven decision-making.
Many of these robotic machines and software solutions are developed outside France, but French technology is also making its mark.
Meet Trooper
The Trooper robot among container-grown nursery stock at Pépinières Ramette in Normandy.
Case study Instar Robotics and the Trooper robot To provide a more concrete example of current developments in robotics and automation in France, fci spoke to the people behind a young start-up that exhibited at the recent Salon du Végétal horticultural trade show. The company has developed a robot designed to space, separate, and collect container-grown nursery stock.
In 2018, Pierre Delarboulas and Adrien Jauffret, both PhD students specialising in artificial intelligence and robotics, founded Instar Robotics. They looked for markets with high labour demands but relatively low levels of robotisation. Nurseries quickly emerged as a promising sector.
Although highly skilled in robotic engineering, the founders lacked industry-specific knowledge. They therefore decided to work with growers to identify their actual needs. The result was the Trooper robot.
The Trooper is a four-wheeled, mobile, autonomous robot designed to operate across a wide range of cultivation areas. It has moved well beyond the trial phase, as it is currently being used by 40 wholesale plant nurseries in France.
It incorporates artificial neural networks that enable it to perform repetitive tasks, day and night, including the placement, spacing, and gathering of all types of container-grown plants. The robot is versatile and can handle pots from 12 cm in diameter, including capacities up to 10 litres, and square or square-round pots with capacities from two to 7.5 litres, as well as planters, bowls, hanging baskets, punnets, packs, and trays.
Its modular design makes it particularly suitable for businesses growing multiple crops. The storage magazine, gripper jaws, work programmes, wheels, and tyres can be changed to suit different requirements and soil types. Batteries can also be replaced quickly.
The Trooper is fully electric and battery-powered, offering up to 10 hours of operation before recharging or replacing the batteries. It is quiet and produces no direct emissions during operation. Its seven-pot storage magazine helps optimise travel between tasks.
The configuration and control interface is simple and intuitive. The robot has 4G connectivity, enabling remote after-sales support, SMS alerts, and remote software updates. Rugged, efficient, and autonomous, it is designed to deliver a rapid return on investment.
According to Instar Robotics, the Trooper’s precision spacing can accommodate up to 15 per cent more plants on a cultivation bed than manual placement.
Rows of evenly spaced container-grown plants at Pépinières Ramette.
Testimonial Emmanuel Frelon, crop technician at Pépinières Ramette, near Lisieux in Normandy, manages operations across an 80-hectare site, including 20 hectares of container-grown nursery stock. The nursery grows up to 1,500 different varieties.
How do you assess the robotisation of plant handling in the field?
“We have been working with the Trooper robot for a year now. After a complicated start, given the specific characteristics of our growing areas, which are curved, soft in places, and slippery, the team at Instar Robotics has shown great responsiveness and perseverance. They are now close to achieving their goal of making the robot operate reliably under difficult conditions.
“Congratulations to the whole team, and particularly to Adrien and Pierre, for overcoming so many challenges at our site. The Trooper is an example of successful co-creation.”
What did you appreciate most during its implementation?
“The direct relationship with the robot's designers, its capacity for continuous improvement regardless of the problems encountered, and the permanent connection between the technicians and the robot itself enable us to anticipate breakdowns, modify commands, and track the progress of tasks.”
What other areas of mechanisation or robotisation are you considering?
“Mechanisation and robotisation have become essential for nurseries in France because of labour shortages and the lack of skilled workers.
More rows of evenly spaced container-grown plants at Pépinières Ramette.
