FarmDroid Launches FD60 Large Field Robot, Covering 18 Hectares Per Day for Seeding and Weeding

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Danish agricultural robotics company FarmDroid launched the FD60 large field robot on September 1, 2026, for autonomous seeding and mechanical weeding of row crops. The model offers a working width of up to 6.75 meters, handles 20 rows in a single pass, and achieves a daily capacity of up to 18 hectares, with a seasonal capacity of approximately 60 hectares.

The FD60 is a major upgrade of FarmDroid's existing FD20 model. The FD20 has a working width of 3.5 meters, handles 12 rows, and offers a seasonal capacity of approximately 20 hectares. The FD60 nearly doubles the working width, increases the number of rows by two-thirds, and delivers a seasonal capacity roughly three times that of the FD20. In precision seeding and intra-row weeding operations, the FD60 is over 25% faster than the FD20.

The FD60 continues FarmDroid's coordinate-based technology path rather than a vision-based approach. During seeding, the robot records the precise position of each seed using RTK GPS, with a positioning accuracy of ±8 mm. When returning for weeding, the robot navigates back to the same coordinates for mechanical weeding, operating both between rows and within rows. This solution does not use cameras, crop recognition software, or visual model training. FarmDroid states that dust, low light conditions, and changes in crop appearance do not affect the coordinate-based system.

The power system consists of 8 solar panels (3.7 kW) and a 23.5 kWh lithium battery, supplemented by a 3 kW gasoline range extender with a 12-liter fuel tank. The robot can operate continuously for 24 hours. Fuel consumption is approximately 1 to 1.5 liters per hectare. Both the working width and wheel track are adjustable, with row spacing starting from 25 cm and wheel track settable between 4.60 meters and 6.70 meters.

The FD60 is suitable for over 100 row crops, including onions, sugar beets, corn, green beans, chicory, and spinach, covering both organic and conventional farming. FarmDroid states that full-season operating costs can be as low as €304 per hectare, replacing manual weeding labor, chemical inputs, and most of the fuel costs of conventional tractors. The company notes that what has historically constrained field robots is not technology but the cost per hectare.

FarmDroid currently has over 500 robots in operation across Europe, covering 26 countries. Orders for the FD60 opened simultaneously on September 1, with first deliveries expected to begin in early 2027.