SIZA Robotics launches autonomous robot for vegetable and beet crops

Developed in response to the daily challenges of agriculture, TOOGO is the result of a project of a team of engineers, who have worked on the robot for over 3 years. The team worked in collaboration with farmers across France, who have Bouton net co-designed the robot.

“We are witnessing a constant increase in the acquisition, operation, and maintenance costs of agricultural equipment”, Founder and CEO Thibault Boutonnet explains. “A reality that is gradually eroding farm margins. With the arrival of new technologies, a fully electric autonomous solution can reduce and control these costs. Innovation is a necessity to shape a more efficient and sustainable agriculture.”

Fully autonomous

The machine is fully autonomous, and can be left to work in the field without supervision. TOOGO has a protection system that helps to avoid theft of parts of the machine. Chassis pivoting arms enable adaptation to unevenness of the ground for balanced weight distribution on the 4 wheels in all conditions. The robot has an estimated lifespan of more than 8 years, and reduced maintenance thanks to its electric operation, SIZA Robotics says.

“With this robot, we also wanted to help solve the current labour problem on farms”, Boutonnet points out. “Currently, farmers can’t find enough people to work in their fields. There are already many robots available, but it seemed to me that in vegetable and beet crops there are still a lot of problems to be solved.”

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Electric variable track

The robotics team has developed an electric variable track for the new robot. The track can be adjusted within a range of 1.50m to 2.20m, to ensure adaptability to different planting and bed widths. This also allows reducing the track during loading to facilitate transport of the robot. And, when it is extended to the maximum, it makes tool attachment easier, because there is more space at the rear to go inside the frame.

A camera positioned at the front of the robot monitors the seedlings or plants, and allows precise alignment of the tools laterally on the row. The track width adjustment mechanisms enable lateral repositioning of the tool on the row. This repositioning – based on information provided by the camera mounted at the front – eliminates the need for a guidance interface during hoeing operations.

Two batteries

SIZA Robotics offers a standard category 2 three-point hitch, providing farmers with the ability to use existing tools for soil work, seeding, and planting. The lifting capacity exceeds 1,400 kg, and an electric power take-off is integrated to power tools.

The electric robot uses 2 batteries, totalling 40 kWh of power. According to SIZA, the batteries will hold 80% of their nominal capacity after 7 years. Fast charging will charge the batteries up to 80% in 3 hours. SIZA says TOOGO delivers up to 12 hours of autonomy when working (hoeing or sowing) on slightly sloping ground (8%) at a working speed of 3.8 km per hour.

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Implements

Farmers can use several implements with the TOOGO, such as pneumatic seeders or mechanical weeding tools. “But the robot has a three-point hitch, can lift more than 1,400 kilograms, and can connect to a lot of other rear-mounted implements”, Boutonnet emphasises. TOOGO has a 540-rpm rear PTO. A Category 2 PTO is optional .

SIZA Robotics expects to develop its own hoeing implements within the next three years. “They will be especially designed for robotics, with sensors that send information to the robot. But for now, we focus on the robot. We are only a small company, but we are all the sons of farmers, and worked with vegetable farmers to be able to design the machine they need.”

Warranty of 5 years

The machine can be used in vegetable crops, such as sugar beet, carrots, onions, artichokes or garlic. But there is also interest of vineyards, Boutonnet says, mainly in the region of Cognac in France.

Prototypes of the TOOGO are already operational on some farms. “The new commercials machines will have a warranty of 5 years. Farmers will have no other costs than the costs of charging the batteries”, Boutonnet explains. “Service and maintenance are included, and the warranty covers all parts of the machine, including parts such as tires and bearings.”

Practical and reliable

Boutonnet says the SIZA team has worked hard to offer farmers a practical and reliable machine. “With its compact dimensions – 3.80 m in length and a ground clearance of 75 cm – and a weight of 1800 kg, TOOGO has optimal manoeuvrability in the field. And to guarantee precise work, an RTK positioning system ensures centimetre-level guidance.’

“We have a lot of interest in our machine already. People can see that the robot has been built by a team that knows agriculture. It looks strong and it is very functional. The PTO is incredible. You can see this kind of PTO only on big robots, such as Agxeed robots. You don’t find it on small electric robots like this.”

SIZA has now launched its pre-series. The company says it will support farmers with these first commercial machines whenever necessary. The price for the machine is 130,000 euro. This includes a 5 year warranty. In 2026, TOOGO will be available through dealerships. SIZA Robotics currently focuses on Europe.