Tortuga AgTech has been announced as the winner of the Ag Robot of the Year 2024 award, as reported by FutureFarming.

Primarily Designed for Harvesting

The robot is primarily designed for harvesting but can also collect data for forecasting, treat plants with UV-C light, and perform pruning.

Geert Hekkert, editor-in-chief of Future Farming, and René Koerhuis, specialized editor in precision agriculture and robotics, announced the winner at the 8th edition of the World FIRA in Toulouse/Auzeville-Tolosane (France).

The Tortuga AgTech Harvesting Robot was chosen from 12 initial candidates and 5 finalists by a jury of experts consisting of Future Farming editors, a university researcher in robotics and precision agriculture, and farmers from around the world.

A new prominent member of the jury was Anna Haldewang, founder and CEO of InsightTRAC Rover, who won the Ag Robot of the Year award in 2023.

The other 4 finalists were Andela Robot Weeder ARW-912, Digital workbench Tipard 1800, Ekobot WEAI, and Tensorfield Agriculture Jetty.

The 5 finalists were judged by each jury member individually based on these 5 criteria:

1. Originality/technical development
2. Feasibility/market readiness
3. Potential to impact farmers' lives
4. Ease of adoption by farmers
5. Sustainability

The robot's artificial intelligence employs nearly twenty "models" to make complex decision-making, relies on advanced software for dual-arm picking, and navigates rows with precision and autonomy.

The Reason Behind the Distinction

One of the main arguments for why the jury chose Tortuga AgTech as the winner is that the harvesting robot addresses one of the most significant challenges facing agricultural enterprises: the shortage of accessible and skilled labor.

The jury was also impressed by its ability to harvest multiple types of fruits with a single harvesting robot. This machine turns what was only a vision a few years ago into a reality. It demonstrates how agricultural robots are the future, bringing predictions to life and inspiring others to explore the possibilities.

It is highly practical, offered on a service contract basis at a cost equivalent to hiring labor. Its real value lies not in labor savings but in providing a solution to the industry's labor crisis. Some farmers have ceased crop production due to a lack of harvesting personnel.

Furthermore, its versatility shines as it not only harvests and transports crops but also treats them with UV light, prunes them, and records essential data.

The Absolute Core

This motivation touches the absolute core of why Future Farming and World FIRA took the initiative to award the agricultural robot of the year for field and harvesting robots that were newly added to the Future Farming buyer's guide between February 2023 and January 2024, automatically qualifying.

Namely, to award field and harvesting robots ready for praxis, farmer-friendly, profitable, and scalable, capable of automating one or more operations in crops grown in open fields.

Tortuga's robotic harvesting platform is primarily designed for harvesting but can also collect data for forecasting, treat plants with UV-C light, and perform pruning.

As the winner, the Tortuga AgTech harvesting robot will be featured prominently in the promotion of the 2025 World FIRA, Future Farming will provide a canvas of their rover with the Ag Robot of the Year award logo, and JoJo's Vineyard (led by jury member Ian Beecher-Jones) from the UK will offer the winners a bottle of their finest wine.