Customer Stories

TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS NEED Automated mowers are not new to the industry. However, most are bound by wired space and plugged into a power source. The Vitirover team sought to develop a solution with more autonomy and flexibility in terms of power and application. A key impetus for development at the time was growing public concerns about the toxicity of the herbicide glyphosate, commonly used in agriculture, forestry, lawns and gardens to kill weeds and manage unwanted plant growth. As more countries ban or limit the use of the pesticide, owners of large properties need a way to manage large grass areas, such as along highways, railways, industrial areas and farms. A fully autonomous rugged mower robot could be the solution. Overview Vitirover was founded in 2010 to develop high-precision robotic solutions for industrial vegetation and grass control. The first robots were developed to mow in sensitive areas around vineyard vines, which typically have 7,000-12,000 obstacles per hectare. This makes mowing a complex task that requires precision to prevent damage to vines and speed to complete mowing tasks across slopes and counterslopes of many acres. By 2018, the Vitirover industrial mower robot had gone through several iterations. Applications expanded beyond vineyards to arboriculture farms, photovoltaic farms, railways, electricity transmission network, high voltage power plants, and along roads and highways. At the heart of the solution is a motorized 4-wheel drive robot equipped with solar panels and two Trimble MB-Two high performance dual-frequency receivers with an RTK/PPP positioning engine. Today, the industrial grass maintenance robot is an effective alternative to glyphosate, a common possibly carcinogenic herbicide used to kill unwanted plants. Vitirover robots are offered as a service, monitored by the company's trained technicians (called shepherds). Location SAINT-EMILION, FRANCE CHALLENGE The development of the Vitirover robot emerged with an idea to eliminate the limitations in functionality of other automated mowers. For instance, automated mowers typically have mechanical limits, operating within a wired space that must be installed and must be plugged in to collect energy for operation. These systems are typically designed for smooth grass and clean backyards. "This type of solution will work in agricultural spaces, such as vineyards, or industrial sectors such as photovoltaic farms," said Arnaud de la Fouchardière. "The Vitirover is designed to operate in challenging natural environments, with no mechanical limits."

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