The Bakus robot from the Vitibot company in Reims, Champagne is a fully automated tool designed to do a number of tasks in the vineyard.
The concept came about in 2016 by a grower in Champagne who was looking for an environmentally sustainable alternative to fossil fuel powered tractors and a tool which required no driver and now there are over 180 machines sold including one in England.
The primary function has been for inter vine weed control thanks to the Boisselet discs and blades, but additional tools are now available to simultaneously mow and inter vine weed. A Provitis vine trimmer has been made available this season and other tools are being tested before release.
The Vitibot is fully electric, self steering and powered by Lithium batteries which provide power for a full days work. Once set up it works automatically but can equally be controlled by the operator from a smartphone device.
David Sayell of Vitifruit Equipment recently spent three days at the factory studying the tool in anticipation of selling more units in the UK. Initial operator training is a vital preliminary necessity and the company has a well oiled two day training program for purchasers. Having seen how easy it is to set up the vine row mapping by GPS in the field and the simple functionality of the controls David is confident that users will quickly get used to the machine.
The under vine and trellising machinery used by Vitibot is sourced from Boisselet and Provitis which are companies with which Vitifruit Equipment has a long association and have proven to be the best in their field. The Vitibot is a professional tool and due to its competence and durability is covered by a five year warranty. Any assistance and backup which may be required during work is available immediately from the team in Reims who have live “in field” monitoring and communication with every Vitibot 24 hours per day. Knowing that competent, reliable tractor drivers are a rare commodity in the UK David sees this tool as a major step forward for growers in their management programme.
David Sayell recently spent three days at the factory studying the tool
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