From World FIRA to practical field work

Future Farming's review of 27 March 2025 presented the Ecominos prototype shown by Orbiba Robotics at World FIRA as evidence that autonomous farm equipment does not have to be designed only for large operations. The platform was positioned as an accessible assistant for small and mid-sized organic or regenerative growers managing weeds, monitoring crops and completing routine field jobs.

The version documented by the publication measured 106 centimetres long, 65 centimetres wide and 95 centimetres high. Its unladen weight was 110 kilograms, while the battery-powered vehicle was presented with a target runtime of six to eight hours per charge. Future Farming also reported a capacity of up to 0.60 hectares per hour under suitable conditions. These specifications describe the machine covered in March 2025; output can vary with the implement, crop and field environment.

Several jobs on one platform

• Inter-row cultivation and seeding tasks.
• Crop monitoring, load transport and mowing of field paths.
• Autonomous navigation supported by stereo cameras, LiDAR and RTK-GPS.
• Development work on precision weed management using structured laser beam technology originating at CERN.

The value of the World FIRA demonstration was the opportunity to show movement, navigation and implement compatibility within one operating sequence. The beta programme described by the source then served as the next field-validation stage: testing which modules work reliably across different soils, row spacings and crop structures through feedback from working farms.

The distinguishing idea behind Ecominos is not simply a smaller chassis. It is an attempt to bring modular autonomy to a group of growers often priced out of large agricultural machines. Its lasting value will depend on continued field validation across crops and on the quality of the support provided to farmers.

Source: This original editorial summary is based on Future Farming's profile of the Ecominos field robot.