FarmDroid launched the FD60 on 1 September 2026 with a seasonal capacity of 60 hectares — three times its FD20 predecessor — and a target running cost of €304 per hectare.

The Danish agricultural robotics company opened orders on the same day. First deliveries begin January 2027, and the machine will appear in public at Agromek in Herning, Denmark, 24–27 November 2026.

What does the FD60 change for row-crop operations?

The FD60 stretches the smaller FD20 in three places that matter to growers: daily area, working width, and rows per pass. Seasonal capacity rises to 60 hectares, daily output to 18 hectares, and working width to 6.75 metres across up to 20 rows in one pass.

FarmDroid pitches the €304-per-hectare figure against three farm line items: manual weeding, herbicide spend, and tractor fuel. The platform behind it already numbers more than 500 FD20 units operating in 26 countries since 2018.

"For years, what held field robots back wasn't the technology," FarmDroid says. "It was the cost per hectare, which kept them in the few crops that could carry it."

How does coordinate-based weeding work?

The robot runs a four-step cycle: set up, seed, weed, refuel. During seeding it logs the exact location of every seed to 8 millimetres using RTK GPS. When it returns to weed, it drives back to those coordinates and hoes mechanically — between rows and between plants within the row.

That last capability sets it apart. There are no cameras, no crop-recognition software, and nothing to calibrate or train. A system that works from coordinates cannot be confused by dust, low light, or uneven crop appearance.

Row spacing adjusts from 25 centimetres upward. Wheel spacing runs from 4.60 to 6.70 metres. Robot speed tops out at 2 km/h. The machine is designed to stay in the field all season.

Which crops and markets does it target?

The robot handles onions, beet, maize, green beans, endives, chicory, spinach and more than 100 other row crops. It suits both organic and conventional operations — organic growers because it eliminates herbicides, conventional growers because it cuts chemical inputs and labour on the season's most demanding jobs.

"Labour is hard to find here, so keeping manual work to a minimum matters," says Anton Maier, an organic sugar beet grower in Germany running a FarmDroid since 2020. "FarmDroid has worked very well, and whenever I needed help, I could always reach someone quickly by phone."

What powers the platform, and what does it cost?

Eight solar panels produce 3.7 kW into a 23.5 kWh lithium battery. A 3 kW Range Extender generator with a 12-litre petrol tank tops the battery up during overcast weather or night runs, giving up to 24 hours of operation.

Battery state shows in the FarmDroid app, alongside an AI assistant called Odin for day-to-day questions. Each installation is handled by a local dealer who stays available through the season; the FarmDroid team handles more technical issues.

The €304-per-hectare seasonal cost undercuts most contract weeding rates in north-western Europe. It removes the operator from the cab entirely.

When can growers take delivery?

Orders open 1 September 2026. First deliveries begin January 2027. Growers can inspect the machine at Agromek, Herning, 24–27 November 2026.

Watch the spring 2027 deployment. First UK and German runs on sugar beet, onions and organic vegetables will show whether the FD60 can hold its 18-hectare-per-day pace and €304-per-hectare cost across heavier soils, wetter springs and longer days.