Introducing the FarmDroid FD60: More Capacity for Autonomous Seeding and Weeding

FarmDroid FD60 autonomous field robot with integrated solar panels

FarmDroid has officially revealed the FarmDroid FD60, a new autonomous field robot designed for automatic seeding and mechanical weeding in row crops. Built for farming operations requiring greater capacity, the FD60 extends the proven FarmDroid platform while retaining its GPS-guided, camera-free approach to precision fieldwork.

For UK growers facing labour shortages, rising operating costs and increasing pressure to reduce chemical inputs, the FD60 provides a practical route to automating two important operations: placing the seed and managing weeds around the crop.

Built for higher-capacity field operations

The FD60 is designed to manage a minimum of 60 hectares per crop per season, with daily coverage of up to 18 hectares. It can operate for up to 24 hours per day, allowing fieldwork to continue beyond standard working hours without requiring an operator to remain in the cab or follow the machine.

With a working width of up to 6.75 metres and capacity for up to 20 rows, the FD60 is intended for farms where the available field area and operational scale demand more output than a smaller autonomous robot can provide.

The robot operates at speeds of up to 1.2 km/h during precision seeding and weeding. Its pace is deliberately matched to accurate seed placement and mechanical weed treatment, rather than transport speed. This allows the machine to work methodically through the crop while maintaining the positioning accuracy required for in-row cultivation.

✔ Minimum 60 ha per crop per season
✔ Up to 18 ha per day
✔ Up to 24 hours of operation per day
✔ Up to 6.75 m working width
✔ Up to 20 rows

Seeding and weeding with 8 mm RTK GPS precision

The FD60 uses RTK GPS with 8 mm precision to guide its field operations. During seeding, the robot records where each seed is placed. That information is then used to guide later weeding passes, enabling the machine to identify the crop position without relying on cameras or crop-recognition software.

This is a significant difference from vision-led robotic systems. The FD60 does not need to recognise a plant visually in order to work around it. Its positioning is based on the recorded seed location, allowing mechanical weeding to take place both between rows and within the crop row.

The result is a single autonomous platform that can complete the seeding operation and return for repeated mechanical weed treatment. For growers, this links establishment and weed management into one coordinated system, reducing the need to organise separate tractor or manual operations.

The FD60 is compatible with:

  • Onions
  • Beet
  • Maize
  • Green beans
  • Endives
  • Chicory
  • Spinach

Mechanical weeding without cameras or crop recognition

The FD60 is designed for mechanical weeding only. It does not use cameras or crop-recognition software to determine which plants to retain. Instead, its high-precision GPS guidance uses the known position of the crop established during seeding.

This enables mechanical treatment:

  • Between rows, where weeds can be removed from the inter-row space
  • Within rows, where the weeding system works around the known crop positions
  • Before crop emergence, where the recorded seed map supports early mechanical intervention

For growers, this approach can reduce reliance on herbicides and lower chemical inputs within the crop management programme. It also provides a repeatable process that can be scheduled across the season, helping farms manage weed pressure without making the availability of manual labour the limiting factor.

Solar-first operation with additional range capacity

The FD60 is equipped with 3.7 kW solar panels and a 23.5 kWh integrated battery. A 3 kW Range Extender provides additional power capacity when required.

This solar-first system supports autonomous operation while reducing dependence on conventional fuel-powered machinery for seeding and weeding. The practical benefit is not limited to emissions: lower fuel dependence can also simplify field operations and help control running costs.

The FD60 has an operating cost of down to €304 per hectare. Actual costs will depend on farm conditions, crop type, working pattern and local operating arrangements, but the figure provides a clear indication of the machine’s intended positioning.

Reducing labour pressure during critical windows

Seeding and weeding are time-sensitive operations. Delays can affect establishment, increase weed competition and place additional pressure on farm staff and contractors. At the same time, agricultural businesses are managing higher labour costs and limited access to seasonal workers.

The FD60 is designed to address this pressure by carrying out repetitive fieldwork autonomously. Its ability to operate for up to 24 hours per day provides greater flexibility around weather, soil conditions and available labour.

Rather than replacing the need for farm management, the autonomous field robot changes how labour is allocated. Farm teams can spend less time monitoring routine seeding and weeding work and more time managing the wider operation, while the FD60 carries out planned field tasks.

A larger step forward for the FarmDroid platform

The FD60 builds on a FarmDroid platform already used by growers internationally, with more than 500 robots operating across 26 countries. This installed base provides an established reference point for the technology and demonstrates that autonomous seeding and weeding are no longer limited to experimental field trials.

The FD60 adds greater capacity for farms that need to cover more hectares while retaining the core principles of the platform:

✔ Autonomous operation
✔ RTK GPS-guided precision
✔ Seed-position mapping
✔ Mechanical in-row and inter-row weeding
✔ Solar-first power
✔ No cameras or crop-recognition software

The machine’s larger working width and row capacity make it particularly relevant to growers seeking to scale autonomous fieldwork rather than introduce robotics only on a small trial area.

FarmDroid FD60 technical specifications and autonomous field robot design

What the FD60 means for UK growers

For agricultural businesses in the UK, the FD60 arrives at a time when operational efficiency, input reduction and workforce planning are closely connected. A machine that can seed and mechanically weed using one autonomous workflow may help growers build more predictable field systems while reducing pressure on staff and machinery availability.

Its solar-first design supports lower-fuel operation, while its mechanical weeding capability provides an alternative to herbicide-dependent weed control. The robot’s lightweight autonomous format also allows farms to consider how routine fieldwork can be completed with less reliance on conventional tractor operations.

The FD60 is especially relevant to farms growing onions, beet, maize, green beans, endives, chicory and spinach, where accurate row placement and timely weed treatment are central to crop management.

Discuss the FarmDroid FD60 with AGRI-DROID UK LTD

AGRI-DROID UK LTD is the official UK distributor of FarmDroid technology. We support farmers and agricultural businesses considering autonomous field robots for precision seeding and mechanical weeding.

If your farm is based in Shropshire, Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Powys, Clwyd or Cheshire, contact us to discuss whether the FarmDroid FD60 is suitable for your crops, field structure and operational requirements.

Contact AGRI-DROID UK LTD to discuss the FD60, or learn more about autonomous sowing, mechanical weeding and the wider FarmDroid platform.

For the manufacturer’s technical information, visit the official FarmDroid FD60 product page.