Without operator: "Kioti and Naïo develop a farm robot for the whole season

South Korean agricultural machinery manufacturer „Kioti“ and French agro-robotics company „Naïo Technologies“ have announced a strategic partnership to develop a next-generation autonomous agricultural platform. The first joint product is expected to be launched at the end of 2026.

The project will combine the expertise of two different fields – „Kioti“ manufactures tractors and has an extensive global sales network, while „Naïo“ has been specialising in autonomous robots since 2011. In more than a decade, the company has deployed more than 350 robots on five continents, mainly in horticulture and specialty farms.

The planned platform will be modular and will be able to carry out different tasks such as sowing, spraying, tillage or weed control. This should replace single-function robots and allow one autonomous machine to work throughout the season, changing only the implements.

The manufacturers say the new platform addresses the main challenges facing modern farms: labour shortages, rising costs and increasingly stringent environmental requirements. Farmers will be able to do things more accurately, reduce the use of chemicals and require less manual labour.

This project is seen as another step towards fully autonomous farms, and the 2026 debut could be one of the first times that the expertise of a major tractor manufacturer and robotics technology developers will be brought together in a robot for series production. If the plans are successful, robots could become a common working tool on large and medium-sized farms in the coming years.