AI-powered robotics brings a new era to vegetable growing

SINGAPORE - Aug. 24, 2026 - PRLog -- From planting to harvesting: AI.Land is pursuing a new vision for efficient, sustainable and economically viable agriculture with its DAVEGI project. At the heart of the system are two ReBeL cobots from igus, enabling affordable automation for demanding agricultural environments.

Developed by AI.Land in Krefeld, Germany, DAVEGI combines robotics, artificial intelligence and teleoperation to automate vegetable cultivation directly in the field. A 25-metre-long traverse system can cultivate up to 25,000 plants in parallel, with robots performing tasks such as plant care, weeding, pest control, irrigation and harvesting. The long-term goal is to bring vegetables directly from the field to consumers, reducing transport, cold-chain requirements and intermediaries.

Cost-effective automation for agriculture

For AI.Land founder Dr Josef Franko, automation must be affordable, robust and easy to maintain. This is where the igus ReBeL cobot provides a decisive advantage. Weighing only around 8kg and costing a fraction of conventional industrial robots, the ReBeL is designed to make low-cost automation accessible to smaller agricultural businesses.

Its maintenance-free high-performance plastics eliminate the need for lubrication and provide resistance to abrasive environments such as soil and sand. The cobot is designed for around two million cycles, while wear-resistant components can be replaced economically when required.

"ReBeL relies on high-performance plastic components that withstand abrasive environments such as soil and sand," explains Alexander Mühlens, Head of Low Cost Automation at igus. "This makes maintenance particularly economical and opens up new possibilities for automation in agriculture."

Robotics meets AI in the field

The DAVEGI system combines ReBeL cobot arms with intelligent robotic hands featuring 22 degrees of freedom and more than 1,000 sensor points per fingertip. Teleoperation allows operators to teach robots how to recognise, handle and harvest different crops. The resulting data supports the development of embodied AI, enabling increasingly autonomous interaction with plants.

For AI.Land, the objective extends beyond automation. By reducing labour requirements, improving precision in tasks such as weed control and irrigation, and shortening the agricultural value chain, robotics could help create more sustainable, regional and economically viable food production.

"Robotics in agriculture is no longer a luxury, but a necessity," says Franko. "Autonomous systems can help make agricultural production more precise, efficient and future-proof."

Find out more at https://www.igus.sg/automation/applications/agricultural-...