Le 26/01/2026

R4 Vineyards and Orchard Robots Reduce Labour for Mowing, Tillage and Spraying by Up to 80%

New Holland’s R4 robot series tackles time-consuming tasks and uses standard implements.

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When New Holland set out to create a new robot for vineyard, orchard and specialty crop growers, the engineers focused on customers’ top challenges. The result? The new R4 robot series.

R4 robots are designed to tackle the most time-consuming tasks that don’t require human-level intelligence. In field trials, R4 robots reduced labour requirements for inter-row mowing, tillage and spraying by up to 80%.

“Autonomous spraying, soil work and mowing were prioritized because growers cited these as time-consuming, repetitive and difficult to staff,” said Thierry Le Briquer, New Holland Grape, Olive & Coffee Product Manager. “The R4 was created specifically to take over repetitive tasks so human labour can be refocused on higher-value work.”

R4 Robots: Designed by and for Growers

New Holland engineers extensively incorporated feedback from growers when developing the robots’ features, size, weight and traction. R4 robots are designed for both large and narrow row [AB1] widths and steep terrain. They can reduce or minimise soil compaction and help growers overcome limited skilled labour resources.

The machines also have a bi-directional mode for mowing, optimized with rear LIDAR to avoid crushing vegetation before mulching.

Robot R4 working in vineyards @New Holland

Additionally, the R4 series features an advanced track undercarriage and an equalizer bar. These components allow the robot to perform exceptionally tight headland turns and provide best-in-class manouverability. in headlands

Built for Compatibility

“Growers requested solutions that would not require an entirely new fleet, so R4 works with standard implements and even upgrades them intelligently,” Le Briquer said. “Our Intelligent Implement ecosystem can retrofit existing sprayers to automatically adjust flow, height, boundaries, canopy gaps and future spot spray.”

The R4 robot series uses the same autonomous tech stack and components as other New Holland platforms.

“It fits right into our full product offering, sharing systems such as FieldOps,” said Le Briquer. The hardware and software are highly flexible, easy to upgrade and designed for scalability.”

R4 Robots Improve Efficiency, Safety and Sustainability

New Holland’s R4 robots use a combination of GPS, LIDAR and vision cameras to navigate their environment. A single supervisor can remotely manage one or more R4 robots via an app, which helps minimize safety risks related to chemical exposure and high-intensity work.

All-Electric for Vineyards, Hybrid Power for Orchards

The R4 series will launch with two models. Both improve environmental compliance and emissions reduction because as they can run in 100% electric mode and utilize a zero-oil implement system. Implements are powered by electricity or mechanical PTO and do not require hydraulic oil.

The R4 Electric is designed for high-end narrow vineyards. This fully-electric machine is powered by a 40kWh battery pack that provides approximately eight working hours of run time, depending on the electric power required by the attached implement.. The one tonne machine is a mere 1.38m tall and 0.7 metres wide, so it can easily work in 1-1.5 metre crop spacing.

Robot R4 with sprayer in orchards @New Holland

The R4 Hybrid Power is designed for orchards, fruit producers[LF2] and wider vineyards. It weighs 1400kg and has double the power-to-weight ratio of a conventional tractor and the rear hitch can lift up to 500 kg using linear electric motors.

The 59hp diesel engine is compatible with HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) to reduce emissions.A mechanical 540rpm/25kW [LF3] PTO with intelligent progressive clutching works with standard implements, and a 48V/12kW e-PTO socket can power future electrically-driven machines.

The R4 Hybrid Power is 1.2m wide and optimised for row spacings of 1.5m and above. Its double-pass capability allows the machine to operate efficiently in large orchards without misses.

Lower TCO for Faster ROI

Le Briquer said the R4 offers a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to existing alternatives. Depending on the vineyard type, growers can expect to save 10% and 22% per hectare.

The cost savings is based on having a single worker supervise one or more robots compared to having a dedicated tractor operator. A single R4 robot can cover approximately 25 hectares over the critical four-month seasonal window.

In real-world vineyard and orchard conditions, R4 reduced labour requirements up to 80% for certain tasks, including inter-row mowing, tillage and spraying — including automated on/off at canopy gaps, headlands and height-based adjustments.

Preview R4 Robots at GOFAR’s Toulouse Tour Stop, February 2026

The R4 Series isn’t available for purchase yet, but growers can get a sneak preview at GOFAR’s World Tour Stop in France on 5 February 2026. The free event, which will take place at the Agrobiopôle site in Auzeville-Tolosane, is open to farmers, manufacturers, distributors, investors and agricultural R&D stakeholders.

The event is free, but advance registration is required. For the complete programme or to register, please visit gofar-tour.com.