Croplands has unveiled its first autonomous optical spot sprayer, developed in collaboration with SwarmFarm, designed specifically for broadacre farming conditions in Australia. The Robot Ready Pinto, launched this month, integrates seamlessly with SwarmFarm’s autonomous robot, the SwarmBot, and is tailored to enhance farming efficiency across diverse terrains.
The sprayer is equipped with a 3000-litre tank, a suspended gooseneck attachment, and the option of 18 or 24-metre booms. According to Croplands WEED-IT product lead, Lachlan Coom, the Robot Ready Pinto has undergone extensive testing in a variety of soil types across Queensland, including the challenging black soils of the Darling Downs. “The gooseneck design offers excellent manoeuvrability, and we were particularly impressed by the boom’s stability, with auto height control exceeding expectations,” Coom said.
A standout feature of the Robot Ready Pinto is its fully hydraulic steel boom, complemented by a 3m axle with rubber block suspension and a newly engineered gooseneck attachment with unique suspension. The system also includes an additional poly-mounted tank, which serves as a high-capacity flush tank or can be used for additional spraying capacity.
The sprayer’s robust liquid system is designed for accuracy, with a 1-inch stainless steel boom plumbing, triple nozzle bodies, and standard recirculation supplied by a stainless-steel centrifugal pump. Dual flow meters allow for precise PWM blanket spraying, while the sprayer also incorporates Croplands’ WEED-IT Quadro spot spraying system, known for its high level of accuracy.
Additional features include left and right fence row nozzles, 1000mm clearance for in-crop operations, and a user-friendly fill panel with 2-inch fill capacity, tank rinse, agitation, and hand wash tank. The system also includes blue lights for nighttime spraying.
Braydon Bullock, a Queensland grower who tested the sprayer at his Oakey property, praised the design, particularly the placement of the WEED-IT sensors, which are mounted at a right angle to the boom and face directly down into the stubble. “The unit looks solid, and I appreciate the ample space for boom plumbing,” Bullock noted.
Croplands emphasized that the Robot Ready Pinto is ideal for broadacre growers looking to adopt autonomous farming techniques. The company highlighted how autonomous solutions can reduce operational costs by allowing a single operator to manage multiple tasks, ultimately optimizing labor efficiency on the farm.