Meet Burro, the self-driving vehicle that is ready to get to work on Australian farms

Monarto, Australia 25 May 2023 - Agri Automation Australia, an equipment distribution company bringing a selected range of innovative technology to the Australian market has this week demonstrated the first Burro collaborative robots to arrive in the country.

Burro is a multi-use autonomous platform that can work both indoors and outdoors and is designed to support the workforce by taking on repetitive and strenuous tasks. 

Getting straight to work, Burro was spotted driving around the FNQ Field Days, North Queensland's largest rural showcase. Demonstrating its capabilities - Burro caught the attention of the crowd as it carried equipment from location to location. 

Cam Clifford, Managing Director of Agri Automation Australia said "We see a place for Burro on farms, working collaboratively to carry and tow.  With the addition of cameras and sensors, it also becomes a valuable tool for crop scouting. Its flexible use makes it a useful tool for growers needing different applications over the season."

Workforce shortages are an ongoing challenge for rural producers, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES) Horticulture survey results in 2022, about 57 per cent of Australian horticulture farms had difficulty recruiting staff in 2021-22. Burro optimises farming activities, working alongside people to help them work more productively.

"We're excited to bring Burro to Australia, it meets the needs of our clients in fruit production, particularly at critical times like harvest where it can work along the rows to carry crates back to be packed and shipped" said Cam "Burro reduces the safety risks for workers that can come from manual handling and fatigue".