Sébastien Gorry, the president and co-founder of Cyclair, emphasizes that navigating through fields of crops like corn requires more than GPS technology. Advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence are utilized by the robot to distinguish crops from unwanted vegetation, a challenging task in the early weeks of annual growth when there is little distinction between the two.
Grillon operates on a computer-vision system that is continuously learning to differentiate between crop and weed. After a year of trials covering a hundred hectares, its technology is proving successful in field conditions.
Cyclair, established in 2019 by Gorry, a mechanical engineer with farming roots, alongside a roboticist and a helicopter mechanic, has quickly grown to employ 35 people. The team is diverse, including experts in machine learning, robotics, mechanics, and agronomy.
The company, located in the village of Pressac, recently secured a funding round of 2.1 million euros from several investors, including two agricultural cooperatives, Centre Ouest Céréales and Cérèsia. The funds are allocated for the construction of a first series of seven machines which aim to achieve chemical-like efficiency at a comparable cost. The planned fleet is set to undergo real-world development and service provision, with a fully booked order slate for 2024.
Designed to cater to both conventional farmers, who are driven by policy incentives to reduce chemical use, and farmers seeking to improve yield without chemicals, Grillon's lightweight tilling tools work the soil until crops grow to a height where they can naturally suppress weeds.
The electric weed control robot, soon available in a biofuel variant powered by 100% colza oil, is envisaged to be shared among family farms over 300 to 400 hectares through cooperatives or agricultural equipment distributors. With an eye on export markets, Gorry plans to adapt Grillon for crops like canola, sunflower, beet, barley, and wheat.
Boosted by the French government's France Relance plan, the award-winning company is set to move to a larger facility to assemble up to 50 tractors annually, anticipating an increased demand for innovative, eco-friendly agricultural solutions.