Are the world’s best robots developed at INESC TEC? Yes. FIRA, the World Agricultural Robotics Forum, says so. For the second consecutive year, INESC TEC was acknowledged at the main international event for agricultural robotics and autonomous solutions. In 2025, INESC TEC won second place in the “Best World FIRA Robot – Participants’ Choice! With 500+ votes” category.
The Modular-E is far from being a newcomer. In 2024, it won second place in the category “Best World FIRA Robot”; the solution also received the 2024 Agriculture Innovation Award – an initiative promoted by Timac Agro, Jornal Expresso and SIC.
But what makes it so special? Filipe Neves dos Santos, researcher at INESC TEC, explained: “this is a modular robot that can carry several tools capable of performing different tasks, individually or simultaneously, with significant precision levels. Regarding agricultural contexts, it can carry out precision spraying operations and individualised soil fertilisation; using a prescription map, it can fertilise each vine individually. Additionally, it can autonomously and precisely cut within and between rows using scissors – a safer and more energy-efficient solution.”
Other key features – especially in winegrowing environments – are the platform with an articulated joint, which ensures that all four wheels remain in contact with the ground, and the ability to operate without a GNSS signal and navigate safely on uneven terrain.” Filipe Neves dos Santos said that they are working on a solution for pruning and harvesting, which may be a more efficient solution than the current harvesters.
In addition to Modular-E, INESC TEC presented Modular-X, the latest robot developed by INESC TEC’s Laboratory of Robotics and IoT for Smart Precision Agriculture and Forestry (TRIBE LAB) – in just 3 months. A “unique and disruptive” robot, in the words of Filipe Neves dos Santos. “Modular-X was developed to solve a problem related to the selection of rods in agricultural context. It features increased capacity, a larger wheelset, and enhanced traction power to tackle the challenges of the terrain.”
These robots are currently being developed in the context of the Vine&Wines and AgendaTransform projects.
WORLD FIRA is one of the most prestigious events in the world in the agricultural sector, where the latest innovations in automation and robotics are presented.
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