The first Robofield event in Pescopagano: collaborative robotics and viticulture meet in Basilicata
The Pesco Innovation Hub in Pescopagano, a technology hub and innovation center in Basilicata, hosted the first Robofield event, an open meeting dedicated to the future of viticulture and its convergence with collaborative robotics.
The objective was clear: to give a voice to the local winegrowers, listen to their daily challenges, and propose concrete technological solutions to address the sector's issues, a unique initiative in the landscape of rural innovation and rural startups in Italy.
The objective was clear: to give a voice to the local winegrowers, listen to their daily challenges, and propose concrete technological solutions to address the sector's issues, a unique initiative in the landscape of rural innovation and rural startups in Italy.
Vineyard robotics: the vision of Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems
As Alessandro Zanette, oenologist and co-founder of the startup Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems, pointed out, "robotics is no longer a luxury, but a necessity to ensure continuity, safety and sustainability in viticultural operations".
During the presentation, the main robots currently available on the market were showcased (from Vitibot to Naïo, from Monarch to Field Robotics) along with future prospects toward Robot-as-a-Service models, which will allow even small producers to access these technologies without prohibitive investments.
Robofield represented a first step toward creating a dialogue between farmers, technicians and innovators, with the goal of placing agricultural robotics at the center of the technological transition in viticulture. The next step will be the Robofield Pilot in Pescopagano, in Basilicata: a pilot program that the startup Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems will develop in the region.
The Pesco Innovation Hub will continue along this path, promoting from Pescopagano events and projects that combine science, territory and entrepreneurship to make viticulture in Basilicata and in Italy more resilient and intelligent.
During the presentation, the main robots currently available on the market were showcased (from Vitibot to Naïo, from Monarch to Field Robotics) along with future prospects toward Robot-as-a-Service models, which will allow even small producers to access these technologies without prohibitive investments.
Robofield represented a first step toward creating a dialogue between farmers, technicians and innovators, with the goal of placing agricultural robotics at the center of the technological transition in viticulture. The next step will be the Robofield Pilot in Pescopagano, in Basilicata: a pilot program that the startup Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems will develop in the region.
The Pesco Innovation Hub will continue along this path, promoting from Pescopagano events and projects that combine science, territory and entrepreneurship to make viticulture in Basilicata and in Italy more resilient and intelligent.
Voices from the field in Basilicata: urgencies and real problems in viticulture
During the live podcast Antonio Garro and Vincenzo Lanza brought different but complementary perspectives on viticulture in Basilicata. Garro manages a small historic vineyard from 1968 with a certified organic approach near Pescopagano, while Lanza coordinates four hectares 70 km from home using an integrated method. Two scales, two philosophies, common challenges: climate change, labor shortages, rising costs, and the need to intervene with precision and timeliness at key moments of the season, challenges that the collaborative robotics of Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems aims to address with innovative solutions for viticulture in Italy.
What winegrowers want: the requests that emerged at the Robofield event in Pescopagano
During the Robofield event in Pescopagano, concrete objectives emerged from the winegrowers of Basilicata:
Vincenzo is looking for remote monitoring systems to manage 18 km of vine rows efficiently. He wants machinery capable of operating immediately after rain, within the available time windows. The ideal would be technology that works autonomously to maximize the timeliness of interventions, needs that fall fully within the vision of Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems.
Antonio focuses on economic accessibility. The high costs of robotics can exclude small producers, but Robot-as-a-Service models could make the technology accessible through rental. Priority: reducing physical effort and exposure to agrochemicals, a central theme for viticultural innovation in Italy.
Vincenzo is looking for remote monitoring systems to manage 18 km of vine rows efficiently. He wants machinery capable of operating immediately after rain, within the available time windows. The ideal would be technology that works autonomously to maximize the timeliness of interventions, needs that fall fully within the vision of Vanto Collaborative Robotic Systems.
Antonio focuses on economic accessibility. The high costs of robotics can exclude small producers, but Robot-as-a-Service models could make the technology accessible through rental. Priority: reducing physical effort and exposure to agrochemicals, a central theme for viticultural innovation in Italy.
