Frasky: The Vineyard Robot Bringing Precision Agriculture to Life
A research team from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) has unveiled Frasky, a next-generation agricultural robot built to navigate vineyards, inspect crops, and perform delicate tasks like handling fruit and applying precise treatments. Developed by IIT’s Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation unit, Frasky represents one of Italy’s most ambitious steps toward autonomous, AI-driven viticulture.
Born within the JOiiNT LAB—a collaboration between IIT, Sistema Bergamo, the University of Bergamo, Confindustria Bergamo, Kilometro Rosso, and the Intellimech Consortium—Frasky responds directly to the pressures reshaping agriculture: labor shortages, tighter sustainability requirements, and the need for high-precision farming.
A leap forward for precision viticulture
“Robotics and AI will enable more efficient, targeted agriculture with reduced environmental impact,” says project coordinator Manuel G. Catalano. The goal: augment farmers and wineries, not replace them, by helping them manage repetitive, hazardous, or time-sensitive tasks.
Frasky combines several advanced systems into one mobile platform. Its four-wheel-drive base handles uneven terrain, while a robotic arm equipped with a dexterous hand and onboard camera identifies grape clusters, maps rows, and manipulates plants with care. A selective-spray nozzle mounted near the hand enables highly localized treatments, reducing chemical drift and worker exposure.
Built for real-world vineyards
Frasky’s intelligence comes from three core software modules:
Navigation for autonomous row-to-row movement and obstacle avoidance
Perception for environment mapping and grape detection
Manipulation for performing tasks like picking, trimming, or spraying
An operator-friendly interface lets farmers monitor operations or issue commands, making the system accessible even to those without robotics expertise.
But vineyard environments are notoriously difficult: dense foliage, changing weather, shifting terrain, and fragile fruit. Designing a robot that can navigate these constraints while performing fine motor tasks is a technical challenge that few teams have tackled successfully.
Tested from lab to vineyard
Frasky was first trained in an artificial vineyard before undergoing field trials at the Le Corne winery in Grumello del Monte. The demonstrations showed that the robot could autonomously map vines, navigate rows, and apply targeted treatments—key milestones toward full in-field deployment.
The team is now working to expand Frasky’s skill set. “Our goal is to make Frasky more flexible and autonomous, able to take on a wider range of agricultural tasks,” says IIT researcher Francesca Negrello. Future capabilities may include deeper crop analytics, yield prediction, and multi-task manipulation to support winemakers through the entire growing season.
A model for industry-research collaboration
Researchers emphasize that Frasky’s development showcases the power of close cooperation between universities, industry, and regional innovation hubs. “Projects like JOiiNT LAB offer students hands-on experience with real industrial challenges,” notes Fabio Previdi of the University of Bergamo.
Stefano Ierace of Intellimech adds that these innovations extend benefits far beyond robotics labs: “The technologies developed here have a cross-sector impact, helping shape new skills and new opportunities for the entire region.”
