Over the last 5 years, the number of robots sold for crop production has increased by 6 times, and there are now more than 18,000 robots in use on French farms. The SentiV robot developed by Meropy in Crolles reduces the use of pesticides by identifying pests on farms. The idea was born in 2016, and since then 15 versions have seen the light of day.

"[...] The autonomous robot uses two cameras to collect data on the condition of the plants and continuously monitor their development, so farmers can get a better idea of what chemicals to use, how much and where. Data collection is one of the key building blocks of precision farming, which not only allows more efficient farming, but also more economical and environmentally friendly. [...]"

"Start-up Meropy, previously hosted by Village by CA Sud Rhône Alpes, has created an autonomous robot that inspects fields for farmers and provides information on areas to be treated."

"SentiV is always busy! Moving from the fields to the corridors of agricultural trade fairs and, at the beginning of January 2023, to CES in Las Vegas (United States), where it received an innovation award, this robot developed by the Isère start-up Meropy monitors agricultural plots very precisely. [...]"

"[...] Drones have their place for looking at crops from above, but what about an autonomous rolling watchdog that also looks under the leaves for problems? The SentiV exploration robot from the French company, Meropy, attracted attention at CES 2023 (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas. [...]"

"The Senstiv robot, developed by Meropy, an Isère-based start-up and winner of the France 2030 Agritech award, scans crops to identify any pests. Around ten of these robots are about to go into operation.[...]"

"With its 15 kg and 80 cm width, the SentiV robot from Meropy is designed to monitor crops throughout their development. Its pair of spoked wheels allows it to step over without damaging them while avoiding the tractor's wheel paths. [...]"

"A farmer robot patrols up to 20 hectares a day, looking for pests that can cause disease in agricultural crops. This innovative machine is SentiV, the robot that allows farmers to intervene on crops in a targeted manner [...]"

"It is a funny insect that now moves around the fields. Sentiv is a robot on two wheels with a diameter of one metre mounted on twelve spoked wheels.
Filled with electronics, sensors and cameras, it monitors and scans crops. Pests, weeds, diseases, it has an eye on everything. [...]"

"Autonomous and inquisitive, the SentiV robot has taken the key to the fields to better inspect them without any intervention from the farmer. "All you have to do is put it in a plot of land whose contours have been defined beforehand and it will take images with its camera and optical sensors in order to detect weeds better than the human eye," explains William Guitton, co-founder of the Isère-based start-up Meropy. [...]"

"The 7th edition of the international agricultural robotics exhibition "World Fira 2023", held near Toulouse (France) from 7 to 9 February, attracted many visitors."

"The International Forum of Agricultural Robotics (FIRA) was held in Toulouse, more precisely in Auzeville Tolosane, from 7 to 9 February at the Agrobiopole. A change of date for the event, which is usually held in December. [...]"

"A French company "Meropy" has developed the scouting robot "SentiV" that moves autonomously through fields and detects potential threats to crops, such as weeds, diseases and pests. [...]"

"It was a fifteen-kilogram robot called SentiV (for plant sensing) that caused a sensation at CES in Las Vegas in January 2023. This autonomous robot was developed by the Meropy start-up founded in Crolles by William Guitton, an agronomist, and Guillemin Raymond, a roboticist. [...]"

"Not only big names: the CES 2023 (Consumer Electronic Show) was the ideal opportunity for numerous small manufacturers and start-ups to showcase themselves. In the field of agromechanics, Grenoble, France-based Meropy undoubtedly stood out. During the Las Vegas show, it showed off the SentiV, a robot capable of autonomously monitoring agricultural fields. [...]"

"The world of robotics is not only evolving in favour of large factories, its field of application touches other sectors such as agriculture. Many innovations bear witness to this. This SentiV robot, for example, is able to work on twenty hectares of crops in order to detect various problems affecting the plants: diseases, presence of pests, etc. This invention belongs to a start-up called Meropy, founded by Guillemin Raymond and William Guitton. [...]"

"Created in 2019, the Isère-based start-up Meropy is developing a robot that analyzes crops, mainly cereals, in order to allow the farmer to take care of his fields in the most appropriate way. In a few days, the very first robot will be delivered. [...]"

"Meropy, a company based in the Isère region, is one of the young companies from the department that stood out at the last CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas at the beginning of January. Its SentiV robot, which inspects crops, is finding favour with farmers, cooperatives and agricultural companies. [...]"

"The spread of smart devices in agriculture is as difficult as harvesting in neck-deep mud, even though more and more achievements support more efficient and environmentally friendly farming. The latest in the line is Meropy's robot, which with its small weight, flexible movement, and autonomous navigation inspects the crop in such a way that it does not harm it, but collects detailed enough data to save farmers from a series of extra tasks and costs. [...]"

"Lower costs, less fertilizers, more efficiency: a farmer robot and his colleagues aim to change agriculture forever. [...]"

"A French startup has launched an agricultural robot that works with artificial intelligence, to provide the best solutions and increase agricultural yields. [...]"

"[...] A French startup has invented a new type of robot called SentiV. It weighs only 15 kilograms and moves using spokes, similar to the spokes of a bicycle wheel. [...]"

"Developed by French company Meropy, SentiV is a robot aimed at monitoring agricultural parcels and crops. Equipped with two cameras, this lightweight scouting robot is able to photograph the top and the bottom of a plant foliage, detect the presence of bio-aggressors on it and determine its needs in terms of hydration and nutrition. The French company won an innovation award during CES 2023 in Las Vegas. [...]"

"[...] Moving from the fields to the corridors of agricultural exhibitions and, at the beginning of January 2023, to CES 2023 in Las Vegas, where it received an innovation award, SentiV has been busy. This robot, developed by the Isère-based start-up Meropy, monitors agricultural plots very precisely by walking through them autonomously and photographing them from all angles (above and below the foliage) using two 12-megapixel cameras. [...]"

"French start-up Meropy, based in Grenoble, has successfully developed an innovative agricultural robot that uses AI to improve crop monitoring. Called Sentiv, this autonomous robot is capable of covering up to 20 hectares of crops per day, using sensors to accurately monitor the progress of the plots. [...]"

"[...] Monitoring acres of crops for their health becomes a very tedious task very quickly. Compounded with the costs of running a farm and finding the necessary resources to raise these crops, any improvement to improve crop yield would greatly benefit efficiency, speed, and save some money! [...]"

"[...] French startup Meropy has developed an agricultural robot that autonomously inspects crops from both above and below, saving farmers time and money. [...]"

"[...] Using autonomous navigation and sensors, French startup Meropy's scouting robot, SentiV, analyzes crops to check the health and needs of soil and ensure plots are free of "weeds, diseases, and pests." The innovation that made an appearance at CES 2023 looks like something you might find on an alien planet, however, it is designed to be lightweight and modular. [...]"

"[...] Robots are used to check crops for issues while autonomously travelling the fields. They move along on rimless open-spoked wheels in order to lessen damage to crops as it moves through the field. Once the perimeter coordinates on the field are marked, the robot uses on-board GNSS (global navigation satellite system) module to determine where it’s located relative to those boundaries. [...]"

"Farmers and agriculturists have found their new assistant through a robot crop inspector for field use, equipped with sensors and cameras that can wheel itself around 20 hectares per day to detect potential and grave threats to the crops. Dubbed a scouting robot, SentiV makes use of its near-sensing abilities to keep its eye on the crops. Think of protective security staff, only for farms and fields and without hands and feet. [...]"

"[...] The greatest innovations are the result of the start-ups grouped together in the Eureka Park. Some examples:
Meropy has created a robot to accompany farmers (provides information on undesirable weeds and insects, the state of drought, etc.), enabling them to use the right product at the right time and to rationalise their practices. [...]"

"French startup Meropy has unveiled SentiV, a smart robot that detects variability in field crops and identifies potential threats to crops. The device is designed for agricultural professionals, says the manufacturer.  [...]"

"Farmers no longer have to laboriously inspect their fields themselves. The SentiV provides data on crops in near real time. ... The SentiV agricultural robot from the French start-up Meropy, which won the Innovation Award at CES 2023, inspects agricultural areas with crops. [...]"

"[...] Designed by French company Meropy, the SentiV dispenses with the traditional rubber tracks or pneumatic wheels used by most agricultural robots. As an alternative, it moves on open-spoke wheels without a rim. The goal of this system is to help you navigate rough and uneven terrain and minimize crop damage when moving across fields. [...]"

"We spoke to Meropy all about developing agriculture robotics."

"[...] For farmers, Meropy showed off its crop-watching robot, which rolls over fields on legs that look like giant hairbrush bristles. “The idea is to provide information to farmers to help them reduce the amount of chemicals they put on the plots,” co-founder and CEO William Guitton said in an interview with TechCrunch. [...]" 

"CES 2023 took place in Las Vegas, USA. In addition to the launch
of many different technological products, there was also the introduction of interesting agricultural robots. One of them is the SentiV, a plant care robot that processes data through the algorithms it uses. [...]"

"The World Technology Exhibition saw many new agricultural products. ... The SentiV, developed by Meropy, is a 15 kg robot that has a ten-hour autonomy. It photographs the soil for weeds, diseases or rodents. [...]" 

"[...] The SentiV by Meropy is a lightweight scouting robot that moves autonomously through fields, scanning all vegetation to detect potential threats to crops. The robot can cover nearly 50 acres in a day, and its unique wheel system is designed to prevent damage to crops. [...]" 

"When we think of agricultural robots, we tend to picture things that pick produce or apply chemicals. The SentiV is different, though, in that it's designed to check crops for problems while autonomously wandering the fields. [...]"

"[...] Meropy, a French company, is exhibiting a sort of alien-looking wheel — with long spokes extending on either side — that can roll through a field and use its cameras to photograph crops from all angles, detecting the presence of weeds, pests or disease. [...]"

"This spoke-legged robot, made by a French company called Meropy, is designed to roll through fields of crops in search of plants plagued by rot, pests or disease. [...]"

"[...] French company Meropy is exhibiting a multi-legged wheel that moves across fields to detect the presence of weeds, pests and diseases using cameras that take pictures on and under the foliage. [...]"

"[...] Before food even gets to the store shelves, other new innovations can help production of the food itself. A robot from Meropy looks for weeds so they can be treated with precision instead of overspraying herbicides on an entire field. [...]"

"[...] An agricultural recognition robot, SentiV, enabling the detection of diseases in crops at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre [...]"

"After two disrupted years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the world's largest technology trade show, will be held from 5 to 8 January 2023. 100,000 visitors will come to the show to meet the 2,200 exhibitors. A return to normalcy that hides a context of crisis. After three crazy years of abundant investment in the tech sector, a lean period has begun. It has resulted in budget cuts and massive layoffs."

"[...] Meropy is a company specialising in agricultural robotics that develops scouting robots. [...]"

"[...] Meropy, another French-based startup, is offering the SentiV robot that inspects the health of crops. The robot looks like a giant tinker toy construction. Each wheel is made from a central hub with sticks ending in footpads radiating out from the hubs. It’s a very ingenious design. [...]"

"SentiV, developed by the Grenoble-based company Meropy: a robot weighing 15 kg and with ten hours of autonomy, which moves around a plot of land photographing the soil to spot weeds, diseases or rodents."

"[...] Here is the robot that monitors field crop plots autonomously. SentiV from Meropy, is light, agile and efficient robot, that presents itself as a data collector. Thanks to its numerous sensors, this small measuring machine detects the presence of weeds, diseases and pests. [...]"

"[...] this robot, weighing about 15 kilos, works hard, taking one photo per second with its two cameras, one above the foliage, the other at ground level. [...]"

"Autonomous, relatively light, resolutely eco-designed and not damaging crops, the SentiV robot developed by the Crolles based start-up Meropy, is beginning to make inroads in the world of agriculture. [...]"

"[...] It collects and transmits data on nutrient requirements, growth and potential incoming threats. It can cover up to 20 hectares per day. [...]"

"[...] Meropy develops agricultural robotics to detect diseases, pests and weeds. [...]"

"Crop monitoring is the key to crop protection and preservation."

"[...] The promotion of 2021 concluded with 28 winners receiving a loan volume of 1.3 million euros, compared to a commitment of 1 million in 2020. The number of jobs created or maintained amounted to 314 compared to 136 in 2019 and 101 in 2020. [...]"

"French start-up Meropy aims to offer farmers real-time
monitoring in the field. Its robot SentiV should fill in
the gaps currently existing in remote sensing, co-founder and CEO William Guitton said."

"Founded in 2019 by two childhood friends, Meropy designs and manufactures an agricultural decision-support robot for grain farmers. Objective? Automate weed and disease control for crops."

"A start-up in Isère offers an original robot that acts as a sentinel in the field, monitoring the growth and health status of cereals."

"[...] Europe's leading B2B event on the convergence of IoT, AI, XR and Robotics technologies, for strategic innovation and operational decision makers [...]"

"[...] They are called SentiV, Robotti or Ag Bot and they were one of the major attractions at the last Innov-Agri show, from September 7th to 9th in Outarville (Loiret). These robots have the mission to help the farmer in the decision making and especially to lighten their workload [...]"

"The SentiV robot was developed by the Grenoble-based start-up Meropy. This atypical decision-support tool moves in cereal plots thanks to two small electric motors. Two cameras scan the foliage. The camera, which is located at the end of the stabilization tail can identify the presence of diseases or pests in the lower part of the leaves."

"[...] It detects diseases, pests, weeds on the plot [...] Available for rent from 5000€ per year, the robot is one of the many new agricultural technologies [...]"

"The Culturales exhibition held in Bétheny on 15th, 16th and 17th June was an opportunity to highlight the technologies of the future, with increasingly efficient and ecological solutions."

"It is very light, moves quickly without leaving any traces and can handle all types of sensors. Meropy's SentiV is a small, agile robot that could soon be used to measure the biomass of oilseed rape, identify weeds or monitor the arrival of insects and the first symptoms of disease."

"[...] For its first Carré Performance meeting of the winter of 2020-2021, on 18 November 2020 on its pilot farm in Gouy-sous-Bellonne, the Carré group choses to focus on the second market of professional robotics: agriculture. More specifically, robots for field crops, which are still rare, but in full development. "Robots on field crops are not for today, perhaps not for tomorrow, but we're getting there!" summarises Philippe Touchais, who is replacing Philippe Leclercq as Director of
innovation and development [...]"

"Meropy is the result of the skills of two childhood friends: one in agronomy, the other in electronics and IT. The result is a robot equipped with sensors designed to scan the vegetation in the fields."

"[...] On October 5th, the Business Meeting of the Smart Agri Connexion call for candidates launched by Bivouac, Synox, Yesitis, Michelin and Limagrain as part of the 2020 edition of the Cap IoT event on Smart Agriculture took place. This meeting was an opportunity to exchange between sponsors and selected startups, in order to elect a winner who will benefit from engineering and IoT fleet monitoring solutions provided by Synox and Yesitis. [...]"

"[...] The jury will be chaired by Axelle Lemaire (former Secretary of State for Digital and Innovation, Director of Terra Numérata at Roland Berger). It will benefit from the scientific expertise of Christian Huyghe (Scientific Director of Inrae) and the experience of the first prize of AgreenStartup 2019 Guillemin Raymond (founder of Meropy). [...]"

"At the 2019 edition of the International Forum for Agricultural Robotics (FIRA) in early December, two new robots were presented. Intended for weeding and field crop inspection, they expand a range of robots for precision farming and field automation."

"In the family of small agricultural robots, there are market gardeners, wine growers, corn growers, beet growers, but not yet wheat growers. As it is not weeded out (no inter-row) and has a low added value per hectare, wheat has so far been somewhat deserted by robotic farmers. Until the two founders of Meropy tackled the problem [...]"

"Start-up Meropy is developing SentiV, a robot capable of scanning the top and bottom of crops, regardless of their stage of development and climatic conditions. Thanks to high-tech... and spoked wheels."

"The FIRA (International Forum of Agricultural Robotics), held in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) on December 10 and 11, attracts more and more people every year. It is an opportunity for industrialists, many of which are SMEs and start-ups, to present the latest versions of their autonomous agricultural robots."

"The SentiV robot trundles around all day long, taking pictures and video of plants in the field. Its design is extremely special, but it is no accident."

"For the third consecutive year, the Agri Startup Summit competition, which took place on Wednesday 20 November 2019 in La Roche-sur-Yon, rewarded young French and foreign startups with innovative solutions in the field of agriculture [...] Meropy - Jury Prize "Favourite Award"."

"Funded by Guillemin Raymond and William Guitton, Meropy is specialized in agricultural robotics. Its first product, SentiV, is a lightweight and fully autonomous robot that, thanks to a range of sensors, monitors plots and detects potential threats to field crops. [...]"

"On 13 June, Village by CA selection committee met and approved the start-up Meropy application (developping a robot for sustainable agriculture), [...]"

"The SentiV robot, which won an award at the last Salon de l'Agriculture held in Paris from February 23 to March 3, 2019, received the AGreen start-up prize, as indicated in an article published by RTL. The two Grenoble-based engineers who created the Meropy company were awarded this prize, which is intended to reward innovations in agriculture, particularly those that can provide an alternative to pesticides. [...]"

"Among the robots designed to revolutionize agriculture, here is SentiV, an award-winning machine at the Paris Agricultural Show. It is completely autonomous and shows itself able to warn its owner when a concern intervenes in the fields [...]"

"Four projects were awarded prizes at the Agreen Startup contest awards ceremony, chaired by Didier Guillaume, Minister of Agriculture and Food, and in the presence of Mounir Mahjoubi, Secretary of State for Digital at the Salon de l'agriculture [...]"

"The Crédit Agricole, which supports innovation especially through its Villages by CA, has delivered a check of 3.000 euros to Meropy [...]"

"Discover the winners of AGREEN STARTUP SIA 2019 [...]"
Revisit the award ceremony right here.

"Robots have made their entry into the fields. This is the case of the little robot that wanders through farmland alerting farmers to possible dangers. Called SentiV, this robot has been exposed [...]"

"SentiV, a small robot that moves along crops alone and warns if there is a problem, was awarded at the Paris International Agricultural Show [...]"

"The Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume presented the Agreen Start-up prize in the presence of Mounir Mahjoubi, Secretary of State in charge of digital, on the stand of The Digital Farm. The winner of this 5th edition of Agreen start-up is the company Meropy, specialist in robotics for the survey of the crops [...]"