Vector Machines introduces revolutionary robotic mower

It was not an easy task. That was especially clear. Nevertheless, Vector Machines succeeded in developing an electrically powered autonomous robotic mower that manages to navigate smartly even in terrains with annoying obstacles and poor GPS reception. "We noticed that there was more than enough demand.

'If we had twenty machines ready now they would have been gone yesterday,' states Erik Post. The interest from the market is great. Not very surprising if you consider how many solar parks there are and will be worldwide and how enormous the areas to be mowed are. The traditional way of maintaining grass is then quite a challenge and often even impossible.'

Vector Machines was founded by Jan-Dirk van der Tol and Sander Steegstra. Jan-Dirk, an agricultural technician, focused for many years with his company Machines4Green on the sale of radio controlled mowers for, among other things, grass maintenance on and around solar parks. With another company, called Feedtuber, he was involved in the sale and production of technical systems for ensiling cattle feed and grinding and compressing biomass. Sander once owned the sales and service platform Cvtotaal. He sold the company, through which he offered central heating systems, heat pumps and solar panels, among others, to a major energy giant in 2018.

The then Flinc, until recently a label of the NOM, saw in Sander a possible investor in promising northern companies. It was also through Flinc that Jan-Dirk and Sander first met. 'I was linked to Jan-Dirk because he was looking for an investor for Feedtuber,' says Sander. 'Shortly before that, I myself had started Ergon Robots, a dealer of autonomous mowing robots for large areas such as sports fields and golf courses. The energy company to which I had sold Cvtotaal was active in solar parks and asked if my robots were also suitable for that. No, I had to admit. But I did see opportunities, especially after I heard that Jan-Dirk was already quite at home with Machines4Green. So conversations soon turned not only to Feedtuber, but increasingly to mowing solar parks. It clicked, partly because of our shared interest.'

There was also surprise. About the fact that on renewable energy projects such as solar parks, fuel-powered machines were still used for the most part. That there was little or no autonomous mowing and especially that there was not yet an adequate solution for mowing large rough terrains with obstacles and unevenness everywhere. 'We soon found out that there was a valid reason for that,' smiles Sander. 'It was just incredibly difficult. Still, we decided to take on the challenge and join forces. That's how Vector Machines was born, from a merger between Machines4Green and Ergon Robots.'

The operations of both companies were brought into the new company, but the focus was primarily on the development of what would later be called the Vector WD2.0. A complex job, as mentioned. 'It is relatively easy to start up a mowing trajectory on solar farms using GPS-rtk, a technology for navigating with extreme precision, and satellites,' Sander argues. 'But yes, once the robot is under the panels, contact is lost.'

After a working prototype was ready, it was time to engage NOM. Funding was needed to hire skilled workers. At the same time, working capital was needed to bear short-term expenses. 'Of course, we noticed that there was more than enough demand,' says Sander. 'But the machines had to be built first. Of course, we don't get paid until we can actually deliver.'

Meanwhile, the first machines have been sold in the Netherlands. Still this year, Vector Machines expects to enter the foreign market as well. Expectations are high. 'We knew that the market in the Netherlands was already very large,' Erik clarifies. 'As we visited more international trade fairs, we saw that there was demand everywhere for a product like the Vector WD2.0. Not only in Europe, but also far beyond.'