Nature Robots Farming Autonomy OS (FAOS)

Nature Robots GmbH is a deep-tech company founded in 2022 in Osnabrück, Germany, as a spin-off of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). It targets machinery manufacturers that want autonomous functions without developing autonomy technology themselves.

Its Farming Autonomy Operating System (FAOS) is hardware-agnostic and retrofits onto conventional machines. Navigation modules cover open fields, orchards and vineyards, and horticulture, using LiDAR, stereo cameras and IMUs with or without GNSS. Mission Control and a Field Coverage Planner handle planning and remote human oversight.

• Hybrid localization: LiDAR, stereo cameras and IMUs work with or without GNSS/RTK.
• Navigation modules: OpenField Nav, OrchVine Nav and Horti Nav cover different crop environments.
• Planning tools: Field coverage, row and smart turn planning.
• Perception: 3D perception and obstacle avoidance for safe operation.
• Remote oversight: Mission Control supports human supervision of autonomous machines.

Agricultural machinery assemblers in Vietnam can evaluate autonomy retrofits for tractors working in orchards and plantations. Large durian, coffee or rubber estates can pilot autonomous mowing and spraying. Research institutes can use the open GitHub tools for field robotics projects.

Machine makers add autonomy without building it in-house, shortening development time. Hybrid localization works with or without GNSS, which suits orchards and complex terrain. Retrofitting onto conventional machines lets existing fleets gain autonomous functions such as laser weeding and spot farming that reduce chemical use.

Labor shortages and pressure to cut pesticide use push farm machinery toward autonomy and targeted spraying or weeding. Vietnam and Southeast Asia have fragmented plots and orchards where GNSS-independent navigation could matter, and local machinery makers may seek licensed autonomy software.

Raised a EUR 4 million seed round in March 2026 led by Climentum Capital with Bayern Kapital and Planetary Impact Ventures; earlier EUR 2.5 million from the EIC Accelerator in early 2025. Spin-off of DFKI with academic ties to University of Osnabrück and Wageningen University and Research.