Robotic Canopy BIENESIS
BIENESIS, a spin-off from the Michelin Innovation Lab, has developed the Robotic Canopy: the first integrated, all-in-one, retractable physical protection for high-value crops against frost, hail, sunburn, rain and fungal pressure, in the face of rising extreme weather events.
Two robotic arms deploy a 6×1 meters high-performance textile cover when risk thresholds are reached; otherwise it stays under the foliage, visually unobtrusive (>99% of the time). Deployment decisions are driven by a patented algorithm combining microclimate sensing and phenology models, preserving light, typicity and compatibility with mechanized work. The system resists winds up to 50 mph; and addresses 80% of all climate-related damage. Units are solar-powered and networked via a 4G/Wirepas mesh for remote control via a mobile app. Designed for industrial scale and circularity, the architecture is 95% recyclable.
In 2024, prototypes on a Chardonnay demonstrator in Burgundy, France doubled the harvest with just 18 deployments.