Agricultural robots to remove weeds

Eliminating weeds from an agricultural field to prevent them from ruining the harvest is not an easy task.

To protect crops, farmers have three options: Spray the agricultural field with herbicides that kill weeds but can pollute the environment and harm human health. Or spend an inhumane number of hours of their time pulling weeds, if they can do it without help. Or hire workers to do that work.

Unfortunately, many farmers cannot afford either the second or the third option, while the first option is becoming increasingly difficult to apply due to the herbicide resistance that many weeds are acquiring in all parts of the world.

A fourth option is what the company FarmWise offers, founded by Sebastien Boyer, a former student of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.

The company has developed autonomous robots that use artificial intelligence to selectively cut weeds, leaving agricultural crops intact.

FarmWise’s first such robot model, called the Titan, uses computer vision to distinguish weeds from agricultural crops, including leafy greens, cauliflowers, artichokes and tomatoes. It cuts weeds with a precision of the order of a centimeter.

About fifteen Titans have been roaming the fields of 30 large California and Arizona farms for the past few years, pulling weeds and taking orders via an iPad.

Last month, the company introduced its latest robot model, the Vulcan, which is lighter.

FarmWise robots, similar to tractors or designed as extensions of them, protect crops by pulling weeds, without the need to use herbicides. (Images: FarmWise)

The Titan was built to complement the efforts of farm workers in the cultivation and maintenance of agricultural vegetables. Using the iPad, an operator can direct the robot, walking alongside it and supervising its work.

Both the Titan and the Vulcan are powered by artificial intelligence that directs hundreds of tiny blades to cut weeds around each agricultural crop.

The Vulcan is towed by a tractor, and the user directly controls the robot from the tractor’s cab, where the operator is provided with a touchscreen interface that Boyer likens to those found in Tesla-brand cars. (Fountain: NCYT by Amazings)