Farming Robots to Save Our Health?!
Last week, we did a story on the Verdant Robotics awesome weed-killing farming robots. It is an autonomous platform that is the only ag-robot in the U.S. market capable of simultaneously weeding, fertilizing, and treating plants for pests and diseases.
However, another player in the game does one thing possible even better, and a combination of the two could be even bigger.
In the year 2021, Carbon Robotics introduced the third iteration of its Autonomous Weeder, a cutting-edge smart farming robot designed to identify and eradicate weeds using high-powered lasers. Building upon the technology used in that robot, the company has also developed the LaserWeeder, a tractor-pulled contraption that boasts twice the weed-eliminating capabilities.
The Weed Challenge:
Weeds are a persistent challenge in agriculture, as they vie with crops for crucial resources like space, sunlight, and soil nutrients. Additionally, they can create opportunities for insect pests to damage crops, making weed control a top priority for farmers.
Traditional methods for dealing with weeds include chemical herbicides, which can effectively kill these pesky plants but also pose risks by contaminating water sources and affecting soil health. Manual removal of weeds is another option, but it’s labor-intensive and increasingly difficult to manage due to labor shortages in the agriculture industry.
The Farming Robots:
The Autonomous Weeder resembles a large cube mounted on wheels. This innovative robot tackles the weed problem without harming soil or water and operates autonomously, reducing the reliance on human labor.
As it moves along rows of crops, the robot employs 12 cameras to scan the ground. An onboard AI-powered computer identifies weeds, and the robot’s carbon dioxide lasers swiftly eliminate them.
The Autonomous Weeder is capable of eradicating over 100,000 weeds per hour and can cover 15 to 20 acres of crops in a single day. In comparison, Myers noted that a human laborer can typically weed only about one acre of onions in a day.
The new LaserWeeder, while not autonomous, can be pulled by a row tractor, requiring a driver to operate it. However, it boasts three times the number of lasers compared to the autonomous version. In just one hour, it can cover two acres and eliminate a staggering 200,000 weeds.
Paul Mikesell, CEO and founder of Carbon Robotics, emphasized the effectiveness and benefits of their laser weeding technology, stating, “We’ve demonstrated the effectiveness of our laser weeding technology and the significant advantages it brings to farmers, including healthier crops and soil, reduced herbicide use, and lowered chemical and labor expenses.”
Cost Savings:
While the specific cost is not listed on Carbon Robotics’ website, the company claims that growers adopting the LaserWeeder are experiencing an 80% reduction in weeding costs. Furthermore, the device pays for itself within two to three years.
The Incredible Possibility:
What about combining the LaserWeeder and Verdant Robotics, SprayBox?
You could theoretically take the millimeter accurate fertilizing, plant treating, and ai mapping of the SprayBox, and add the laser weeder. While it may not be better for all situations, it could be used to eliminate all weedkiller spraying. Which could be a big deal for a lot of farming situations and our health!
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