Field robots zap weeds with lasers

We worked with Ponchon SAS to develop a field robot that provides farmers with targeted, localised weed control. The agricultural robot uses artificial intelligence to locate weeds and burn them with a laser beam in a targeted manner. Three igus guide rails and three motors with an integrated control system were used for laser positioning. The position commands are sent via CAN bus to burn the targeted weed. The assembly is mounted on an autonomous robot capable of moving independently in the field.

An important requirement of the automation solution was outdoor work under complex conditions. The material is subjected to wind, rain and sun all day long, and must work at least eight hours a day. The weeding solution must also be economical and save time. The delta robot is priced affordably and can handle outdoor conditions. It can also perform two to three actions per second. This allows three rails with a 900mm stroke to weed 1.20m wide crop beds.

Low Cost Automation solutions enable organic farmers to significantly reduce their weeding costs. Up to now, costs of less than € 1,000/ha can only be achieved with chemical solutions. This solution halves the cost of weeding. Since our robot is autonomous, the farmer can also devote himself to tasks with higher added value than manual weeding. Overall, this reduces agricultural equipment to one tenth.