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Farming robot kills 100k weeds per hour with lasers

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Re: Farming robot kills 100k weeds per hour with lasers

#21
post #4

It seems like a good idea, but won’t many types of weeds just grow back if you don’t also remove their roots?

It depends upon the weed. A lot of weeds depend upon a first mover advantage of sorts to gain height, so they’re all-in on reaching that height. If you cut them, they lack reserves to regrow or the flexibility to branch out etc. That’s why mowing your yard is so effective at keeping weeds down. I live in a desert part of Colorado, and for my yard I find simply watering heavily is enough to kill most weeds because they’re evolved to drink all they can when they can.

Re: Farming robot kills 100k weeds per hour with lasers

#24
post #13

Someone please make one that does mosquitoes

Done: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26376376

MS & Intellectual Ventures (2010) https://www.ted.com/talks/nathan_myhrvold_could_this_laser_z...

Satisfying slowmo killshots near end :)

Re: Farming robot kills 100k weeds per hour with lasers

#25

I want to see details on power source and energy usage. That's where I'm a bit skeptical. To do the 20 acres they're talking about you'd need one hell of a huge battery, assuming it's electric. Even just to move the thing. Then add power draw for the laser on as well. Also seems odd to have it be something that is self-powered and autonomous rather than just something you pull behind a tractor on the three point hitc…

"I want to see details on power source and energy usage. That's where I'm a bit skeptical."

Meh. Worse case you could even have a wire.

Re: Farming robot kills 100k weeds per hour with lasers

#26
This is very cool. Not knowing anything about it though it looks massive and overbuilt (with smallish wheels, but likely just fine for the time of year it's put to use). Anyone care to speculate why it needs such a large body? The width is a given because it needs to span the rows, but why a giant cube?
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