Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
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Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
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Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#2This is the kind of thing where robotics is really exciting. It does an end run around every problem with pesticide use by taking it out of the equation entirely.
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#3That's brilliant.
What about using a laser to destroy the weeds?
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#4That's brilliant. What about using a laser to destroy the weeds?
I suspect this would result in rather superficial weed destruction, since the roots underground would be unharmed and would cause the weed to regrow a few days later. Unrooting the weeds definitely sounds more reliable to me.
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#5This is the kind of thing where robotics is really exciting. It does an end run around every problem with pesticide use by taking it out of the equation entirely.
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Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#6That's brilliant. What about using a laser to destroy the weeds?
I suspect this would result in rather superficial weed destruction, since the roots underground would be unharmed and would cause the weed to regrow a few days later. Unrooting the weeds definitely sounds more reliable to me.
On the other hand, with a laser you could process huge areas at extreme speeds. Think 100 zaps a second.
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#7That's brilliant. What about using a laser to destroy the weeds?
I suspect this would result in rather superficial weed destruction, since the roots underground would be unharmed and would cause the weed to regrow a few days later. Unrooting the weeds definitely sounds more reliable to me.
> Unrooting the weeds definitely sounds more reliable to me.
The robot in the article just pushed the weed underground a few inches. I imagine that some weeds would just pop back after a week, and that the robot would just punch them down again.
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#8Cool prototype.
...now make one that mounts on a front 3pt hitch and you might actually sell one.
No need for a special robot when a different piece of equipment with its own power source has to go down the field anyway
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#9I don't see it detecting any actual weeds? The detection is just targets and the demonstration of punching the weeds is stationary. Which leaves out the key challenge - distinguishing between weed & crop.
Re: Robot gets rid of weeds automatically and without herbicides
#10That's brilliant. What about using a laser to destroy the weeds?
This video of punching the weeds looks promising, but just a thought: maybe you could focus sunlight to burn them? :)