Can robots replace chemical herbicides in vineyards?
A company in China has launched a laser weeding robot which it claims has the ability to “replace chemical herbicides” for farmers.
New technology has debuted in China which uses lasers to destroy weeds in crop fields and vineyards.
The robot, Hg LaserWeeder, has a weed removal rate of over 95%, its developers have said. Their aim is to eliminate chemical herbicide residues that contaminate soil and water, reducing agricultural pollution at its source.
Huagong Technology Industry Co Ltd, one of the robot’s developers, has said the 24/7 intelligent laser weeding robot is the first of its kind in the country.
Xiong Bian, AI algorithm lead at the company’s research institute, explained that the robot is equipped with data models covering thousands of crop and weed varieties and an AI-powered vision system. It can therefore dynamically adjust its laser intensity to eliminate weeds while sparing crops.
“This robot is expected to replace chemical herbicides, known as the number one soil killer,” they said.
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The company showcased the robot in June in Wuhan, the capital city of Central China’s Hubei province, according to China Daily.
One advanced version of the robot contains 32 laser heads. Its creators say this model can destroy as many as 320,000 weeds per hour — between four and eight times more effective than traditional methods. Use of the robot also eliminates the need for either harmful herbicides or manual labour.
Huagong Technology Industry has completed algorithm validation trials in test fields in Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces. It has now released the robot for global pre-order.
The company said it plans to begin mass production in 2026.
Chinese researchers are not the only ones developing robotics to be used in vineyards and on farms. A pioneering robotics project that will serve the British wine industry has secured more than £475k in Government funding, WineGB has confirmed. Read more here.
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