A United States-based company is using lasers and artificial intelligence to take weed kills into the future.
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Carbon Robotics is based in Seattle but its flagship product LaserWeeder is already in use in southern locations in Australia.
LaserWeeder utilises computer vision and AI deep learning models to identify weeds and crops in real time and kill the weeds with high-powered lasers.
It kills weeds among specialty row crops such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, kale, lettuce, onions, spinach and tomatoes.
The use of computer vision, AI deep learning technology, robotics, and lasers to identify and eliminate weeds means kills it can be done with millimeter accuracy, taking out plants as small as the tip of a pen.
The technology allows farmers to cut costs, increase production and boost profits through precision agriculture.
It's estimated to cut weed control costs by 80 per cent, while increasing crop yield and quality.
The machine uses 24 GPUs from NVIDIA, a world leader in artificial intelligence computing, and processes 4.7 million high-resolution images per hour, offering AI-driven plant detection and identification to target and eliminate weeds with lasers.
The LaserWeeder can eradicate 5000 weeds per minute with sub-millimetre precision and utilises a diverse agricultural image dataset, comprising 25 million labeled plants and more than 30,000 crop and weed models.
It also captures real-time metrics on crops and weeds and sends them to the cloud, providing farmers with actionable visual insights into their field farming operations at any time, from anywhere.
LaserWeeders are currently in operation by growers across the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.
An investment boost to Carbon Robotics was recently provided by NVenture, NVIDIA's venture capital arm.
Carbon Robotics chief executive officer and founder Paul Mikesell said this investment underscored the power of AI in transforming farming worldwide, as well as Cthe company's leadership and innovation in the industry.
He said by providing farmers with an innovative weeding solution that does not rely on traditional methods of chemical herbicides, hand labor, or soil cultivation, Carbon Robotics is at the forefront of using AI to protect crops.
"With this investment, and using the power of AI, we can help farmers create farms and food systems of the future that are more productive, efficient, healthy, and profitable," he said.
NVentures corporate vice president Mohamed "Sid" Siddeek said Carbon Robotics' cutting-edge technology offered great benefits to the farming sector.
"AI and advanced robotics have immense potential in addressing the myriad of challenges present in agriculture," he said.
"Carbon Robotics' innovative solution improves farming practices to increase sustainability and improve the quality of produce available to consumers."
Paula Thompson
Paula Thompson is ACM's National Machinery and Ag Tech writer. She has been an agricultural journalist for more than 20 years. Prior to her current role, she was a reporter with the Stock Journal, covering livestock markets and the grains industry.
Paula Thompson is ACM's National Machinery and Ag Tech writer. She has been an agricultural journalist for more than 20 years. Prior to her current role, she was a reporter with the Stock Journal, covering livestock markets and the grains industry.
