It seems that wonders will never cease. We look at smart sprayers, auto steer, and drone technology that prescribes for our acres. However, the bar for technology gets raised once again, as researchers at the University of Idaho are working with a Kirkland, WA-based company to develop a robot that can weed farmland.
Jae Hyeon Ryu, an associate professor in the Department of Soil and Water Systems at the University of Idaho, says the robot was designed to help farmers combat a dwindling human labor force.
The wheeled robot is solar-powered and about the size of a shopping cart. It’s designed to roll between rows in a field before the crop canopies close, delivering an electric shock to eradicate larger weeds while pulling out smaller ones with an attached arm.
Ryu says making the robot easy for farmers to use was a key design phase goal.
In addition to its primary weeding capabilities, Ryu also envisions the robot being used for diagnostic applications.
The robot could also prove beneficial to the environment, as its use would almost certainly reduce the amount of chemical agents farmers currently apply to their crops. Ryu says the robot has been in testing since last summer and can be ready to start working in the field full time by next year.
It is not yet known how much the robot will cost to manufacture or what its retail price might be.
