Weed eating solar-powered robot

A solar-powered robot with 20/20 vision, on a search-and-destroy quest for weeds, will soon be moving up and down the crop rows at the experimental fields at the University of Illinois. What's more, this robot has the potential to control weeds while significantly reducing herbicide use. The robot uses GPS for navigation, and there are two small cameras mounted on a frame on top of the machine to give the robot depth perception.An on-board computer offers access to information that provides the morphological features of plants, to help the robot determine just what is and isn't a weed. Once a weed is identified, a robotic arm attached to the front of the machine engages a device the researcher calls "a custom-designed end effector." There are two layers to the device: one layer cuts the weed, while the second layer applies herbicide to the cut weed. The system has clear environmental benefits. In addition to cutting herbicide use, chemicals do not drift off-target when placed directly on the plants.

Source: sciencedaily.comAdded: 3 January 2007