Robocrop InRow Weeder

DESCRIPTION

Robocrop InRow Weeder is an Agricultural-Robots from Garford Farm Machinery. It is built for Agriculture. Key figures: released 2008.

The Robocrop InRow Weeder is Garford's vision-guided intra-row weeder, a tractor-mounted machine that uses Robocrop video image analysis to locate individual crop plants and mechanically remove weeds both between the rows and within the row between the plants. It was developed for transplanted crops such as lettuce, cabbage and celery, and works in most crops planted at regular plant and row spacing where the foliage of one plant is clearly separated from the next. The camera picks out each plant and the computer synchronises a weeding rotor for every row, constantly adjusting rotor speed to follow variations in plant spacing, while a hydraulic side shift keeps the toolbar on the rows; further cultivator units behind the rotors finish the job. Garford quotes working accuracy of 8 mm from the plant stem, forward speeds of up to 6 plant spacings per second and weeding of up to 98.5% of the soil surface, so that no other weed control is needed. Systems of up to 20 rows and 6 m working width have been supplied, with larger machines available. Launched in 2008, it won the RASE Gold Medal in 2009 and the Queen's Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2010.

FEATURES