News

Robot Prototype Could Help
Weed Out Invasives

Hundreds of people regularly volunteer their time and effort to remove invasive species from our forest preserves. They really enjoy the work, but in those moments of weakness, when the buckthorn is thick and the day is late, some might be at least curious to know that researchers at the University of Illinois recently unveiled a prototype robot designed to identify weeds, cut them, and apply a small amount of herbicide to the cut.

The machine is just a few feet tall, runs on wheels, and hunkers under a solar-paneled hood. It operates autonomously, without a human driver, using cameras and sensors to determine the shape and color of specific plant species programmed into its on-board computer.

When asked whether the robot would be able to deal with invasive species in a natural area such as a savanna or prairie, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering Lei Tian replied, “I didn’t think about it. I think if it’s something pretty distinguishable, the system can identify the plant; it is possible to train the robotic system to do that.” Look out, garlic mustard.

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