Sniper robot treats 500k plants per hour with 95% less chemicals | Challengers

This “intelligent sharpshooter” farming robot distinguishes crops from weeds — and it could help feed 10 billion people.

The world population will hit 10 billion around the year 2050. We must use our farmland efficiently in order to feed everyone, and one solution is to employ autonomous robots.

One of these robots is an "intelligent sharpshooter" that can distinguish crops from weeds — and then it shoots them with the appropriate treatment. Because of such high precision, the robot uses 95% less chemicals than traditional sprayers.

The robot also scans the entire farm and is able to geolocate each plant accurately within centimeters.

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Read more of our stories on the future of agriculture:
Farming robot kills 200,000 weeds per hour with lasers
Supermarket uses hydroponic farm to grow veggies onsite
The challenges of wireless farming technologies – like transmitting data through mud
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Watch our original series:

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About Freethink
No politics, no gossip, no cynics. At Freethink, we believe the daily news should inspire people to build a better world. While most media is fueled by toxic politics and negativity, we focus on solutions: the smartest people, the biggest ideas, and the most ground breaking technology shaping our future.
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[freethink]

Do you think we are in agriculture's fourth revolution?

[xMrJanuaryx]

I work in precision agg and it's an interesting industry. When I see something like this I get excited but (there's always a but) I think this tech has a LONG way to go. Most farmers don't have perfectly flat square plots of land. They don't have incredibly expensive high tech tractors. They certainly don't have money to spend on tech that may not produce positive results. I can't imagine how much a machine like the one we are seeing in this video would cost... 1, 2, 3 million? What if it breaks... you have to pay a specialist $300/hr to come fix it I imagine considering it would probobly take an engineer to do so.

[MilanVoslar]

The fact that it remembers around 4 million plants and created a digital copy of the whole field is absolutely mind blowing!!

[TimLongson]

A great step, BUT this technology should be pared with the also pioneering laser technology being used to precisely & accurately kill weeds, without the need for any herbicides. If the combined technology could be used to REMOVE herbicides, & reduce the amount of fertilizers needed by 95%, then it could appeal to even the organic foods market.

[Jay_hendy]

This is so so cool. These people are changing the world.

[christopherdawkins]

the idea that "superhuman farming" is simply "robotic farming" is bending my mind 🤯

[DoseofTruth]

This is beautiful. Engineering and design will save humanity. Nothing else will

[DriesDD]

Imagine, a few years down the line, applying these principles to maintaining an edible polyculture ecosystem-farm. Not necessarily a big machine going through a flat field, but small drones tending to trees, vines, herbs, plants, pollinators and water features all in the location that is best for them based on local features. It could micromanage weeding and harvesting, but also composting, planting, grafting and nurturing keystone species and rare species while avoiding pesticide, nitrogen imbalance and soil compaction. A productive farm could look like the garden of Eden.

[whitneymacdonald]

This is so great! Amidst all the bad news, it's great to see people working so hard for solutions. Power on!!

[asdfssdfghgdfy]

As someone getting into precision agriculture and agribusiness, I'm really looking forward to considering the possibilities for broad acre cereals and legumes etc. The prices of chemicals are going up so much (around here glyphosate prices have soared) which means farmers will actually be forced to consider new options.

[fritzeder]

There is a widespread misconceptionn about weed. As weed remains on the field it builds up humus. No precious fertlizer gets lost - vice versa is the case. The only thing someone needs to take care of is that weed does not overgrow and shadow csting on fuits and crops.
Killing weed in fact gives more room for specific pests of the crop, and is the reason for soil erosion.
On the long run therefore controlling the weed is much more beneficiary than its extintion.

[kiloton]

As a farmer and botanist I find this to be a total pipe dream and incredibly terrifying. This is because it does one thing, allow them to control agriculture even more than they already do.

[JustinSane]

If this works, the future looks alittle more brighter to me. And i hope all farmers will be able to use it. Great work! And thank you for doing something thats good for the planet

[pollutingpenguin]

This is going to change farming completely

[arianeparadis]

That's the kind of work I've always wanted to do...if I can master computer science one day

[itsmebougie]

Farmers want two things:

1) shiny new toys
2) the ability to fix their own stuff

Keep doing what you’re doing, keep right to repair in mind and you’ll do amazing things

[dreamerx]

its great to know that farmers are getting on board with new methods too!

[ak-ubym]

Coming from a family background in agriculture, weeds are actually allowed to grow & then used as manure in organic way of farming so it reduces the dependency on synthetic and artificial fertilizers.
Still this maybe useful in commerical farming rather than conventional farming.

[highlander]

Ants: "F*ck the Star Destroyer coming

[anonanon]

😫😫😫 Farmers are one of the backbones of America. Their mental and physical strength will not be able to be replaced if they go heavy on the autonomous stuff and then they all breakdown or culture randomly deems them to be unethical one day for whatever reason etc. If we remove the hard-working in the sun on your feet all day long traits, we won’t be able to replace them with these modern air conditioner guys. It’s absolutely amazing what the technology does but we are becoming way too dependent on it in every aspect in American life.