Technology Trials

• AI vision identifies weeds and distinguishes them from crop plants in real time 

• A laser pulse kills each weed at cell level with no herbicide and no soil disturbance 

• Operates day and night across varying weather conditions 

• RTK GPS tractors guide the machine and log field coverage and weed density data, along with providing heat maps

• Data from each pass is recorded automatically for performance monitoring. This information can be pulled from Carbon Ops Center which is the platform used to track data from the field with the LaserWeeder.

• Short-cycle crops including but not limited to babyleaf, spinach, rocket and lettuce - the LaserWeeder™ has weeded around 40-crops across ANZ and around 130-crops globally

• Organic and low-chemical production systems 

• Farms looking to significantly reduce or replace hand weeding crews and reduce herbicide use

• Farms facing reduced herbicide effectiveness and increasing resistance

• Operations with defined bed layouts – Carbon Robotics offers form factors from 2m to 6m, with wheel spacing from 1.5m to 3m, to suit different farm sizes, bed/irrigation configurations and budgets

At Tripod Farming Group's Victorian sites, the machine is being evaluated across babyleaf spinach, rocket and head lettuce crops. Common weeds at the Victorian sites include grass weeds, nettles, and a range of broadleaf annual weeds typical of intensive leafy crop production.

At FarmTech Australia's Kalbar site in Queensland, trials are underway targeting melon paddy, pig weed, nut grass, and stramonium, with specific trials being done on nutgrass

The LaserWeeder™ is the most data-rich technology in the project to date.  Early findings in Victoria have been positive. 

• Approximately half a million weeds are killed per 8-hour shift on average 

• Hand weeding labour has been reduced by 75% 

• Pre-emergent herbicide use has been reduced by 25% 

• Post-emergent herbicides have been discontinued at the trial site entirely 

• Metham Sodium (a soil fumigant) has been discontinued at the trial site entirely 

Soil nutrient availability is improving as weed competition reduces. Crop quality impacts are being monitored and will be quantified as data accumulates.   

Early findings from trial data at Kalbar, SE Queensland demonstrates variations:

• Average coverage rate of 0.17Ha/HR

• Approximately quarter of a million weeds are killed per 8-hour shift (avg weed radius of 23.2mm, weed density of 16.2/m2

General findings so far:

• Equipment speed can be relative to weed density and radius.

• Growers using the LaserWeeder find the algorithm to be powerful and highly responsive. Any missed weeds can be added to the image database quickly and easily.

• The Carbon Robotics team have offered provided high levels of service with 24/7 remote support and region-based technicians across Australia.

Based on our experience so far, these are the questions we would encourage any grower to raise with manufacturers or advisers before committing. 

• How does the machine perform on the specific weed species present on your farm, particularly grass weeds and tougher broadleaf species

• How does ongoing service affect your ROI calculations

• How might this equipment interact with irrigation and headland infrastructure?

• What are the transport requirements between paddocks or blocks, and are road permits or pilot vehicles required in your region?

• How does machine weight affect performance during wet weather or on heavier soil types?

• What does the software subscription cover, how often are algorithm updates delivered, and how are local weed species incorporated into training data?

• What local service and technical support is available in your region, and what is the expected response time for issues?

• What GPS and RTK infrastructure needs to be in place before the machine will operate effectively?