In the proposed collaborative project, with the goal of surpassing the current state of the art, an autonomously operating system will be developed that effectively removes cotyledon stage weed plants from a pharmaceutical monoculture. One focus of development is detection software based on learned AI and laser-induced fluorescence distribution of chlorophyll. Further, a development focus is the method of permanent removal of the weed based on highly specific laser destruction of the meristem (growth node). This will provide the agricultural sector with a tool that not only reduces the manual effort in organic farming to a minimum, but also offers an alternative to the forthcoming ban on glyphosate-containing herbicides in conventional agriculture.

The project is funded by VDIB-ZIM-NKF under the number 16KN088434.