Weed-Pulling Robot is Like a Roomba for Your Yard

Weed-Pulling Robot is Like a Roomba for Your Yard

nellie

Amaranthus palmeri, commonly known as pigweed, has long threatened cotton and soybean crops in the southern United States. More recently, it’s begun to develop a resistance to glyphosate, a common agricultural herbicide—posing a problem so grave that farmers in Texas lobbied the EPA last year to let them deploy the severe chemical propazine to fight the weed.

PitchYourPrototype_125x125_v1It was with that situation in mind that Maker Mike Rigsby developed Nellie, a prototype robot that seeks out weeds—proxied in Rigsby’s tests by a printout of his own head, growing on a spindly stalk—and pulls them out of the ground.

“This is a serious attempt to address an agricultural problem,” Rigsby said. “I suspected that robots could handle the weeds and that the time to start working on such a solution is now, before the weeds develop further resistance to chemicals.”

Of course, Rigsby’s tests have taken place on a carpet, not a rugged agricultural field where Nellie would need to deal with grit, inclement weather and gnarly root systems. If he wins, Rigsby says he’ll use his $5,000 in Pitch Your Prototype funds to build a more rugged version of the robot.

The Pitch Your Prototype challenge is a collaboration between Make: and Cornell University with the goal of digging up promising ideas from the Maker community. Visit this page to read the full rules, cast your vote or enter your own project.

“Nellie’s daughters and sons will need a heavy duty chassis that will run between rows of plants, reaching to the side to eliminate offensive weeds,” wrote Rigsby, who has written a number of books on DIY projects, in his entry materials. “They need multiple cameras and better vision to pinpoint the target. Weeds will be eliminated by pulling, burning, cutting, digging, electrocuting or some combination of methods.”

The prototype Nellie is made from three Arduino Unos, two Arduino motor sheilds, a Pixy camera and a Ping ultrasonic sensor, 11 AA NiMh batteries, a Canakit four wheel drive base and a pincer assembly that Rigsby 3D printed.

If future versions show promise, Rigsby says he would build and sell a handful of units to organic farmers before courting more buyers.

“I am also aware of the frustration of farmers regarding high tech, proprietary, expensive, non user repairable equipment,” said Rigsby, who built an electric car while he studied at Vanderbilt University in the 1970s. “I think open source robots would be welcome while closed source devices would have a more difficult time finding acceptance.”

5 thoughts on “Weed-Pulling Robot is Like a Roomba for Your Yard

  1. Arjan de Jong says:

    Take a look at http://www.fieldrobot.nl/

  2. Guest says:

    ;;;;;; . if you, thought Billy `s remark is good… last friday I got a great new Honda NSX after I been earnin $9212 this past 4 weeks and even more than 10-k last month . it’s definitly the most financialy rewarding I’ve ever had . I actually started 9-months ago and pretty much straight away started to make more than $79.. per hour .

    why not find out more MORE DETAIL HERE

  3. Guest says:

    ,,,,,,, . true that Russell `s c0mment is nice… on saturday I bought audi since I been making $5181 this-last/five weeks and in excess of ten-k last month . without a doubt it is the nicest job I’ve had . I began this 5 months ago and pretty much immediately was bringin home minimum $74 per hour . go to this site MORE DETAIL HERE

  4. Guest says:

    lfhfof I saw the draft 4 $8347 , I didn’t believe that…my… neighbour could really bringing home money part-time on their apple laptop. . there sisters neighbour has been doing this for less than 18 months and recently cleard the dept on there appartment and bought a brand new Jaguar XJ . blog here MORE DETAIL HERE

  5. Guest says:

    bmxb-worker’s mom makes $82 an hour on the computer . She has been fired from work for 7 months but last month her income was $19703 just working on the computer for a few hours. check out the post right here MORE DETAIL HERE

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

Jon Christian is the co-editor of the Maker Pro Newsletter, which covers the intersection between makers and business. He's also written for the Boston Globe, WIRED and The Atlantic.

View more articles by Jon Christian

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK