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ROBOT DISTRIBUTION

Updated

USE CASE · AGRICULTURE AND VITICULTURE

Autonomous weeding robot: weeds removed in the row and between rows

The robot tells crop from weeds, then weeds mechanically, by laser or with micro-droplets, with no hand weeding. The grower keeps the choice of fields, settings and when to act.

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A solar-powered FarmDroid FD20 robot weeds rows of sugar beet at sunrise on open farmland.

IN BRIEF

Updated

  1. An autonomous weeding robot destroys weeds in the row and between rows, guided by RTK satellite positioning and cameras, replacing hand hoeing or part of the herbicide passes.

  2. The solar-powered FarmDroid FD20 sows and then weeds, recording each seed position to within 8 mm, and covers about 6 ha per day, according to its manufacturer.

  3. Robot Distribution delivers it, sets it up on your fields, trains your teams and maintains it, to buy, rent or as RaaS.

WHY

Autonomous crop weeding

In vegetable growing, sugar beet or organic farming, in-row weeding is one of the heaviest jobs of the season. It is often done by hand, in a short window, with labour that is hard to find.

The robot passes regularly, day and night depending on the model, and reduces or replaces herbicides. The grower stays in charge: which fields, which tool settings and when to intervene.

HOW IT RUNS

How weeding runs with the robot.

  1. Mapping the fields

    At commissioning we record field boundaries, rows and headlands. The FarmDroid FD20 works 2 to 12 rows at 22.5 to 90 cm spacing over a 3.5 m width, according to its manufacturer.

  2. Sowing or crop detection

    The FD20 sows and stores the GPS position of each seed so it can weed around it later. Camera-based weeders tell crop from weeds in real time.

  3. Autonomous weeding

    Depending on the model, the robot hoes, fires a laser or places a micro-droplet. Each Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 module carries two 240 W lasers and three cameras, according to its manufacturer.

  4. Monitoring and care

    The grower follows the runs, adjusts settings to the crop stage and checks the tools. Robot Distribution handles maintenance and wear parts.

A grower checks the row map on a tablet next to the FarmDroid FD20 robot at the end of a field.
At commissioning, the grower checks the row map.
A tractor-pulled Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 200 laser-weeds a vegetable field at night.
The laser weeder targets each weed, day and night.

THE ROBOTS

Weeding robots in our catalogue.

  • FarmDroid FD20

    FarmDroid

    FarmDroid FD20

    Agricultural robots

    Weight
    1,250 kg
    Runtime
    18–24 h
    Key feature
    6 ha per day
    On order
    From €94,990 ex VATor €3,229/month in RaaS
  • Kilter AX-1

    Kilter AX-1

    Agricultural robots

    Weight
    300 kg
    Key feature
    6 × 6 mm spot resolution
    Key feature
    96.6% less herbicide
    On order
    Price on request

  • Naïo Oz

    Agricultural robots

    Weight
    150 kg
    Runtime
    8 h
    Cleaning efficiency
    1,000 sqm/h
    On order
    Price on request
The whole solution · Agriculture and viticulture

BEFORE INSTALLING

What the site survey checks before commissioning.

  1. Crops and row spacing

    Crop type, number of rows and spacing set the model: the Naïo Oz works up to 100 cm wide, the LaserWeeder G2 600 over 6.1 m, according to their manufacturers.

  2. RTK signal and network

    Satellite reception and RTK correction are checked field by field, along with network coverage for remote monitoring.

  3. Soil and terrain

    Slopes, side slopes, sticky or stony soils and headland condition are noted. The FarmDroid FD20 weighs 1,250 kg, according to its manufacturer, so soil bearing matters.

  4. Traction and logistics

    The LaserWeeders are tractor-pulled: we check the available tractor and field access. For autonomous robots, charging and storage are planned.

RULES AND STANDARDS

Safety standards and product rules for autonomous weeding in the field

An autonomous weeder moves without a driver on board, so standards for autonomous farm machinery apply, plus plant protection rules when the robot sprays.

  1. Autonomous farm machinery design (ISO 18497-1:2024)

    ISO 18497-1:2024, Agricultural machinery and tractors – Safety of partially automated, semi-autonomous and autonomous machinery – Part 1: Machine design principles and vocabulary, sets design principles and the safety information users receive, including residual risks. It excludes public-road operation. Ask the supplier which parts of the standard the robot follows and how it should be moved between fields.

  2. Autonomous mobile machinery (Regulation (EU) 2023/1230)

    The Machinery Regulation, applicable from 20 January 2027 without transposition, clarifies the definition of autonomous mobile machinery and adds requirements for machines with self-evolving logic and for software protection against corruption. Until then, Directive 2006/42/EC applies. Check the date the robot is placed on the market, which text its declaration of conformity cites, and how remote supervision is set up.

  3. Micro-spraying robots: Certiphyto

    A robot that places droplets of a herbicide, even a biocontrol one such as pelargonic acid, applies a plant protection product. Anyone using these products professionally needs the relevant Certiphyto certificate, valid five years, under the Code rural (art. L. 254-1 and following). Mechanical and laser weeding fall outside this rule. Check certificates for each person supervising the robot.

  4. Treatment records (Regulation (EU) 2023/564)

    Since 1 January 2026, professional users record each application electronically in a machine-readable format: product and authorisation number, date, dose, treated area and its location, crop and growth stage. Paper records must be transferred within 30 days. Ask whether the robot's logs export these fields to your farm management software.

Official sources

  1. ISO 18497-1:2024 Agricultural machinery and tractors – Safety of partially automated, semi-autonomous and autonomous machinery – Part 1: Machine design principles and vocabulary · Estonian Centre for Standardisation and Accreditation (EVS) · accessed
  2. Nouveau règlement machines : quelles évolutions ? · INRS · accessed
  3. Certificat individuel pour les produits phytopharmaceutiques (Certiphyto) · Service Public Entreprendre (République française) · accessed
  4. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/564 on the content and format of records of plant protection products kept by professional users · EUR-Lex · accessed

General information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Growers' questions about robotic weeding.

Does the robot weed within the row too?

Yes. The FarmDroid FD20 weeds between and within rows using the recorded position of each seed, according to its manufacturer. The LaserWeeders and the Kilter AX-1 target weeds one by one with cameras.

Can we weed without herbicide?

Yes, with mechanical hoeing (FarmDroid FD20, Naïo Oz) or lasers (Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2). The Kilter AX-1 uses micro-droplets of pelargonic acid and reports an average 96.6% less herbicide at about 5% weed pressure, according to its manufacturer.

How much ground does a weeding robot cover?

According to the manufacturer, the FarmDroid FD20 covers about 6 ha per day working 18 to 24 h. Actual output depends on crop, spacing and weed pressure: the survey works it out.

Does the robot work at night?

Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 modules carry 20 LEDs for day and night work, according to its manufacturer. The solar-powered FarmDroid FD20 runs 18 to 24 h a day.

Which robot suits a small market garden?

The electric Naïo Oz weighs 150 kg, works up to 8 h per charge and takes more than 35 tools, according to its manufacturer. The 2.0 m wide LaserWeeder G2 200 is aimed at the smallest farms in the Carbon Robotics range.

USE CASES

Tell us about your crops and fields. We choose the robot and the settings.

Robots, acquisition mode and delivery terms, in one written proposal.

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