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ROBOT DISTRIBUTION

Updated

USE CASE · AGRICULTURE AND VITICULTURE

Laser weeding: killing weeds without herbicide or soil disturbance

The laser weeder spots each weed by camera and kills it with a laser, with no chemical and no tillage. The grower chooses the fields, the passes and, depending on the crop, between laser and spot spraying.

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A Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 600 laser weeder pulled by a tractor crosses a field of row vegetables at sunrise.

IN BRIEF

Updated

  1. A laser weeding robot, pulled behind a tractor, detects weeds with cameras and artificial intelligence and kills them with lasers, without herbicide or soil disturbance, in vegetables and specialty crops.

  2. The Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 600 works a 6.1 m width, with two 240 W lasers and three cameras per module, by day and night, according to its manufacturer.

  3. Robot Distribution delivers it, commissions it on your fields, trains your drivers and maintains it, to buy, rent or as RaaS.

WHY

Laser weeding of vegetables and specialty crops

In carrots, onions, lettuce or field vegetables, in-row weeding is still often done by hand, and herbicide options are shrinking. Mechanical hoeing does not reach weeds close to the crop plant.

Two precision technologies meet this need: lasers, which kill the weed with no chemical at all, and spot spraying, which treats only the target plants. The choice depends on the crop, weed pressure, area and the farm's specifications.

HOW IT RUNS

How a laser weeding pass runs.

  1. Crop set-up

    At commissioning we set the crop, row spacing and growth stage. The AI model tells the crop plant from the weeds on the camera images.

  2. Tractor pass

    The tractor moves at a steady speed. Each LaserWeeder G2 module covers a 61 cm strip, according to its manufacturer; the G2 200 works 2 m, the G2 600 6.1 m.

  3. Laser shot or micro-spraying

    The laser kills the detected weed without touching the crop. In spot spraying, the Ecorobotix ARA 620 UHP treats only target plants, through 156 nozzles at 4 cm spacing, according to its manufacturer.

  4. Night work and monitoring

    With 20 LEDs per module, the LaserWeeder G2 also works at night, according to its manufacturer. The grower follows the treated areas and adjusts settings to the crop stage.

The modules of the Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 600 pass over young onion plants in a vegetable bed.
The cameras spot each weed between the crop plants.
The Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2 600 weeds a carrot field at night, lit by its LEDs.
Lit by its LEDs, the weeder carries on at night.

THE ROBOTS

Laser and precision weeders in our catalogue.

  • 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

  • Ecorobotix ARA 620 UHP

    Agricultural robots

    Working width
    6,200 mm
    Maximum speed
    7.2 km/h
    Key feature
    Up to 4 ha/h
    On order
    Price on request
The whole solution · Agriculture and viticulture

BEFORE INSTALLING

What the site survey checks before commissioning.

  1. Crops and working width

    Vegetable type, bed width and row spacing set the model: 2 m for the LaserWeeder G2 200, 6.1 m for the G2 600, up to 6.2 m for the ARA 620 UHP, according to their manufacturer.

  2. Tractor and hitch

    The LaserWeeder G2 600 weighs 3,266 kg and the G2 200 1,928 kg; the ARA 620 UHP needs over 90 hp and a category 2 three-point hitch, according to their manufacturer. Tractor power and lift are checked.

  3. Weed pressure

    The laser treats weeds one by one; spot spraying cuts inputs: the Kilter AX-1 reports an average 96.6% less herbicide at about 5% weed pressure, according to its manufacturer.

  4. Network and safety

    Network coverage is checked for remote monitoring. Safety rules around the working implement are set with the teams on commissioning day.

RULES AND STANDARDS

Laser safety and machinery rules for a laser weeder

A laser weeder combines high-power lasers with a tractor-drawn implement, so laser product rules, workplace optical radiation rules and agricultural machinery standards all apply.

  1. Laser product classification (IEC 60825-1)

    IEC 60825-1, Safety of laser products – Part 1: Equipment classification and requirements, classifies laser products by hazard and requires labels, warnings and protective features that limit unnecessary exposure. Ask the supplier for the laser class of the complete implement, the shielding around the firing zone, the interlocks that cut emission when a module is opened or lifted, and the matching labels.

  2. Workers and optical radiation (Code du travail, R. 4452-1 to R. 4452-31)

    These articles, which implement Directive 2006/25/EC, cover laser sources at work. The employer assesses exposure, first from manufacturer documentation, then by calculation or measurement if a risk cannot be ruled out. Zones above limit values are restricted and signposted, and staff are trained. Include drivers and anyone working near the implement in the farm's risk assessment.

  3. Trailed and mounted machine safety (ISO 4254-1)

    ISO 4254-1, Agricultural machinery – Safety – Part 1: General requirements, covers mounted, semi-mounted and trailed machines and the safety information the maker provides. Road safety is outside its scope. For a wide pulled implement, ask how it folds and is transported between fields, and check the hitch, lighting and access steps for cleaning and maintenance.

  4. Software and updates (Regulation (EU) 2023/1230)

    From 20 January 2027, the Machinery Regulation applies directly in France. Relevant software must be protected against accidental or intentional corruption, and connecting the machine to another device must not create a hazard. For a weeder whose detection models are updated remotely, ask how updates are secured and how instructions, now usually digital, stay available.

Official sources

  1. IEC 60825-1 Safety of laser products – Part 1: Equipment classification and requirements · IEC · accessed
  2. Rayonnements optiques – Réglementation · INRS · accessed
  3. ISO 4254-1:2013 Agricultural machinery – Safety – Part 1: General requirements · Estonian Centre for Standardisation and Accreditation (EVS) · accessed
  4. Nouveau règlement machines : quelles évolutions ? · INRS · accessed

General information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Vegetable growers' questions about laser weeding.

Does laser weeding use any chemical?

No. The Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder kills weeds with lasers, without herbicide or soil disturbance, according to its manufacturer. Spot spraying does use a product, but only on the target plants.

Laser or spot spraying: which to choose?

The laser uses no product and is aimed at vegetables and specialty crops. Plant-by-plant spraying covers large areas quickly: the Ecorobotix ARA 620 UHP treats up to 4 ha/h at 7.2 km/h and quotes up to 95% less chemical, according to its manufacturer. The site survey compares both on your fields.

Can we weed at night?

Yes: each LaserWeeder G2 module carries 20 LEDs for day and night work, and the ARA 620 UHP also works at night, according to their manufacturer.

How precise is the treatment?

According to the manufacturer: a 6 × 6 mm resolution for the Kilter AX-1's micro-droplets and a 6 × 6 cm spot precision for the ARA 620 UHP. The LaserWeeder G2 spots each weed with three high-resolution cameras per module.

Do we need a tractor?

For the LaserWeeder G2 and the ARA 620 UHP, yes: they are pulled or mounted implements. The Kilter AX-1 is a modular autonomous robot with a 300 kg dry weight, according to its manufacturer.

USE CASES

Send us your crops, areas and row spacings. We compare laser and spot spraying on your fields.

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

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