Future farming: Controlling weeds with lasers and artificial intelligence

Map & Zap uses AI software to detect unwanted weed species from pasture.

By Gianina Schwanecke of RNZ

New technology using lasers and artificial intelligence software is helping growers get on top of their weeding, without the need for environmentally harmful agrichemicals.

Weed control is a significant challenge for many in agriculture, Map & Zap founder Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar says.

It’s what prompted him to first look at the issue in 2016.

“Map & Zap is basically pioneering, innovative technology for weed ID and control, using lasers,” Ghamkar explained.

“Its goal is to offer farmers a precise, efficient and environmentally friendly solution to weed management and enhancing crop yields and reducing their reliance on chemical herbicides.”

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The AI software allows it to be “very targeted”, he said.

“How it works is that it uses AI, artificial intelligence, to detect weeds at species level.

“It even identifies weeds that you want to kill from weeds you don’t want to kill and then that AI guides the laser to the exact position of the weed and that laser just kills the weed.”

Using lasers meant it left no chemical residue in the soil and did not disturb the soil which can lead to carbon being released, Ghamkhar said.

It’s also more efficient and less costly than labour-intensive alternatives like manual weeding, and minimised crop damage compared to mechanical weeding methods.

The technology can be mounted to any vehicle including robots or drones, which also helps reduce the cost for growers, he said.

The system has been trialled on vineyards in the South Island but has also been developed for use in pasture settings where some weeds were actually crops.

Map & Zap uses artificial intelligence to detect weeds and then point a laser to kill the unwanted species.

“We started this on pasture which is the most complex situation.

“Ryegrass and clover are crops in pastures whereas rye grass and clovers are both weeds in vineyards.”

Ghamkhar said they had now proven it worked and were looking for further investment to “move this forward in the future”.

- RNZ