shaping agriculture
Rowesys
AN ETH FOCUSPROJECT
Crop protection
While weeds are being destroyed with herbicides we offer an alternative that does not require any use of chemicals. The robot removes the weed mechanically.
visual recognition
Multiple cameras and sensors allow the robot to recognize crops and target the weeds.
easy to use
Once on the field the robot plows through the fields autonomously avoiding crops and destroying weeds. The system is very easy and intuitive to use and can be operated using a gamepad.
Effective weed reduction
Thanks to the passive tool in the back the robot destroys all the weeds between the rows. An active tool underneath the robot takes care directly around the crops.
autonomous mode
As soon the robot is set on the field it follows the sugar beet rows autonomously, detects the end of the row and can navigate into the next row – all by itself.
Thanks to our four steering motors each wheel can turn independently allowing the robot to make a full turn on the spot.
The Project
About Us
We are a student project trying to reduce the overuse of herbicides.
Farmers rely on the use of herbicide as it is a time-efficient and economic solution to fight weeds. However, herbicide usage has emerged to become an environmental problem worldwide. In Switzerland, measurements have shown contaminated ground water in almost all regions with agriculture.
We are driven to find a sustainable solution to this problem and organic farming is the way to go. Presently, this approach requires a large amount of work which results in high consumer prices leading to less demand for organic products. Our vision is to promote organic farming by creating a herbicide-free and economic solution. Hence, making farming more sustainable.
To reach this goal, we are developing an autonomous weeding robot which uses visual sensors to identify and destroy weeds. The result? A user friendly and time-efficient weeding system that enables farmers to counter herbicide overuse.
In order to turn this vision into a reality, we have put together a team of ten highly motivated students, eight expert coaches and supportive sponsors at ETH Zurich. Together, we have created Rowesys – Robotic Weeding System
