Weeds of the Peak District, you are safe no more – a robot farmer is on your tail.
A British company has launched trials of its new “agribot”, a fully autonomous machine capable of identifying and destroying weeds.
Using technology similar to self-driving cars, the Ibex robot can negotiate difficult terrain usually off limits to normal vehicles to wipe out pesky plants with a precise spray.
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A series of sensors and learning software act as the brain of the machine, leading it through the countryside unaccompanied.
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It is hoped the technology will slash costs and reduce the environmental damage caused by mass herbicide spraying.
Capable of ploughing through mud and vegetation, the futuristic farming tool can also conquer slopes up to 45 degrees, using tracks to reduce the damage it does to the earth.
Current methods of killing undesirable plants waste up to 40% of crops, according to Ibex’s developers, meaning the agribot can make patches of land fit for farming or grazing.
Ibex can now be spotted exterminating weeds on the Peak District, where trials have begun.
The technology is said to be affordable to farmers, meaning it might not be long until these robotic visions guard Britain’s fields from weeds.
Dr Charles Fox, project manager of IBEX at Hunshelf Hall Farm said: “Ibex is the first agricultural robot designed to tackle extreme agricultural environments such as the Yorkshire hill farms.”
“Taking the concept beyond university labs and overcoming extreme terrain mobility limitations, we designed and built IBEX to military standards, to go where other vehicles can’t operate and to tackle a real world problem affecting many farmers around the UK.
“We have a very interested and active user group of local farmers and we’re continually using their advice.”
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