Image credit: Carbon Robotics
On April 13, our client Carbon Robotics, introduced its Autonomous Weeder, a 10,000-pound autonomous robot that leverages computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI), and laser technology to safely and effectively drive through crop fields to identify, target and eliminate weeds.
Carbon Robotics’ groundbreaking application of this technology is revolutionizing agriculture. The company’s robots are designed to self-drive up and down furrows on specialty crop farms (farms that grow vegetables we eat, including broccoli, onions, peppers, asparagus, etc.), eliminating weeds as they go. Utilizing the thermal power of the robot’s eight lasers, the machine can eliminate 100,000 weeds per hour without herbicides, tilling or manual labor, reducing costs, enabling consistency and predictability, and creating an economical path to organic and regenerative farming.
This news was incredibly unique in that its technological innovations and agricultural application make it relevant to a broad range of audiences. Additionally, because it is designed for farms that grow the vegetables consumers eat and it presents a number of environmental benefits, it’s also appealing to national publications.
To effectively announce this amazing innovation, we offered the news to select technology, agriculture, local and national reporters under embargo. We hosted several interviews with reporters both before and after the announcement published so they could speak to Paul Mikesell, the CEO and founder, about how the company started, what the farmers are saying about the technology, and how the Autonomous Weeder is poised to impact the industry.
The announcement led to coverage from a range of outlets that reach farmers, consumers and technology enthusiasts. Below is a list of the coverage that has published so far, with more to come in the next few weeks.
Congratulations to the Carbon Robotics team!
Carbon Robotics Coverage
- Ken Goldberg on robotic grasping; Carbon Robotics’ new weeding robot—The Robot Report, 4/16/21
- Pizza, picking and swimming snakes—TechCrunch, 4/15/2021
- “Like science fiction,” Seattle startup sends laser-equipped robots to zap weeds on farmland—The Seattle Times, 4/16/2021
- Autonomous Weeding Tech Picking Up Steam—Precision Farming Dealer, 4/16/21
- Farming Startup Unveils Self-Driving Robot That Uses AI To Zap Weeds—Slashdot, 4/14/2021
- Isilon founder lifts the hood on farming startup Carbon Robotics and its weed zapping machine—GeekWire, 4/13/2021
- Video: Autonomous weeding robot improves crop yield, costs—Engineering360, 4/14/2021
- Laser-armed robotic weeder hits the market—The Irish Farmers Journal, 4/15/2021
- This startup says its new laser-powered weeding robot is already sold out for 2021—AgFunder News, 4/13/2021
- Carbon Robotics releases new autonomous weeding robot into farming industry—Robotics & Automation News 4/13/2021
- Carbon Robotics Autonomous Weeding Robot—Robotic Gizmos, 4/14/2021
- New weed-zapping robot unveiled by US firm—Industrial Vehicle Technology International, 4/14/2021
- Carbon Robotics unveils a new generation of weed killing robots—Mobile Robot Guide, 4/13/2021
- Seattle company launches third generation laser zapping weed robots—Food and Farming Technology, 4/14/2021
- Agricultural start-up unveils autonomous robot that uses AI to eliminate weeds—Eminetra 4/14/2021