Product: Robot: Assistant
Kill weeds with lasers   (+1, -2)  [vote for, against]
farming without herbicide.

Lasers have been used in the agricultural industry but only for positioning of crops and such, but there's a larger posibility here for higher powered lasers in the fields! Imagine a small robot (like a pakbot or something) that goes around each row, stopping every few feet and analyzing its surroundings. Once software determines which plants are crops and which are weeds, it aims its laser at the stalks of the weeds, killing them before they even have a chance. Not a lot of power is needed to kill the weeds, only enough to disrupt the cell structure along the stem. In an upgraded version, imaging would allow the recognition of certain bugs such as beetles and slugs. They would be lasered too, hopefully bring this organic method full circle.
-- twitch, Sep 20 2010

Laser_20Lawnmower [hippo, Sep 21 2010]

Instant_20Laser_20Mower [hippo, Sep 21 2010]

Laser_20Cutter [hippo, Sep 21 2010]

I need a handheld version for gardening. However, not sure I'd trust the machine to handle the pest control.
-- dentworth, Sep 21 2010


// pest control. //

<snigger >
-- 8th of 7, Sep 21 2010


Damn! From the title I thought that this was going to be a less energetic alternative to kicking sand in their faces.
-- DrBob, Sep 21 2010


Don't let them have lasers in the first place. It would be easier that way.
-- infidel, Sep 21 2010



random, halfbakery