A Chinese firm has launched what it claims is the country’s first 24/7 intelligent laser weeding robot, aiming to phase out chemical herbicides and cut agricultural pollution at its source.
Huagong Technology Industry Co., Ltd., based in Wuhan, unveiled its Hg LaserWeeder at a recent event in Hubei Province. The company describes the robot as a breakthrough in sustainable agriculture, powered by advanced data models and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) vision system that recognises and eliminates weeds while leaving crops unharmed.
Xiong Bian, lead AI algorithm engineer at the company’s research institute, said the robot uses a database covering thousands of crop and weed species. Its AI-powered vision system dynamically adjusts the intensity of its laser, selectively targeting unwanted plants.
“This robot is expected to replace chemical herbicides, known as the ‘number one soil killer,’” Xiong said.
Chemical herbicides have been widely used in agriculture for decades to control weed growth and boost crop yields. However, these substances often leave residues in the soil and water, contributing to environmental pollution and harming biodiversity.
Over time, repeated herbicide use can degrade soil quality, contaminate waterways, and pose risks to human health. Increasing concerns about these effects have driven demand for alternative weed management solutions that are less harmful to the environment.
The technology achieves a weed removal rate of more than 95%, with the company highlighting its potential to prevent chemical herbicide residues from polluting soil and water sources. The most advanced version of the robot features up to 32 laser heads, reportedly capable of destroying as many as 320,000 weeds per hour. This makes it four to eight times more efficient than traditional methods involving both manual labour and chemicals.
The robot’s recognition and targeting process is also notably fast, taking less than five milliseconds from capturing an image to eliminating a weed.
Ma Xinqiang, chairman of Huagong Technology, stressed the importance of innovation for high-quality growth in China’s agricultural sector.
“Building a new development paradigm requires strengthening innovation more than ever before,” he said, adding that the company will continue to increase investment in research, talent, and partnerships.
Algorithm validation trials have been completed in test fields across Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces. With global pre-orders now open, Huagong Technology plans to begin mass production of the Hg LaserWeeder in 2026.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile ...
In a dramatic shake-up at the top of the U.S. Justice Department, President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a Wh...
Britain said on Thursday that around 40 countries are exploring ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route effectively blocked...
American President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to pull the United States out of NATO after European nations refused to join a U.S.-led nav...
Former Kyrgyz MP Shairbek Tashiev has been detained in a corruption investigation linked to state oil firm Kyrgyzneftegaz, as the case expands to i...
China is emerging as one of the more stable economies amid the latest global oil shock, thanks to years of planning, diversified energy sources and a steady shift towards renewable power.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
Kazakhstan remains among the least dependent countries in Central Asia on Chinese capital, maintaining a diversified external debt structure and greater financial flexibility than its regional peers.
China's three largest state-owned airlines have issued warnings regarding their financial outlook for the current year, acknowledging that the eruption of war involving Iran has driven jet fuel prices to unsustainable highs.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Russian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil docked at Cuba's Matanzas oil terminal on Tuesday, shipping data confirmed, marking a vital and controversial delivery to an island paralysed by severe energy shortages and a suffocating U.S. blockade.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital Damascus as Israeli air defences intercepted Iranian missiles, Syrian state television reported on Tuesday.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
NASA is preparing to launch Artemis II with four astronauts on a roughly 10-day mission around the Moon, marking its most ambitious human spaceflight in decades and a key step towards returning astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of China.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission have arrived in Florida, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey towards the Moon in more than five decades
NASA announced on Tuesday it has cancelled plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use components from the project to build a $20 billion base on the moon's surface, while also planning to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment