For farmers, using Verdant Robotics’ Model 3 Smart Sprayer to tackle weeds is hardly a chore.
The AI-powered machine clips onto any tractor, says Verdant founder and CEO Gabe Sibley, noting that it comes in 20- and 40-foot versions to match the standard vehicle sizes in his company’s native California.
“It’s like the intelligent agronomist sharpshooter that rides along on the back.”
The aimable sprayer, which is equipped with a camera and combines crop application with data analytics, targets weeds 20 times more accurately than its nearest competitor. “It goes from something that could be a few inches down to a millimeter, in terms of precision and accuracy,” says Sibley, who launched Silicon Valley startup Verdant in 2018 after working on autonomous vehicles. “If you’ve got dense crops like garlic, carrots, onions, you can get in between and deliver organic herbicides without touching any of the crops.”