During a recent visit to Santa Maria, California, Future Farming had the opportunity to explore an innovative weeding tool designed to revolutionize precision agriculture. The WeedSpider, developed as a more accessible alternative to fully autonomous weeding robots, is a system that mounts on the rear of a tractor. This tool aims to offer precision weeding using lidar and AI-powered cameras, making it a game-changer in the agricultural industry.
The WeedSpider, introduced in 2023, boasts impressive specifications. With a productivity rate of around 3 acres per hour, it requires a tractor with at least 45 horsepower. It can cover 2–3 wide beds (80′) or 4–6 narrow beds (40′), and its versatility extends to weeding, thinning, and spot spraying. Weighing between 550 kg and 800 kg, depending on the configuration, the WeedSpider is priced at $620,000 for a 6-bed configuration and $450,000 for a 4-bed configuration. The first year of service and maintenance is included in the purchase price, with subsequent years costing $28,000.
One of the standout features of the WeedSpider is its simplicity and affordability. Unlike many high-end machines that rely on substantial investor backing, the WeedSpider has been developed with a focus on performance and cost-effectiveness. Its light configuration, particularly for 3-bed setups, and the requirement for only a 45 hp tractor make it a practical choice for many farmers. The machine operates at a speed of 1–1.5 miles per hour, ensuring effective weeding while remaining easy on crops and easy to adjust. However, its lighter weight means it cannot cultivate the inter-rows and furrows, so a cultivating pass must be added.
The versatility of the WeedSpider is a key factor driving its adoption. The machine’s ability to perform weeding, thinning, and spot spraying means it can be amortised across multiple acres and crop cycles. Farmers can optimise its use over several fields and operations, ensuring that the initial investment delivers long-term value. Additionally, the machine’s adaptability allows it to handle both narrow and wide bed configurations, making it suitable for diverse farming needs.
The true innovation of this weeder lies in its advanced 3D weeding control system, which uses a combination of lidar and AI-powered cameras to map the bed and detect crops. This capability ensures that even challenging conditions, such as uneven bed shapes or post-cultivation soil, do not compromise performance. To operate in a new crop, a quick initial AI calibration achieves about 80% of the desired results, with more time needed for further fine-tuning to ensure near-perfect weeding accuracy. Moreover, each machine’s improvements contribute to refining the global software, enhancing the overall performance of the system.
Blake Ferini from Rancho Laguna Farms, the first purchaser of a WeedSpider 2-bed system in Santa Maria Valley, shared his experience after several months of use. Having previously worked with SeedSpider, they found the new tool easy to use and adjust. Compared to other solutions like Garford, this machine stood out due to its precise 3D-weeding capabilities and the absence of complicated vision calibration that often requires an expert. The machine operator, with 15 years of experience, noted a learning curve but remained optimistic about its long-term potential. Despite some initial manufacturing issues with motor quality, the WeedSpider team addressed these problems free of charge, ensuring the tool’s reliability. They used this weeder primarily on organic celery (10 acres planted per week) and conventional head lettuce (30-60 acres/week).
The farmer primarily invested in WeedSpider to operate on their 200 acres of organic celery planted per year, where weeding costs amount to several thousand dollars per acre. Once the celery fields are covered, the machine will then be utilised on conventional head lettuce plantations, which can also require intensive weeding, up to several hundred dollars per acre. To maximise its cost efficiency, the farmer explored using WeedSpider for thinning operations, especially during periods when celery production was insufficient to keep the machine fully engaged. He confirmed that thinning with this machine could help him to save between $200-$300 per acre.
While the WeedSpider shows strong potential, it is important to note that it is still in its early stages of development. There is room for improvement, particularly in terms of component reliability and overall performance. The company is actively working on reinforcing the machine and optimising its software to address more crops. As these advancements are in place, the tool is expected to become even more competitive in the market.
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