AI-Based Solar-Powered Wheeled Robot Saves Farmers in US From Physical Cumbersome Weeding

SEATTLE, July 28, 2025 — A robotic device that does weeding is being touted as a novel innovation to tackle the problem of weeds growing uncontrollably.

Built by startup Aigen, the robotic solution named Element is proving to be a huge benefit for farmers.

Besides the convenience that it offers to farmers, the robotic farm equipment is a scientific replacement for chemical exposures to food, especially when weeds grow resistant to herbicides.

Aigen’s wheeled robot is a solar-based device and comes along with Artificial Intelligence that diligently combs fields, plucking out weeds.

The multiple benefits of this innovation include its cost-effectiveness and being eco-friendly.

“I really believe this is the biggest thing we can do to improve human health,” Richard Wurden, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Aigen, told AFP.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, Wurden worked at Tesla for five years and started conceptualizing the robot after relatives who farm in Minnesota told him weeding was a costly affair.

In the absence of sufficient labor workforce, the use of chemicals is usually the only viable option as weeds are becoming immune to herbicides, says Wurden.

Robot’s Functionality

In terms of design, the robot Element resembles a large table on wheels, with solar panels on top. Metal arms equipped with small blades reach down to hoe between crop plants. “After the sunset, it just powers down and goes to sleep. Next morning it comes back up and starts going again,” Aigen Co-founder and Chief Executive Kenny Lee told AFP.

Cameras fitted in the robot help the AI system capture data, which facilitates it to become a guiding path toward rows of crops and subsequently helps to identify weeds.

“To even think that this is a job that we want humans doing is a mistake. Spending a few hours in the field weeding makes one realize how cumbersome it is,” Wurden said.

Aigen is designed keeping in mind the workers who braved the hot weather conditions while weeding. One more objective of the innovation is to enhance the skills of the workers to monitor and troubleshoot robots.

Besides the on-board AI, robots maintain wireless communication with small control centers, notifying handlers of mishaps.

As crop diversification is becoming popular in the US, Aigen’s robots are operating in tomato, cotton, and sugar beet fields and are projecting the technology’s ability to weed without damaging the crops.

It takes about five robots to weed 160 acres (65 hectares) of farm, informed Lee.

Gaining Popularity Globally

The robotic device has caused curiosity among farmers globally, who also face the issue of weeds, and in many cases, the field owners in some countries resort to burning crop stubble, which causes massive air pollution.

Aigen was selected for Amazon Web Services’ ‘Compute for Climate’ fellowship program that provides AI tools, data center power, and technical help for startups tackling environmental woes.

The robot is conceptualized and designed by the startup, which has an employee strength of 25 persons and is based in the city of Redmond, outside Seattle. The device is reportedly priced at $50,000.

As per experts, a challenging task for Aigen is to remain focused on winning over politically conservative farmers with a climate-friendly option that operates on solar power instead of costly diesel fuel.

“The term Climate has become politicized but when you get really down to the core of the issue, farmers care about their land,” Lee told AFP.

The farmer-friendly technology has amazed senior techies at Amazon Web Services (AWS), the e-commerce giant's cloud computing unit.

“Aigen is going to be one of the industry game changers in the future,” AWS Head of Climate Tech Startups Business Development, Lisbeth Kaufman, told AFP.

According to the market research report, “Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture Market by Technology,” published by MarketsandMarkets, the Artificial Intelligence in agriculture market is estimated to reach $4.0 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 25.5 percent between 2020 and 2026.

The market growth is fueled by data generation through sensors and aerial imagery used to observe crops that are being widely embraced. This increases crop productivity through deep-learning technology and enhances government support for the adoption of modern agricultural techniques.

Agricultural-dependent nations in Asia Pacific are expected to witness the highest growth of AI in the farm sector. The wide-scale adoption of AI technologies in agriculture fields is the key factor supporting the growth of the market in this region.

AI is increasingly being applied in the agriculture sector in developing countries such as India and China. The increasing adoption of deep learning and computer vision algorithms for agriculture applications is also expected to fuel the growth of AI in the agriculture market in the Asia Pacific region.

Solar-powered AI robots are redefining how farms manage weeds, reducing chemical dependence while cutting costs and protecting crops.

Inputs from Saqib Malik

Editing by David Ryder