Odd.Bot’s Maverick: Being picky in the Field
About the working principle
The Odd.Bot Maverick is an autonomous field robot developed for mechanical weed control in vegetable crops. Using AI-based crop recognition and robotic grippers, the robot identifies and removes individual weeds without the use of herbicides.
The robot is operates autonomously in the field and uses a battery-electric drivetrain. An adjustable track width enables operation on different bed and row configurations. The batteries are swapable, allowing continues operation.
Navigation is based on cameras, 3D vision and visual odometry. Individual crops are recognised using machine vision, after which robotic grippers remove weeds close to the crop.
According to the manufacturer, the system is capable of removing more than 500,000 weeds per per day with an accuracy of approximately 2 mm.
The Maverick is currently available for several vegetable crops, including carrots (see photos and videos), onions, parsnips, red beet and chicory. Additional crop support is under development. The company’s weeding technology is also available as a modular Weader Module, which can be integrated into other agricultural machines.
Field conditions, weed pressure and expected results
The video above shows the Odd.Bot Maverick working in the field in Lelystad (The Netherlands) and provides a good impression of its operation and working principle. The robot adjusts its driving speed to the field conditions and can operate more slowly when weed pressure is higher, allowing it to remove more weeds.
With a weight of approximately 500 kg, the robot exerts relatively low ground pressure.
The field shown in the video has a relatively low weed pressure. This is a well-maintained organic field, also thanks to previous action by the Maverick.
Depending on weed pressure and field conditions, the Maverick is capable of treating up to 2 hectares per day.
Growers seem to have realistic expectations: The Maverick will not eliminate all labour, but it can significantly reduce the amount of manual weeding required. Every weed removed by the robot is one less weed to remove by hand — and over the course of a season, that can add up to millions of weeds.
