China has developed what is being touted as the ‘world’s first’ laser-based cotton topping machine...
China has developed what is being touted as the ‘world’s first’ laser-based cotton topping machine. With cotton picking being a manually laborious task, the new machine—which is an autonomous robot—is seen as a critical step toward making cotton farming fully mechanized.
Jointly developed by Xinjiang University and EAVision Robotic Technologies (EAVision), the system utilizes lasers, lidar, and AI to accomplish its task more efficiently and accurately than human labor or traditional machines. EAVision is a Chinese company that exports its agricultural drone products to various countries, including Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand.
According to the team behind the robot, cotton topping was the last significant step in the farming cycle that couldn’t be fully automated. The machine is currently undergoing field testing in Changji, Xinjiang, China’s largest cotton-producing region.
Cotton topping now mechanized
Cotton topping is the process of removing the top bud from the plant. This helps redirect nutrients to the plant’s side branches, rather than allowing it to grow taller. Doing this in frequent intervals helps the plant produce more cotton buds and boosts yield. Not only is this labor-intensive, but humans pickers tend to miss buds or even damage the plant.
The process can also only really be performed during the day when visibility is best. To help overcome some of these issues, this new robot uses a high-powered blue laser to vaporize the top bud without physical contact.
This is a more precise and effective method that helps reduce plant stress and damage. The robot also uses lidar (like in self-driving cars) and machine vision, which help improve its terminal bud ‘detection’ by 98.9%.
Incredibly, the machine can also operate even when plants are swaying in the wind. During testing, the device was able to top plants successfully over 82% of the time.
Being autonomous, the robot can process between 0.4 and 0.53 hectares per hour, which is roughly 10 times faster than manual labor. The robot does not use any chemicals (such as herbicides) and can continue working day or night, regardless of the weather.
Could herald smart farming innovations
The development of the robot took three years of research, during which the team integrated sensor technology, machine vision, and laser control to tailor the device to Xinjiang’s dense farming pattern, ensuring stability in dynamic environments, the article stated.
“Compared to mechanical or chemical topping, lasers minimise plant stress, eliminate herbicide use, and allow round-the-clock operation,” said Zhou Jianping from Xinjiang University who lead the scientific team.
The machine contains the potential to transform cotton farming not just in China, but worldwide. To this end, it could also serve as a blueprint for similar smart farming innovations in crops such as rice and soy.
“The successful development and application of this laser-topping robot signifies that China’s cotton production is about to achieve true full mechanisation,” explained Pei Xinmin from Xinjiang Agricultural University.
“This is a prime example of artificial intelligence empowering smart farming. It not only promotes the upgrading of Xinjiang’s cotton industry, but also provides replicable and scalable technological models for global agriculture,” Pei added.