New Illinois robot seeks and destroys pesky weeds

Oh robots, is there anything they can't do? Apparently they can now search for and completely obliterate weeds, which really is something that we've always wanted them to do. A team of scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a robot that searches for weeds, chops them off, and then sprays herbicide all over the weed stump. The as-yet unnamed robot (which we'll be calling the weedinator for the time being) packs a Windows box with a 80GB hard drive (including WiFi), stands at about two feet tall, is a little over two feet wide and is nearly five feet long. Dr. Lei Tian, the lead scientist on the project, says that his new robot will improve efficiency of herbicide use by being precise about the amount of chemical use. We're not sure exactly what the WiFi is for, but it's probably used to brag to nearby robots about how many weeds it's just fragged.

[Via Robot Gossip]

[Wurx @ Oct 12th 2006 7:49AM]

It runs Windows.....I ain't going near that thing!

Cntrl-Alt-Del

[ante9383 @ Oct 12th 2006 7:52AM]

I, for one welcome our weed terminating, solar-powered, toxic-chemicals-spraying robotic overlords.

[Owen V @ Oct 12th 2006 8:16AM]

is it an 80gb hard drive because that is the smallest size sold anymore?

or does it need 80gb of tunes to listen to while eliminating weeds

[mg @ Oct 12th 2006 8:26AM]

It probably needs 50gig for the windows install, and 15gig for all the anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware apps. The controlling application probably compiles to less than 1meg. I wouldn't trust this sucker: wifi just means it'll get backdoored and hacker controlled.

[Grizz @ Oct 12th 2006 9:40AM]

I wondered that too, a basic windows install is a couple gigs, its probibly a a way of bragging to low-tech people how complex it is.

Its got a pataX 2.0 54,000rpm 80gig ecc bbq harddrive, please give us more funding!

[dluna33 @ Oct 12th 2006 8:24AM]

I can imagine the OS crashing and the robot running wild down the neighborhood knocking kids off bikes, spraying them in the face and yanking flowers *aarrgghh my eyes mommy my eyes***

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 12th 2006 8:25AM]

Needs a bigger solar sail if it's ever gonna get airborne.

Wasn't this a Gizmondo game?

"Mom can I robotically patrol the yard for weeds?"

[treetoad @ Oct 12th 2006 9:28AM]

Adds a whole new meaning to the term 'bot-net'

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 12th 2006 8:44AM]

MG don't forget the most important thing.

This little baby is VISTA READY!!!
Which is really important and necessary.

Naaaw, I'm just kidding you.
Being ready for vista is neither important NOR necessary!

[Mark @ Oct 12th 2006 9:01AM]

Replace "weeds" with "humaniods" nuff said

[Grizz @ Oct 12th 2006 9:43AM]

Apparently they can now search for and completely obliterate humans... A team of scientists... developed a robot that searches for humans, chops them off, and then sprays herbicide all over the human stump.

[Wonderboy @ Oct 12th 2006 9:21AM]

If it's spraying weed killer, then it is guaranteed to spread a little, there's always a little wind.

What I want to see is the robot sensing the largest root stem, then using a needle, inject the weed killer to kill the weed and only the weed.

[Ladderless @ Oct 12th 2006 9:40AM]

"What I want to see is the robot sensing the largest root stem, then using a needle, inject the weed killer to kill the weed and only the weed."

Ahhh... Just what we need! A Windows powered, internet-connected, self-directed robot running around with a needle filled with poison. There goes the neighborhood.

[treetoad @ Oct 12th 2006 9:32AM]

'Honey, somebody's hacked the weedbot again! I just saw it headed for the Jonses' with carrying a pile of Viagra leaflets!'

[Ryan @ Oct 12th 2006 10:53AM]

How does it handle mile a minute weed, it is a weed that is taking over the northeast and any attempt to destroy it causes it to germinate even more. If it had some kind of contamination method I would volunteer my backyard for testing.

[Michael @ Oct 12th 2006 10:55AM]

Holy crap I saw that on campus two days ago!!! I wondered what it was for...

[Badtz Maru� @ Oct 12th 2006 11:38AM]

What? No "Silent Running" jokes about Huey, Duey and Louie?

[James @ Oct 12th 2006 11:43AM]

"Honey, the lawnmower has a virus again.. it just attacked the mailman and a police officer, and now it's holed up in the garage with a needle for Fluffy!"

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 12th 2006 11:49AM]

"Take care of the forest"

There.

[Laert @ Oct 13th 2006 12:32PM]

FYI the reason it uses an actual PC with WiFi is:

"It has a full-blown Windows computer with an 80-gigabyte hard drive and a wireless connection to the Internet," said Gingrich, "so the amount of information we can collect is virtually unlimited."

I can see this bot doing a really great job when it's commercially available.