MONEYCONTROL NEWS | SEPTEMBER 20, 2026
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/the-robot-that-hunts-weeds-with-lasers-not-chemicals-14033997.html
A small autonomous machine moving through a crop field may look like something from a science-fiction film. But in China, AI-powered agricultural robots are increasingly being tested and deployed for one of farming’s most persistent problems: weeds.
A video circulating online shows a compact Chinese robot moving between crop rows while identifying and destroying weeds. The technology behind such machines combines cameras, artificial intelligence and laser systems to distinguish unwanted plants from crops before directing a laser at the target.
The concept is relatively simple. A camera continuously scans the field, while computer-vision software analyses the plants in front of the machine. Once the system identifies a weed, its targeting mechanism directs a laser at the plant. The objective is to destroy the weed while leaving nearby crops undamaged.
China’s Huagong Technology has developed an intelligent laser-weeding system called Hg LaserWeeder. According to the Wuhan government, the system uses an AI-powered vision system and data covering thousands of crop and weed varieties. The company says the machine can adjust laser intensity according to the target and has reported weed-removal rates of more than 95 percent in testing.
More recently, China’s State Council Information Office reported that laser weeding equipment developed by HGTECH has been deployed in several provinces, including Heilongjiang. The system uses AI to identify weeds and laser modules to target them without damaging crops or adding chemical pollutants to the soil.
The technology is arriving as China expands the use of AI, drones, remote sensing and autonomous machinery across agriculture. Heilongjiang, one of the country’s major grain-producing regions, is already using large-scale digital systems to monitor farmland and guide decisions involving crops, fertilisation and pest control.
Laser weeding is not limited to China. Researchers elsewhere are also developing robots that use computer vision to locate weeds and precisely target them. A 2026 study of a laser-weeding robot reported a 98.6 percent
laser hit rate under its tested conditions, demonstrating how quickly machine vision and precision targeting are advancing.
The attraction is clear: reducing dependence on herbicides could help address pesticide residues, resistance and environmental concerns while also reducing the amount of manual labour required for weed control.
However, the technology still faces practical hurdles. Field conditions vary widely, and systems must cope with changing light, dust, crop varieties and uneven terrain. China itself has identified adaptability, data availability, reliability and cost as important challenges for wider smart-agriculture adoption.
If these machines can become affordable and reliable at scale, the future farm may involve fewer chemicals and more machines that can recognise exactly what should, and should not, be growing between the rows.