A Digital Camera System for Weed Detection

Abstract

Development of new methods for weed control is one of the biggest scientific and technological challenges in the future. Sensor steered sprayers and prototypes of robots steered by digital video cameras have been developed for non-chemical weed control. In 1997, a collaboration project between the Danish National Railways Agency, the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Hardi International was initiated. The project aimed at developing a digital camera system (WeedEye) and a spot sprayer to reduce herbicide usage to locations with weeds. The results of the first experiments show that WeedEye detects small weed seedlings at a speed of 45 km h−1. Further, the results show that WeedEye provides a reasonable estimate of the percentage leaf area m−2 at this speed. The perspectives of using sensors and digital video cameras in agriculture are discussed.