Pilot Case 2
Robotic spraying of weeds in potato and volunteer potatoes in Denmark & Switzerland
Location: Commercial farms in Denmark & Switzerland
Overview
Pilot Case 2 brings the next generation of Ultra-High Precision agriculture for commercial potato farming in Denmark and Switzerland. It focuses on plant-by-plant spot spraying of weeds and volunteer potatoes using ARA, the Ultra-High Precision Field Sprayer from Ecorobotix. This AI-powered system, already deployed on more than 150,000 hectares across Europe on more than 10 different crops, identifies individual plant in real time and spray plant protection products only where needed, drastically reducing inputs use, limiting environmental impact, and enhancing Crop Care Efficiency. ARA integrates a vision box system combining RGB and stereo cameras that guide a spray bar equipped with multiple nozzles to deliver micro-doses with surgical precision. Supporting high-resolution RGB drone imagery, provided by the Danish technological Institute (DTI), is used to train and validate the AI models.
The ARA field sprayer (left) features high-precision spray nozzles and a vision box equipped with RGB and stereo cameras. It is operated via a tablet-based control unit (right) for easy mission setup and monitoring.
Autonomous drone equipped with an RGB camera. The flight area is defined by drawing it on a mobile app or controller touchscreen.
Timeline
The pilot starts with drone and field sensor image collection and farmer participation to train AI models that identify weeds and volunteer potatoes. These models are later deployed on ARA sprayers for real-world use, requiring minimal operator input. Midway through the project, the AI systems will be validated in commercial farming conditions, leading to refinements and broader demonstrations across Europe.
Validation
To measure the impact of robotic spraying, the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) will conduct performance comparisons between the ARA system and conventional spraying methods. The drones will autonomously scan the fields before and after treatment, capturing detailed imagery that feeds into AI-based analysis. These digital assessments are then cross-referenced with manual weed counts to evaluate weed suppression accuracy, coverage, and efficiency.
AR Integration
AR tools will display live application and weed distribution maps to operators. Training simulations will prepare users to operate the sprayers under various crop and climate conditions, enhancing control and confidence in-field.
