Andela doubles weeding robot capacity to 8 weeds per second

Andela's second-generation weeding robot kills 8 weeds per second per weeding unit, up from 3, and covers full fields for the first time. The Dutch robot manufacturer, a participant in the NPPL+R field lab programme, will also offer a laser weeding module alongside its electrical weed-killing arm from this launch.

The capacity gain comes from a redesigned arm layout. Two arms, which Andela calls M-pede arms, sit in a double row suspended within the frame, replacing the previous Delta arms. Each arm still moves along the X and Y axes plus vertically along the Z axis, but now needs only one connection to the frame instead of an angled support. Dropping the angled arm cuts the spacing between arms from 45 cm to 25 cm. That reduction lets the robot reach every part of the field — full-field coverage — and allows two arms to sit one behind the other, directly alongside neighbouring arms.

The compact design alone doubles capacity, because two weeding arms fit on a single unit. Fewer arm movements to reach weeds and an improved algorithm push throughput further. The exterior of the machine has changed very little, which is why Andela expects to fit the new arms to the previous generation later.

What sizes and configurations are available?

The new generation comes with 4, 6 or 8/9 weeding units, giving an in-row working width of 3 to 6 metres. For full-field weeding, the working width is narrower. The arms are modular, so extra weeding units can be mounted on a 4.5-metre machine. A variant with 10 weeding units on the 2.5-metre frame is in development for sports pitches and golf courses. Thanks to the higher capacity, a new 4.5-metre robot matches the output of the previous 9-metre machine.

How do laser and electric weeding work together?

Andela has built a laser weeder that operates behind the electrical arm on the same robot. The laser targets small weeds; the electrical arm — which delivers an electric shock through a probe — handles larger weeds or those far enough from the crop to avoid damage from leakage current. The arm carrying the electrical probe can be removed and swapped for a laser weeding module.

Andela wrote the algorithm and developed the hardware for the laser unit entirely in-house. The unit uses blue diode light (a laser type comparable to technology used by other manufacturers), chosen because it is relatively inexpensive and energy-efficient. That matters because the robot runs on a combination of batteries and solar panels. The laser unit was still under development when NPPL visited Andela, so exact capacity figures are not yet available. The manufacturer expects the combined laser and electrical unit to handle 15 weeds per second.

The launch follows field experience at a large organic farming customer that ran electrical and laser weed control simultaneously. The laser tackled all weeds up to 5 mm in size while the Andela Robot Weeder handled the rest. According to Andela, a laser alone often lacks sufficient capacity, particularly in conditions that favour weed growth, which makes the combined approach more effective.

When can farmers run it autonomously?

From next season, the Andela Robot Weeder will operate fully autonomously. The robot already navigates fields independently but still needs help turning on the headland (the strip at the field edge where machines turn). Updated software and new sensors for safe autonomous operation close that gap, and all robots will ship ready for it.

Andela is also exploring retrofits of the M-pede arms onto older robots. The frame is virtually unchanged between generations, so fitting should be possible, but work starts next year with a market introduction not expected until 2028.

Pricing for the second-generation Robot Weeders is not yet confirmed. The manufacturer says it will be in line with the previous generation. Farmers weighing a purchase should watch for the first capacity figures on the laser module and for retrofit details emerging as the 2028 timeline develops.