M. Sc. Tim Sterneck

AMUN – Development of an Automated System for Precise, Mechanical Weed Control in Organic Vegetable Farming

Weed infestation regularly causes significant crop losses in organic vegetable farming. Effective cultivation often requires a high level of manual labor to remove weeds by hand near the crops. Depending on the type of crop, this can lead to considerably higher costs compared to conventional agriculture, which frequently relies on the use of controversial herbicides. This project aims to develop a mobile system that identifies, localizes, and eliminates weeds in the field using camera-based technology. Key aspects of the project tasks at the Institute for Mechatronic Systems (IMES) include designing a robotic kinematic system tailored for tool guidance and developing high-performance algorithms for real-time path planning under challenging environmental conditions. Furthermore, various developments and research activities in these areas are pursued to maximize processing quality and speed, thereby realizing an economically viable alternative.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) based on a resolution of the German Bundestag.