See & Spray

In the world of crop protection and weed control, traditional (often extensive) use of chemical pesticides is common. A growing global concern is the use of chemical pesticides such as glyphosate. Waterkracht BV from Varsseveld was in search of a technology that would allow them to environmentally and water efficiently target and eliminate weeds on (semi) hard surfaces using their patented 'Boiling Hot Water Technique.' In this quest, SINGA introduced a robust cloud-connected embedded vision solution.

The essence of the solution is a combination of academic thinking and practical innovation. Waterkracht's industrial weed control machine, the WeedMaster TC Vision, features 40 nozzles arranged along a 160 cm work width. The challenge was to make only those nozzles spray boiling hot water that were directly above a patch of weeds at that moment—precisely in the right spot, not too early, too late, too short, or too long. SINGA developed a highly advanced multispectral camera system. The camera image detects the weed's location, and the system is so intelligent that it instantly and accurately anticipates turns, delays, accelerations, and bumps. The motion detection is so precise that under all conditions, the nozzles directly above the weed are sprayed accurately

SINGA took it a step further and expanded the system into an intelligent cloud-connected platform that allows Waterkracht to offer new added value to its customers. They used their self-developed Digital Twin technology: an industrial IoT platform that connects physical products to the cloud and enables the delivery of new products and services. With this innovative solution, in addition to efficient weed control without pesticides, Waterkracht now has a tool that enables them to transition into servitization. Furthermore, work is underway to develop a neural network that can recognize a weed plant and provide the best dosage specifically for that plant.