Carbon Robotics, formally Carbon Autonomous Robotic Systems Inc., has grown from a Seattle, Washington, startup into one of the most closely watched players in autonomous weed control. Founded by Paul Mikesell, the company emerged from a simple conversation with a farmer about labor shortages, herbicide resistance, and the lack of innovation in mechanical weed control. That discussion sparked the idea for a machine that could identify plants with computer vision and eliminate weeds using high‑energy lasers instead of chemicals. The company launched in 2018, and its first commercial LaserWeeders reached farms in 2022, initially targeting high‑value specialty crops. Today, Carbon Robotics reports more than 150 machines operating on over 100 farms in 14 countries, reflecting rapid global adoption. The first LaserWeeder introduced the core concept: a tractor‑pulled platform using AI, deep learning, and multiple industrial CO2 lasers to kill weeds at the soil surface with millimeter accuracy. It offered growers a way to reduce hand‑weeding labor, eliminate herbicides, and improve crop quality by avoiding mechanical disturbance. The new LaserWeeder G2 line builds on that foundation with major improvements in speed, modularity, and field versatility. According to Carbon Robotics, the G2 is faster, lighter, and more configurable, operating up to twice as many acres per hour as the original platform. Models now range from compact 6.6‑foot units to 60‑foot machines, allowing growers to match the system to their tractor power and field scale. What’s inside the G2 platform At the heart of the G2 is Carbon Robotics’ Large Plant Model (LPM)—an AI system trained on more than 150 million labeled plants. The LPM allows the LaserWeeder to recognize new crops or weeds with minimal input, enabling growers to update targets in minutes with a single image. This flexibility is key to expanding beyond specialty vegetables into broad‑acre crops such as organic corn and soybeans. Each G2 unit uses multiple high‑powered lasers (Carbon Robotics does not disclose exact counts per model) that fire at weeds identified by the vision system. The lasers destroy plant meristems without disturbing soil structure, preserving moisture and microbial activity while avoiding herbicide drift or residue. 10 PHOTO: carbonrobotics.com LASER-FOCUSED WEEDING GOES MAINSTREAM ANDREW JOSEPH FARMS.COM
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