Level control and greater ground clearance for new Ekobot Weeding Robot

The new Ekobot WEAI also features a different color scheme: blue and white. – Photo: René Koerhuis

After Homburg took over the import of the Swedish Ekobot WEAI weeding robot earlier this year and became the owner of the startup in June, both companies worked together on a new version of the weeding robot.

The previous version used the chassis of the Thorvald, a field robot for combating mildew in crops like strawberries and vineyards using UV-C light from the Norwegian Saga Robotics. However, that chassis was insufficient for dealing with uneven terrain and spray tracks in fields with onions, which is the crop Ekobot primarily focuses on with the WEAI weeding robot.

Handles deep spray tracks

To ensure the new chassis can handle uneven terrain and deep spray tracks, both the front and rear axles are now suspended on a pendulum system. According to Ekobot, spray tracks as deep as 40 to 50 centimeters are not a problem for the new model. With the help of cameras and a side-shift mechanism, the weeding module, equipped with up-and-down and side-to-side moving weeding fingers, is kept in the correct position above the onion bed. The side-shift can adjust laterally by up to 40 centimeters. The height of the weeding module is now adjustable electro-hydraulically. The WEAI is suitable for onion beds that are 1.50 to 3.20 meters wide, whereby the row spacing is adjustable. The vehicle’s front wheels are steered, and only the rear wheels are powered.

New color scheme

The weeding fingers can perform both a ‘soft strike’ and a ‘hard strike.’ A ‘soft strike’ is intended for small weeds, while a ‘hard strike’ is meant to target larger and more persistent weeds effectively. Observers will notice that the new Ekobot WEAI also features a different color scheme. Whereas the previous model was primarily green and white, the new version is white and blue. According to Ekobot, the colors were changed because green is already widely used for agricultural machinery.

The new Ekobot WEAI weeding robot weighs about 1,500 kilograms and can be transported on public roads thanks to a three-point hitch at the front that allows it to be lifted by a tractor. In 2025, Ekobot and Homburg plan to build 20 vehicles for sale in the Netherlands and Sweden. Expect a purchase price of €130,000 to €135,000. The previous model was priced at €95,000.