Smart Dutch sensor technology Rometron Weed-IT is gaining worldwide momentum
Smart camera and sensor technology is rapidly gaining ground worldwide, with Dutch companies also playing a role. One of the oldest and largest is Rometron, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Rometron has now equipped over 50 kilometers of spray booms with its Weed-IT sensors.
A key player in precision spraying technology globally, is Rometron, based in the Netherlands. Roel de Jonge, founder and owner of Rometron (Roel Megatronica), has seen his company grow over 25 years into a business with 48 employees, represented globally with its Weed-IT precision spraying technology.
The term ‘start-up’ hadn’t even been coined yet when De Jonge got his first sensor-driven weed sprayer working. It all began after he graduated from Wageningen UR in 1997. Two years later, in 1999, he founded Rometron and delivered the first Weed-IT sprayer. This machine detects weeds on paved surfaces using chlorophyll fluorescence and sprays selectively with its self-developed PWM technology. Kamps de Wild handled the distribution, and Weed-IT became a success.
Particularly in countries like Australia, there was a market for site-specific weed spraying in stubble fields. For instance, Trimble capitalized on this with the WeedSeeker, becoming a direct competitor to Rometron during those years.
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From paved surfaces to farmland
The core of Rometron’s approach is sensor technology. It’s not camera technology in the sense of displaying crop images on a screen with AI software identifying individual plants. Rometron’s technology is based on fluorescence measurement: light is emitted from the spray boom, and sensors measure the wavelength of the reflected light. Knowing the wavelength means knowing the color, which in layman’s terms is measuring chlorophyll. Fluorescence measurement is highly sensitive, capable of detecting very small weeds. Moreover, the technology works day and night and self-calibrates for varying ground and light conditions.
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The original Weed-IT systems were, in industry terms, ‘green on brown’, meaning they only sprayed where plants were present, ideal for spraying paved surfaces and well-suited for spraying weeds in stubble fields. As the Dutch government increasingly restricts glyphosate use on paved surfaces, Rometron explored agricultural applications for its technology.
Australia, in particular, proved a key market for green on brown spraying. Vast areas of stubble land allow the sprayer to target weeds selectively. This sensor technology offers massive savings on chemicals, pays for itself quickly, and is environmentally friendly. In 2009, the first version of Weed-IT-Ag was exported to Australia for agricultural use.
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Weed-IT evolution
Green on brown spraying is a major market, especially in the large grain-growing regions outside the Netherlands. This is where Rometron’s revenue comes from. Over time, the technology has improved, enabling Weed-IT to measure biomass and adjust spraying depending on crop conditions. The precision is so fine that it can operate at the level of individual paving stones, as Rometron not only offers detection but also its own PWM system.
Competitors, increasingly numerous, often use AI-assisted camera technology. The ARA spot sprayer from EcoRobotix is currently the most well-known in the Netherlands, capable of spraying individual plants with high precision. Another example is Carbon Robotics’ Laserweeder from the U.S., which identifies plants and zaps them with lasers.
Rometron has taken a different path, opting for fluorescence measurement instead of AI cameras. However, they have further developed their software, enabling them to measure biomass and adjust dosing. Rometron can now even distinguish between different plants, bringing plant-specific spraying within reach. Like its competitors, this is a recent development that still requires significant work. “But we are convinced of fluorescence measurement,” says Roel de Jonge. He adds, “We see enough potential to further develop it so that AI camera technology isn’t necessary for us.”
Increasing competition
Globally, the spot sprayer market is growing rapidly, especially outside the Netherlands, and the number of camera-based spraying technology providers is increasing. In 2021, Rometron had sold 10,000 sensors; by 2023, the total had reached 50,000. With one sensor per meter, this means 50 kilometers of spray booms equipped with Rometron sensors are in use worldwide.
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Along with Rometron, companies like Agrifac and BBLeap offer both PWM technology and camera technology. Rometron uses its own in-house developed sensor technology, while BBLeap uses camera technology from the French company Carbon Bee, and Agrifac uses camera technology from the French company Bilberry. Both systems essentially work the same way: as the machine moves, AI analyzes camera images to recognize individual plants, and a smart algorithm determines whether and how much chemical or fertilizer to apply.
In addition to identifying plants, the technology can also measure biomass and use that information to control the sprayer. To compare EcoRobotix’s Ara to sensor or camera technology used in field sprayers: it’s like we’re walking through a field with a shotgun, while EcoRobotix is a sharpshooter, says Maarten Visscher, who is responsible for sales at Agrifac. There is a small difference between the technology used by Carbon Bee and Bilberry: BBLeap uses both RGB and a hyperspectral camera (which analyzes multiple wavelengths simultaneously), making it possible to detect not only color but also leaf shape and nitrogen content, for example. Bilberry works with RGB cameras (red, green, and blue light).
A few years ago, Bilberry was acquired by Trimble, which was then taken over by Agco. This prompted the Exel Group, of which Agrifac is a part, to establish Exact Robotics in France three years ago. Exact Robotics is developing its own camera system, with the first models already in operation. The Exel Group took this route to avoid dependence on an external supplier.
Rometron wants to remain independent
Rometron aims to stay independent from large sprayer manufacturers and minimize reliance on suppliers. For this reason, the company has heavily invested in Steenderen in recent years. This includes investments in people, buildings, and machines to produce components in-house as much as possible. Among the equipment now in place are advanced machines for manufacturing circuit boards and wiring harnesses. In addition to ensuring supply chain reliability, Rometron sees this as the best way to maintain control over quality.
Elsewhere in the world, there is plenty of competition in camera-based spraying technology. John Deere now has the See and Spray camera system, and Kverneland has partnered with Norwegian DAT. In Australia and North America, several other companies offer similar technology.
In Europe, France is a hotspot for camera technology. The French government has a favorable policy for start-ups and made it clear early on that it would impose strict regulations on chemical use. This has certainly happened, although the implementation has been somewhat less strict than initially anticipated.
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