Smarter spraying: EXAACT Robotics

With global food demand only set to increase, and sustainability issues front and centre, French company EXAACT Robotics says it is blazing a trail in spraying technology and efficiency with its new 3S Spot Spray Sensor.

Owned by EXEL Industries, the parent company of brands including HARDI, Agrifac, Evrard and Tecnoma, among others, EXAACT Robotics is planning on deploying the new system across the various EXEL subsidiaries and making the technology available to farmers around the world.

The 3S Spot Spray Sensor system is configurable to suit the myriad sprayers produced under the EXEL umbrella, and utilises on-board high-precision sensors and artificial intelligence to detect bio-aggressors such as weeds, diseases, and pests.

The system then analyses the images captured in real time, the data informing the sprayer to deliver the precise dosage in exactly the right place. Input volumes are drastically reduced, says the company, while crop yields are optimised.

The sensors are directly integrated into the spray boom for optimum stability control, while the technology communicates directly with the sprayer regulation system for improved spraying efficiency. For ease of operation, an ergonomic 3S Spot Spray Sensor control console is built into the cabin.

EXAACT Robotics says the 3S Spot Spray Sensor technology can be used on both empty fields and large-scale crops, day or night, at speeds of up to 25km/h.

The company says the system will be marketed from late 2022 for herbicidal applications and will then be rolled out across EXEL Industries sprayers. Nitrogen fertilizer capability will be introduced from 2024, fungicide capability from 2025, and insecticide capability from 2026.