In a sugar beet field a few miles east of Moorhead [Minnesota], small four-wheeled robots are rolling up and down the rows of beets.

Powered by a solar panel, the robots use cameras to spot weeds and then guide sharp-edged hoes to scoop the weeds out of the ground.

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The robo-weeders look simple as they roll through a sugar beet field at an easy walking pace. There’s a solar panel, four wheels, cameras and two sharp blades on poles.

What’s not visible is the artificial intelligence that makes the machine work.

“Trying to understand what a sugar beet is, what a weed is and then pairing that with the ability to strike it while it’s moving, that tie in between software and hardware is a very difficult thing to do,” said [Aigen field operations director Chris] Benner as he watched a robot work. “It’s definitely the bread and butter of what makes the system work.”

“I would love to live in a world where robotic weeders took over everything and I didn’t have to spray a single acre, and I think the consumer would would welcome that,” said Rockstad. “I don’t know if we can get there but I certainly don’t rule anything out when it comes to technology and our future.”