Aurel Neff and Patrick Barton - Caterra
Laser-based weeding robot
![Pioneer Fellowship - Aurel Neff and Patrick Barton](/en/industry/entrepreneurship/find-offers-programs-space-grants-for-entrepreneurs/pioneer-fellowship/2021/caterra/_jcr_content/par/fullwidthimage/image.imageformat.1286.1171695261.png)
Early prototype to gather plant images (source: Aurel Neff, Patrick Barton)
Today, the only alternative to herbicides is a combination of mechanical hacking and hand weeding. Our robot will save countless hours of manual labor and enable scalable organic farming. The laser-based approach allows removal of plants which are in close proximity to the crop, something mechanical methods are unable to do. Small, lightweight and chemical free - our solution will lead the way to a more sustainable agriculture.
![](/en/industry/entrepreneurship/find-offers-programs-space-grants-for-entrepreneurs/pioneer-fellowship/2021/caterra/_jcr_content/par/textimage_1821646460/image.imageformat.text50percent.894164595.jpg)
Aurel Neff and Patrick Barton (left to right)