While the debate around the use of glyphosate and other chemical herbicides is at the heart of the news, Arnaud de la Fouchardière and Xavier David-Beaulieu have invented a small autonomous robot that could change the course of things. Vitirover (its name) works off of clean energy, the sun. Never alone, it is part of a “herd” of robots able to maintain large areas of grassed land (vineyards, orchards, photovoltaic farms, railways, etc.) in total respect for the environment.

Following a campaign lasting several months and a close competition between great projects, Vitirover managed to pull out of the game ahead and win the 2018 EDF Pulse Public Award. After exploring Mars with Curiosity, autonomous robots are investing in a whole new field: ecological weeding! The first training of “shepherds” (people who will supervise these “herds” of robots) could see the light of day at the University of Bordeaux. In short, a path of the future and the right seed to say goodbye to weeds in an eco-friendly manner!