LaserWeeder G2 vs Honeybee
Two weeding machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
Modular tractor-drawn implement line (Feb 2025) that kills weeds with 240W lasers guided by onboard AI, in widths from 2.0 m to 18.3 m.
Best for: High-value row crops where zero-chemical, zero-soil-disturbance weeding justifies a premium.Fully autonomous battery-electric laser weeding robot from Caterra, an ETH Zürich spin-off (Glattbrugg, ZH) — deep-learning vision distinguishes crop, weed and soil, then kills weeds with laser pulses to within ~3 mm of the crop, herbicide-free and organic-certified. In pre-order as of mid-2026 after 2025 field pilots (incl. the smaller 300 kg Grasshopper test fleet of 11 units); direct sales only, no dealer network yet.
Best for: Organic and high-value vegetable growers (~10–15+ ha of annual crops) replacing labour-intensive hand weeding with 24/7 in-row laser weeding.| LaserWeeder G2 Verified 2026-07-16 | Honeybee Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Weeding | Weeding |
| Autonomy | AI-assisted | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United States | Switzerland |
| Availability | Available now | Pre-order |
| EU market | CE-marked | Pending |
| Lead time | ~24 wk | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Diesel genset on implement · tractor-drawn | Battery-electric — over 24 h per battery set, two sets supplied for 24/7 operation |
| Required tractor power | 150 hp minimum (draft + hydraulics) | Is the vehicle (self-propelled) |
| Dimensions | Modular widths 2.0–18.3 m (G2 200 to G2 1800) | Track width configurable 1.50–1.80 m (beds or dams) |
| Weight | G2 200 ≈ 1,930 kg (4,250 lb); larger models heavier | Not disclosed (smaller Grasshopper pilot unit — 300 kg) |
| Min farm size | 40 ha | ~10 ha annual crops (15+ ha ideal) |
| Productivity | 0.8–1.2 ha/hour | 24/7 capable; multiple robots can work the same field (Grasshopper pilot — ~80 m/h) |
| Max speed | 3.2 km/h working | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | 42 cameras · onboard NVIDIA compute · thermal cameras | RTK-GNSS navigation · cameras with deep-learning crop/weed/soil segmentation |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | ≈€220,000 |
| Native price | Not disclosed | ≈€220,000 purchase (4-laser) or ≈€65,000/year lease — trade-press figures, not published by Caterra |
| Business model | Buy · finance via Carbon Robotics EU partner | Direct sales / pre-order via Caterra; one-year lease option reported |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed — quote-dependent | Electricity; laser and optics service (terms not disclosed) |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Herbicide use −100% · vendor | Hand-weeding labour in organic vegetables Autonomous 24/7 laser weeding, herbicide-free · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | CE marked (2024) | Not confirmed — pre-series/pre-order stage |
| Machinery Regulation | Compliant — Regulation (EU) 2023/1230; laser class interlocks certified | Swiss manufacturer — CH follows EU machinery rules via the CH–EU Mutual Recognition Agreement; EU-market conformity not yet demonstrated publicly |
| CAP subsidy | Eligible under CAP eco-scheme; check national laser-safety filing | Herbicide-free weeding aligns with CAP eco-schemes and CH Absenkpfad (pesticide-reduction) goals |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.