Weeds are the bane of every gardener and farmer’s existence. Over in Asia, rice farmers who have opted not to use pesticides to get rid of weeds instead rely on nature, or more specifically, ducks, to help them get rid of weeds. This is because ducks will tear up weeds, snack on insects, and even their manure will help fertilize their fields.
However, an engineer working at Japanese carmaker Nissan has decided to help shake things up by creating a robot “duck” that will make the entire process more efficient. How so, you ask? This is because this robot duck can be used to patrol the fields and with its rubber brushes at the base of its feet, it will help oxygenate the water by stirring it up which in turn will prevent weeds from taking root.
We’re not sure if there are plans to ever put this into production, but having robots replicate some of the steps and processes used in nature could help make the process more efficient, especially since robots do not get tired. It could also potentially solve some problems in Japan, such as its declining population and shortage on workers.
In any case, if you have a few minutes to spare, you can check out the robot duck in action in the video above.
Filed in . Read more about Japan and Science. Source: theverge