The purpose of the Laserbird project was to develop a prototype drone for weed control in agricultural fields. A laser beam would be selectively directed to weeds from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or droner) to "boil" these plants, inhibit or terminate their growth, thereby limiting weed resource competitiveness with crops. The drone can also be used to carry sensors for identifying plants and monitoring their health.
Laserbird was a collaboration between Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Amkvo AB.
The project is funded by Vinnova.