# US 12,108,752 B2 · Autonomous laser weed eradication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,108,752 B2 - Document ID: US12108752B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/106,026 - Filed: 2023-02-06 - Published: 2023-09-21 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-17 - Assignees: Carbon Autonomous Robotic Systems Inc. - Applicants: Carbon Autonomous Robotic Systems Inc. - Inventors: Paul Mikesell; Jonathan Mey; Cory Gabrielsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108752B2 ## CPC - A01M 21/04: Apparatus for destruction by steam, chemicals, burning, or electricity {(apparatus for burning A01M15/00)} - G01P 15/08: with conversion into electric or magnetic values - G02B 26/0816: {by means of one or more reflecting elements} - G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)} - G06T 1/0014: {Image feed-back for automatic industrial control, e.g. robot with camera (robots B25J19/023)} - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - G06T 2207/30188: Vegetation; Agriculture - G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Disclosed herein are methods, devices, modules, and systems which may be employed for automated weed identification, control, and eradication. These methods, devices, modules, and systems provide an alternative to hand cultivation or chemical herbicides. Devices disclosed herein may be configured to locate, identify, and autonomously target a weed with a beam, such as a laser beam, which may burn or irradiate the weed. The methods, devices, modules, and systems may be used for agricultural crop management or for at-home weed control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A targeting system for autonomous weed eradication comprising: a first camera configured to image a surface; an emitter configured to emit a beam toward the surface; and a computing system in communication with the first camera and the emitter, the computing system capable of performing operations comprising: receiving, from the first camera, an image of the surface, the image comprising a weed on the surface, identifying a region in the image that includes the weed, determining a target location of the weed based on the identified region in the image, aligning an optical path of the beam based on the target location of the weed, and causing the emitter to emit the beam toward the weed when at least part of the optical path is aligned with the target location of the weed, wherein emitting the beam towards the weed kills or damages the weed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The targeting system of claim 1, further comprising a second camera in communication with the computing system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The targeting system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving a second image from the second camera, the second image comprising the surface; identifying a region in the second image that includes the weed; determining a predicted location of the weed based on the second image and the identified region in the second image; and aligning the first camera with the predicted location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The targeting system of claim 3, wherein the image comprises the predicted location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The targeting system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to align the optical path of the beam based on the target location. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The targeting system of claim 5, wherein the actuator is further configured to align the first camera with a predicted location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The targeting system of claim 5, wherein the actuator is configured to control a mirror in the optical path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The targeting system of claim 1, wherein the targeting system is positioned on a vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The targeting system of claim 8, further comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to measure an acceleration of the targeting system and a rotation of the targeting system relative to the surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The targeting system of claim 1, wherein the emitter is a laser. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The targeting system of claim 10, wherein the laser is selected from the group consisting of an infrared laser, an ultraviolet laser, and a visible laser. ### Claim 12 A method for autonomously killing a weed, the method comprising: receiving a image of a surface, the image comprising the weed on the surface; identifying a region in the image that includes the weed; determining a target location of the weed based on the identified region in the image; aligning an optical path of a beam based on the target location of the weed; and causing an emitter to emit the beam toward the weed when at least part of the optical path is aligned with the target location of the weed, wherein emitting the beam towards the weed kills or damages the weed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving a second image of the surface; identifying a region in the second image that includes the weed; and determining a predicted location of the weed based on the second image and the identified region in the second image; wherein the image comprises the predicted location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the emitter is moving relative to the surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising causing the emitter to deactivate the beam after the weed has been damaged or killed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the aligning the optical path based on the target location comprises referencing a calibration function. ### Claim 17 A system for autonomous weed eradication, the system comprising: a processor; and a memory having programming instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform operations comprising: receiving a image of a surface, the image comprising a weed on the surface, identifying a region in the image that includes the weed, determining a target location of the weed based on the identified region in the image, adjusting a position of an actuator to align an optical path of a beam based on the target location of the weed, and causing an emitter to emit the beam at least part of the optical path is aligned with the target location of the weed, wherein emitting the beam towards the weed kills the weed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving a second image of the surface; identifying a region in the second image that includes the weed; and determining a predicted location of the weed based on the second image and the identified region in the second image; wherein the image comprises the predicted location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise: causing the emitter to deactivate the beam once the weed has been damaged or killed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The targeting system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: prior to receiving the image, receiving a second image of the surface; identifying a region in the second image that includes the weed; determining a predicted location of the weed based on the second image and the identified region in the second image; and aligning the first camera with the predicted location.