Robo gardener - Boffins have invented a robot that can garden

Boffins have invented a robot that can garden.
TrimbotTrimbot
Trimbot

The green-fingered device – known as Trimbot – uses cameras and 3D mapping technology to find its way around gardens.

The robot is battery-powered and has a cutting tool which it uses to prune roses and trim bushes by pinpointing the exact part of the plant stem which needs to be cut.

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Trimbot has five pairs of cameras and a flexible robotic arm linked to an automated Bosch lawnmower.

The robot is pre-programmed with a rough outline of a gardenThe robot is pre-programmed with a rough outline of a garden
The robot is pre-programmed with a rough outline of a garden
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Scientists have said the robo gardener could help people with mobility problem tend their garden, as well as maintain communal green spaces, support farmer.

The robot is pre-programmed with a rough outline of a garden to help navigation and data captured by the 3D cameras enables it to perform specific tasks.

It uses algorithms to compare overgrown bushes with ideal final shapes as it trims.

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Professor Bob Fisher, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, who coordinated the project, said: “Getting the robot to work reliably in a real garden was a major feat of engineering.

"The eight partner teams developed new robotics and 3D computer vision technology to enable it to work outdoors in changing lighting and environmental conditions.”