Carbon Robotics Unveils AI-Powered Large Plant Model for LaserWeeder

New system allows operators to quickly update targets with a thumb tap, boosting weed control capabilities.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 8:28pm

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Carbon Robotics, a Seattle-based agricultural technology company, has introduced its AI-driven Large Plant Model (LPM), which includes 150 million labeled plants to enable growers to start using the company's popular LaserWeeder in any field or crop in minutes. The LPM, and its AI architecture, is also destined to add precision and convenience to CR's new Autonomous Tractor Kit (ATK), a retrofit kit designed to enable autonomous operation on existing tractors. The LPM allows the LaserWeeder to recognize new plant species with just a single image, giving farmers the ability to quickly update targets and improve weed control.

Why it matters

The LPM represents a significant advancement in AI-powered plant recognition, allowing Carbon Robotics' machines to adapt to new environments and crops with minimal user input. This technology has the potential to drive wider adoption of the LaserWeeder, which has so far been limited by the economics of row crop applications. The LPM's capabilities also extend to CR's autonomous tractor system, showcasing the versatility of the underlying AI architecture.

The details

The LPM was developed by cataloging 150 million labeled plant images, enabling the system to recognize and adapt to new plant species with just a single image. This is a departure from traditional AI prediction models, which often struggle with low-confidence identifications of unfamiliar plants. With the LPM, the LaserWeeder can immediately start targeting new weeds, and the Autonomous Tractor Kit can navigate fields without relying on GPS data.

  • Carbon Robotics introduced the LPM and ATK systems in mid-2025.
  • The LaserWeeder has been in use in 15 countries since 2022.

The players

Carbon Robotics

A Seattle-based agricultural technology company that develops advanced robotics and AI systems for farming, including the LaserWeeder and Autonomous Tractor Kit.

Paul Mikesell

The founder and CEO of Carbon Robotics, who oversees the development of the company's innovative agricultural technologies.

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What they’re saying

“Trained on diverse crops, weeds, soil types, climates, and growth stages worldwide, the LPM creates an unprecedented foundation for plant recognition and decision making.”

— Paul Mikesell, Founder and CEO

“With our system, which can find furrows & follow them — even in fields for which there are no planting or harvesting maps — the ATK can autonomously drive that field without any knowledge of GPS positions.”

— Paul Mikesell, Founder and CEO

What’s next

Carbon Robotics plans to continue expanding the LPM's capabilities and integrating it into their Autonomous Tractor Kit, as well as exploring new robotic applications for the technology across a broad spectrum of farm-related operations.

The takeaway

The Large Plant Model developed by Carbon Robotics represents a significant breakthrough in AI-powered plant recognition, allowing their LaserWeeder and Autonomous Tractor Kit to adapt to new environments and crops with minimal user input. This technology has the potential to drive wider adoption of precision farming tools and unlock new possibilities for autonomous agricultural equipment.