China's new cotton topping robot automates intensive task at 10x speed

China has developed what is being called the world’s first laser-based autonomous cotton topping robot, jointly created by Xinjiang University and EAVision Robotic Technologies. The machine uses a combination of lasers, lidar, and artificial intelligence to identify and vaporize the top buds of cotton plants with a detection accuracy of 98.9% and a successful topping rate of over 82% in field tests. This process, traditionally labor-intensive and prone to human error or plant damage, is now mechanized to operate roughly 10 times faster than manual labor, covering 0.4 to 0.53 hectares per hour. Unlike chemical or mechanical methods, the robot’s laser approach minimizes plant stress, eliminates herbicide use, and enables continuous operation regardless of weather or time of day. The robot is currently undergoing testing in Xinjiang, China’s largest cotton-producing region, and represents a significant step toward full mechanization of cotton farming. The development involved three years of research to integrate sensor technology, machine vision