Controlling weeds with AI

Cases
Controlling weeds with AI

Twente startup Spectro-AG makes it possible to distinguish weeds from crops and to control them with Artificial Intelligence. It also measures the quality of grass fields and detects unhealthy trees in forested areas. 

Spectro-AG director Hamed Mehdipoor talks to the Twente Board: “They are all examples with the same message: AI will provide major breakthroughs and contribute to solving social problems”.
His company mainly uses Artificial Intelligence for image recognition. Mehdipoor: “A farmer or grower can use a drone to collect data easily. This data makes it possible to work on specific locations. This saves water, fertilizer and crop protection products. This is not only economically and ecologically valuable, but it also unburdens the farmer. A win-win situation, in other words.”

Attracting and retaining AI talent

It is essential that new students are trained in AI, according to Mehdipoor, and that they experience how AI can be applied in practice. Spectro-AG joined TalentIT for this reason, a project in which several parties work together to reduce the staff shortage in IT companies by retaining talented students for the region. “Twente is in an excellent position to offer AI talents something wonderful and to nurture the next generation of young researchers in this strategically important field.”

Twente Board

Twente Board is a coalition partner of AI hub East Netherlands, and Artificial Intelligence is one of its key technologies. Twente Board is a partnership that strengthens Twente’s broad economy, with a focus on the strength of the region. They stimulate investments in technical innovations and focus on accelerating the circular economy and creating an attractive and accessible region for living and working. Read more about the Twente Board here