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Computerized weed-control mechanism for railroads

Country of Origin: Hungary
Reference Number: TOHU20160802001
Publication Date: 2 August 2016

Summary

A Hungarian company specializing in weed-control on railroads has developed a computer-operated solution for chemical weed-control on railroads based upon its several years of experience in this field. The technology can be combined with area-selective, species-specific technologies to save on the amount of chemical agents. The company is interested in license agreement, or establishing a joint venture.

Description

A Hungarian SME has developed a computer-operated solution for chemical weed-control on railroads.
The technology developed divides the 5-7 meter wide rail track into 9 perpedicular lanes. It can spray out up to four different types of agents in optional proportions in each lane. The reaction time of the system allows a longitudinal resolution of a meter. The greatest advantage of the system is that it can conform the environmentail interests to the economic interests of the for-profit firm implementing the spraying. The use of technologies developed for the decrease of chemical emission in case of short decay-time post-emergent chemical agents that cause less harm to the environment become dominant as opposed to the long decas-time pre-emergent agents. However, this system is also suitable for the traditional total spraying method with any kind of chemical agent. The saving on the amount of chemical agents is because of using spot spraying, and because the spraying amount in the technology can be adjusted to the amounts prescribed by law. A further advantage of the system is that it can be efficently used agaist weed resistance. Because of resistance, weed colonies often consist of the same resistant species, against which the species-specific, variable agent can be efficiently used.
An on-line weed recognition system is used on the weed control trains. This provides the optimal consumption of herbicides. On the way, the area to be sprayed is watched by a camera. With the help of this, a signal processing system chooses the area to be treated. Based on that, the control software gives instructions for the spraying of the designated surface according to the set doses. This system ensures that only the weed-covered area is treated. Current and potential domain of application: chemical weed control on railroads.
The Hungarian SME is looking for industrial partners interested in license agreement, or establishing a joint venture.

Advantages and Innovations

Advantages and Innovations:
Special features:
- Area-selective: It sprays only over weed covered surface. (spot spraying)
- Treatment of the weeds that are constantly present near railroads through GPS coordinate recording
- The work can be implemented in any light conditions. (24/7)
- Dosing can be adjusted to the speed of the train and weather conditions.
- The spraying pattern is adapted to the slope relief of the tracks.
- Documentation of operation: While in use, it records operational data automatically.
- A laser remote indicatior ensures the adequate positioning of the spraying frame in order to achieve perpendicular impact.
- The unit also possesses a weed mapping system using longitude and latitude GPS coordinates.
- The unit can operate on any train.
- Further developed automatic protocilling of data (agent types, used quantities, relative to the whole lenght, or a part of the track divided into lanes).
Advantages:
- Automatic stop of spraying at protected areas (agricultural areas, surface waters etc.)
- It does not let chemicals to clear surface.
- The use of chemicals can be minimalized.
- There is no overdose.
- Work can be done by night as well.
- Optimal and precise dosing based on governmental regulations.
- Chemical use can be optimalized.
- Complex information-processing.
- Optimized spraying efficiency.
- Latest technology included.
- Gauge independency.
- Protocolling is a very important feature in cases of data provision (environmental authority), pollution disputes (insurance), larceny.

Stage Of Development

Already on the market

Requested partner

- Type of partner sought: industrial partner

- Specific area of activity of the partner: railway maintenance, railway management, weed control, agricultural machine manufacturer, agricultural weed control service provider, innovative developer

- Task to be performed by the partner sought: licence agreement or joint venture agreement where this technology could be applied.

Cooperation offer is closed for requests