Nellie, the Weed Picking Robot

Pigweed, which can grow 3 inches per day, has become resistant to the dominant weed killer, glyphosate, sold by Monsanto as Roundup. This super weed threatens the nation's soybean and corn crops. U.S. Farmers spent 13.7 billion dollars in 2012 on agricultural chemicals, 70% higher than in 2002. In soybean fields, weed killer costs have increased $20. per acre over the last five years. Hand weeding—using a hoe—can cost $150. per acre.

Enter Nellie, the weed picking prototype robot. She sees weeds and plucks them the old fashioned mechanical way, one at a time. Since she's a prototype, she plucks a prototype weed.

She runs on carpet, finds a fake plastic weed, picks it and drops it—ready to find another.

This is an entry in Make's "Pitch Your Prototype" contest.