DEMO DAY innowacji 4.0

In the framework of the project, a microwave device (remote-controlled robot) for destroying invasive plants, particularly Sosnowski hogweed, has been developed. The mobile device can be used in different types of habitats (alternately humidified - the unit pressure of the device on the ground is three times lower than under human foot). The microwaves emitted by the device's antennas are capable of destroying hogweed plants at any phenological growth phase. Unlike other existing technologies, the device is able to permanently reduce the germination capacity of seeds, which has not yet been achieved by any other method. The results of the work include the permanent elimination of unwanted invasive plants from various habitats, including naturally valuable areas, e.g. Natura 2000, landscape parks, and natural parks. The authors propose microwave radiation emitted from a horn antenna onto plants and into the ground to destroy invasive vegetation. The radiation emitted in this way causes heating of the plants and the ground, including the roots, which causes protein denaturation in them and thus their annihilation. The undeniable advantage of this solution is also the heating and therefore destruction of numerous seeds around the invasive plants, from which new invasive plants could arise in the next growing season.