Aigen unveils Element gen3 solar-powered weeding robot with 3× throughput

Aigen has launched the Element gen3, a fully solar-powered weeding robot that triples per-acre throughput compared to the gen2 released last year. The robot now covers 24-inch and 30-inch row spacings simultaneously and integrates an on-device vision model that classifies 47 weed species in real time, enabling species-specific mechanical removal. The launch comes alongside a fleet deal with Bowles Farming Company, which will deploy 40 units across 12,000 acres in California's Central Valley during the 2026 growing season. Bowles reports a 68% reduction in herbicide costs during a two-season gen2 pilot. From a technology standpoint, the gen3 swaps the previous NVIDIA Jetson compute module for a custom RISC-V edge chip co-developed with SiFive, reducing power consumption by 55% and allowing continuous 18-hour operation even under overcast skies. Solar panel efficiency gains from a perovskite-silicon tandem cell push energy capture to 28.4%. The competitive landscape is tightening: Carbon Robotics, FarmWise (now part of AGCO), and Naïo Technologies all shipped production units in 2025. What sets Aigen apart is the fully off-grid architecture - no diesel, no battery swap logistics, no charging infrastructure. For large broadacre operations, that removes the single biggest bottleneck to fleet scaling. Aigen has raised $68M to date and signals a Series C in Q3 2026 to fund European expansion and a new orchard-specific platform. The unit economics are compelling: at $185/acre/season for a service contract, payback sits below two seasons for most row-crop growers.