Meet Tertill, the gardening robot that takes care of tedious outdoor chores for you while you’re away. Similar in design to the smash-hit Roomba robot, Tertill systematically moves along your garden beds, pulling weeds and other unwanted growth as it goes.

Okay, so this little machine may not necessarily pull weeds, per se, but it does cut them off with the same string-spinning mechanism found in power edgers. After repeated choppings, the weeds eventually give up the fight and die.

Come rain or come shine, the Tertill will continue to roll along, patrolling your garden beds for budding intruders. Sensors alert it when a weed is present, which in turn initiates the cutting action.

Of course, Tertill can’t identify every plant out there, so it mostly works by assuming that everything shorter than its outer shell is a weed. If you have any new-growth plants laying around, a simple surrounding frame should keep them safe from the bot’s ultra-efficient tendencies. Plus, once those plants grow enough to be taller than the Tertill, they’ll no longer be in any danger of being cut down.

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The Tertill is also an environmentally-friendly way to garden for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s solar powered, which means it automatically continues to charge as it works. This eliminates the need for electric weed whackers all together. On top of that, the technology is designed to use battery power only when necessary, such as during a deep cloud cover. The Tertill also knows when sunlight is in short supply, dialing back the frequency of patrols during those times to optimize its usefulness.

The organic gardener will be able to appreciate the Tertill for the very obvious reason that it eliminates the need for chemicals to keep weeds under control. With a clean and tidy garden bed, vegetables and other plants don’t have to compete for resources and are ultimately more successful.

Even when spring rains work their natural magic, the Tertill will continue to seek out weeds. Boasting a waterproof design, you’ll rest easy knowing a little rain won’t keep it from its work. Plus, its built-in four-wheel drive technology keeps moving the robot forward even when the soil turns to mud. All you have to do is provide a short border around your garden space, such as a two-inch-high edging material or the side of a raised bed, so that Tertill knows its boundaries. The sensors will immediately recognize these borders and keep the device well within them.

Although its design incorporates off-road mechanisms, there are times when your Tertill might need a little help, like when a rock gets jammed inside it. When this happens, the machine will shut down to avoid further damage. Don’t worry about trekking to the garden to frequently check on your gardening robot though, because Tertill will send a message directly to your cell phone using Bluetooth technology every time there’s a problem.

The Tertill started as a 2017 Kickstarter campaign, through which 1,267 backers pledged an impressive $312,810 following an initial goal of $120,000. Today, the $299 machine is in its pre-order phase, with orders expected to start shipping in May 2019 with an included package of protective plant collars.

As a full-time resident of your garden, the Tertill earns its room and board by roaming the grounds and weed whacking on a daily basis. For anyone who doesn’t want to spend every day pulling weeds, this little helper is definitely the answer.

The post The Tertill Gardening Robot Does the Weeding While You’re Away first appeared on Dornob.