Floral Disruptor - Directed Energy Weed Abatement and Prevention Tool

ABSTRACT: Global Neighbor, Central State University for the past 5 years collaborated to develop and commercialize chemical free weed control for residential applications. Having completed research into UV/IR directed energy, super-heated steam at the root, and thermal weed control; GNI has successfully commercialized products from this effort. The GNI/CSU team is ready to use this experience and develop new techniques to solve the Air Force"s requirements. For groomed areas such as grass, we envision an automated weed identification sensor used to position our UV/IR directed energy weed control, working in tandem with equipment that is already in use. For non-specific, broad area weed abatement such as clearing an area, we envision using the UV/IR directed energy applied uniformly over the previously mowed area. For this effort, we need to complete the Phase 1 effort to establish effective levels of exposure and appropriate algorithms for the sensor to discriminate weed from plant. Our goal for phase 1 is the ability to create a mobile solution that is convenient for the AF to implement and extendable to residential and commercial applications. BENEFIT: Reduce Air Force's use of chemical based herbicides while providing a platform for automatic chemical free weed control for residential and commercial building applications