(ECNS) -- A robot equipped with 108 mechanical arms has been deployed in cotton fields in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, automating cotton topping, one of the most labor-intensive tasks in cotton production. 

Developed by Xinjiang-based agricultural robotics company Viewer Tech, the unmanned machine uses advanced sensors and machine vision technology to perform more than 300,000 cuts per hour. （Screenshot from CCTV News）

Standing 3.8 meters tall and weighing 8 metric tons, the robot can cover up to 2 hectares per hour, making it approximately 120 times more efficient than manual labor, according to the manufacturer.

The fourth-generation robot uses binocular vision cameras and AI algorithms to scan individual cotton plants and identify the appropriate topping point within milliseconds.

Its 108 mechanical arms then carry out precise cutting operations, mimicking the technique of experienced cotton farmers.

Trials have shown that robotic topping can increase average cotton yields by nearly 600 kilograms per hectare and generate a net gain of more than 3,000 yuan (about $420) per hectare, said Liu Hangxing, general manager of Viewer Tech.

Xinjiang’s cotton industry has already achieved a mechanization rate of more than 97% in cultivation and harvesting. Agricultural enterprises and research institutions across the region are continuing to develop intelligent farming technologies to improve precision, efficiency and productivity.

(By Helen Mo, intern Liu Shuangjing)