REDMOND, Wash., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aigen, the agricultural technology company helping to reduce chemical use through smarter farming, today unveiled its Element gen2 robot for daily weed control. The company also announced a strategic partnership with Bowles Farming Company, a sixth-generation family farm in California’s Central Valley, that will see robotic crews weeding Bowles Cotton fields for the 2025 growing season, marking a significant expansion for Aigen into new crop types.
Updated based on 10,000+ hours of real-world farm experience, Element gen2 features a wider, taller design enabling operation in cotton, soy, and sugar beet fields—expanding Aigen’s addressable fields by millions of acres worldwide while helping American farmers increase yields and grow more attractive crops for export. The solar-powered robots use onboard AI vision to identify and eliminate weeds with precise ground strikes.
"With Element gen2, we've applied everything we've learned about what farmers actually need in a practical weeding solution," said Kenny Lee, CEO of Aigen. "Our robotic crews are now working in real cotton fields, providing a smarter alternative that reduces chemical use while increasing yields. Working with the renowned Bowles Farming Company validates that our robots deliver reliable, cost‑effective weed control for today’s diverse farming operations.”
Farm-Tough Robots That Actually Work
Key improvements to the Element gen2 include:
- Expanded crop compatibility – Now works in cotton, soy, and sugar beet fields.
- 50% more power – Enhanced solar panels and battery storage system ensure all-day operation without fuel
- 4x AI compute – Significantly faster weed identification and dynamic crew coordination
- New stereo depth perception – Improved accuracy for detecting weeds at various growth stages and more precise weed strikes
Each ruggedized Element robot includes all-wheel drive to handle real farm conditions—rain, mud, slopes, and rough terrain—and is built for extreme durability.
Partnership with Bowles Farming Company
The partnership with Bowles Farming Company, known for combining agricultural expertise with cutting-edge practices, represents a significant milestone in proving the technology's effectiveness and scalability.
“At Bowles, we’re always looking at emerging technologies that have the potential to help us farm more sustainably and efficiently,” said Cannon Michael, President/CEO of Bowles Farming Company. “Aigen’s autonomous robot crews are a novel approach to managing weeds without relying on traditional chemical tools. We’ve begun working with the Element gen2 units in our Pima cotton fields for the 2025 season, and while it’s still early, we’re looking forward to evaluating their performance as the season progresses. Understanding how these machines perform at scale and under real-world conditions will help us determine their long-term fit in our operation.”
A Sustainable Solution for Modern Agriculture
The Element platform is designed around three principles that leverage autonomous modularity to achieve long-term scale:
- Powered by the Sun – Robots run 100% on solar power with battery backup
- Truly Autonomous Farming – Intelligent mesh network allows robots to communicate as a crew, with no farmer intervention needed
- Farm Tough – Built specifically for agricultural environments, from rainfall to rough terrain
"Farmers are facing increasing challenges from herbicide-resistant weeds with rising chemical costs and major labor shortages," added Lee. "Our robot crews provide a practical alternative that works with nature rather than against it."
Aigen is now accepting orders for the 2026 growing season. Interested farmers are encouraged to contact the company and secure their robotic crew before availability runs out.
Watch Element in-action here: https://youtu.be/u7uVvPGonMw
About Aigen
Aigen is the agricultural technology company helping to reduce chemical use and increase yields through smarter farming. Founded in 2020 by Rich Wurden and Kenny Lee, who bring deep experience in farming, electric vehicles, and robotics, Aigen envisions a future where technology works in harmony with nature to create more sustainable and profitable farming systems worldwide.
Their first product, Element for Daily Weed Control, uses robotic crews to patrol fields with AI vision to spot and strike weeds with precision—no chemicals needed. Running 100% on solar power with battery backup, these farm-tough robots weed all day across challenging terrain so humans don't have to manually. The Element platform delivers on Aigen's mission to transform agriculture through practical, scalable technology that enhances both farm productivity and land stewardship.
Redmond-based Aigen is backed by leading deep tech investors including New Enterprise Associates, ReGen VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Cleveland Avenue, Global Founders Capital and AgFunder.
Learn more at aigen.io.
Media Contact
Sandra Phillips
media@aigen.io
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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