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Innovation Weedbot
Tertill is a $300 pie-size, waterproof, solar-
powered robot designed to roam your
garden throughout the growing season,
shredding weeds with a miniature
weed whacker.A gardener places
protective wickets
around the seedlings
he or she wants to grow.When Tertill’s shell touches
a plant, sensors determine if
it’s taller than an inch, telling
the robot to steer clear. As
Tertill runs over smaller plants,
sensors underneath activate
a string trimmer.Innovators
Joe Jones and Rory MacKean
Ages: 64 and 39
Chief technology officer and chief
executive officer of four-employee Franklin
Robotics LLC in Billerica, Mass.Origin
Jones, co-inventor
of the Roomba, and
MacKean, a mechanical
engineer, met in 2010
while working at
agricultural robot maker
Harvest Automation Inc.
They left in 2015 to
start Franklin and
develop Tertill.Funding
The team has raised
about $450,000, mostly
from crowdfunding, and
is seeking additional
investors.Market
Jones and MacKean
are focused on the
home market for now,
but they envision
expanding into
landscaping and farming
with larger robots.Rivals
Other, pricier robotic
mowers cut down every
plant within a preset
path, making them
unsuitable for gardens.Having completed working prototypes, Franklin plans to ship preorders in May and new
orders later in 2018. John Santagate, research director at analyst IDC, says Tertill’s utility
and low price make it promising. —Michael BelfioreNext
Steps① Shield ② Sense
COURTESY FRANKLIN ROBOTICS