TurfRobot

The sun emits energy across a range of wavelengths. While visible light forms the colors we see, ultraviolet (UV) radiation lies just beyond the visible spectrum. UV radiation is divided into three types: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA, with the longest wavelength, reaches the earth’s surface. UVB is mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, with only a small amount reaching the ground. UVC, with the shortest wavelength, is completely absorbed by the atmosphere and does not reach the earth. Because of its high energy, UVC is often used for disinfection in food, air, and water applications.

For over 40 years, UVC radiation has been used to disinfect water, air, pharmaceutical products, and surfaces. Microorganisms, including fungi and viruses, possess genetic material—either DNA or RNA. DNA molecules consist of two strands bound together by four bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). When organisms are exposed to UVC light within the range of 200 nm to 280 nm, the light penetrates their cell walls and disrupts the DNA molecules, specifically targeting the thymine bases. Disrupted DNA becomes unable to replicate, leading to the demise of the fungi before it can harm your turfgrass or players.

With the Disease Forecast modules in TurfBase, you’ll know exactly when and how often to apply UVC treatment to your playing surface. Get a 7-day prediction of disease pressure for all common turfgrass diseases.

Using the intuitive control panel on TurfRobot, selecting treatment areas on your grass playing surface is effortless. Easily treat the entire playing surface or target specific sections with precision, and choose between horizontal or vertical application strokes to best suit your needs.

TurfRobot is a self-navigated (autonomous) machine, equipped with latest 3D LiDAR technology for advanced mapping and smart scanning. It follows pre-set boundaries defined in the system, ensuring it only treats designated areas. Its object detection feature ensures smooth navigation, even in GPS-denied stadium environments, allowing other maintenance work to continue at the same time.

On a fully charged battery, TurfRobot can cover up to 8,000 m², which is slightly more than one standard football pitch. This means the treatment time for a full football pitch is typically around 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the exact size, layout of the playing surface and direction of treatment.

TurfRobot’s autonomous capabilities ensure consistent and thorough coverage of the treatment area without the need for constant supervision, freeing up valuable time for groundsmen and greenkeepers.

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses to measure distances. TurfRobot’s LiDAR sensor sends out thousands of beams in a 360° arc, creating a real-time 3D map by measuring how long the beams take to bounce back. This enables precise, autonomous navigation on the pitch.

TurfRobot is designed specifically for treating natural grass playing surfaces in stadium environments and training grounds. Using advanced 3D LiDAR technology, TurfRobot scans and maps its surroundings, generating a highly detailed model of the entire pitch. This precise mapping enables reliable navigation in enclosed or semi-enclosed sports playing surfaces where traditional GPS signals may be limited. TurfRobot is not suitable for use on open, unfenced, or expansive areas such as golf courses, where these reference structures are not present.