Real-Time Detection and Localization of Weeds in Dictamnus dasycarpus Fields for Laser-Based Weeding Control

Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs have strict environmental requirements and are highly susceptible to weed damage, while conventional herbicides can adversely affect their quality. Laser weeding has emerged as an effective method for managing weeds in precious medicinal herbs. This technique allows for precise weed removal without chemical residue and protects the surrounding ecosystem. To maximize the effectiveness of this technology, accurate detection and localization of weeds in the medicinal herb fields are crucial. This paper studied seven species of weeds in the field of Dictamnus dasycarpus, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. We propose a lightweight YOLO-Riny weed-detection algorithm and develop a YOLO-Riny-ByteTrack Multiple Object Tracking method by combining it with the ByteTrack algorithm. This approach enables accurate detection and localization of weeds in medicinal fields. The YOLO-Riny weed-detection algorithm is based on the YOLOv7-tiny network, which utilizes the FasterNet lightweight structure as the backbone, incorporates a lightweight upsampling operator, and adds structure reparameterization to the detection network for precise and rapid weed detection. The YOLO-Riny-ByteTrack Multiple Object Tracking method provides quick and accurate feedback on weed identification and location, reducing redundant weeding and saving on laser weeding costs. The experimental results indicate that (1) YOLO-Riny improves detection accuracy for Digitaria sanguinalis and Acalypha australis, ultimately amounting to 5.4% and 10%, respectively, compared to the original network. It also diminishes the model size by 2 MB and inference time by 10 ms, making it more suitable for resource-constrained edge devices. (2) YOLO-Riny-ByteTrack enhances Multiple Object Tracking accuracy by 3%, reduces ID switching by 14 times, and improves overall tracking accuracy by 3.4%. The proposed weed-detection and localization method for Dictamnus dasycarpus offers fast detection speed, high localization accuracy, and stable tracking, supporting the implementation of laser weeding during the seedling stage of Dictamnus dasycarpus.