How It Started - ArcWeeder
It all began with a lawn full of dandelions.When I moved into my house, I was greeted by a lawn full of weeds, especially dandelions. I tried tool after tool, but the result was almost always the same: the leaves came up, while most of the root stayed in the ground. On top of that, large holes were left in the lawn. I quickly identified the problems:
- The root would rarely be removed completely
- Large holes formed where new grass struggled to grow
- The labout was time-consuming and tiresome
I realized that it's extremely difficult to pull the entire root out of the ground, and that large holes inevitably form. And if those holes weren't filled in, the remaining root would get light, water, and nutrients — which could actually make the weed stronger.
Then it hit me: What if, instead, you chop the root into small pieces and let it become nourishment for the lawn? Not as waste, but as a natural compost where the weed dies but the soil gains new life. To test the idea, I planted chopped-up roots in pots — and saw how they lost their ability to grow. With that insight, I began experimenting and evaluating different solution concepts. I sketched, built prototypes, and tested again and again. The goal was clear: to create a tool that not only removes the weed but also strengthens the lawn.
The result was ArcWeeder - a tool that challenges old solutions with precision, power and finesse.
- Andreas Gustafsson
Sustainability
Innovation
Simplicity