It is called the "Green Steam Machine" and it is one of the only devices of its kind in the U.S. It works by using steam to burst the cell walls in plants, which effectively kills them.
The San Francisco Parks Department says the steamer will allow them to eliminate the use of pesticides in children's playgrounds and reduce it in parks and other public areas.
"We had a small demo at the children's playground at Civic Center about three weeks ago and near the end of the demo, there was a family pushing a child in a swing, maybe about 20 feet away from where we were treating. We could never do that with any pesticides," said Ralph Montana with the Parks and Recreation Department.
City officials plan to buy as many as eight of the weed-killing machines.
