Smart Drones and Greenhouse Pest Control
Engineers from PATS, a team based at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, have developed compact drones designed to manage pest populations inside greenhouses. This development has been reported by New Atlas.
The system relies on an infrared camera network connected to the internet, which continuously scans the greenhouse interior. The camera feed is analyzed by an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify pest activity and species. The approach focuses on recognizing pests while safeguarding beneficial insects that are essential to pollination and ecosystem balance, such as bees.
When a pest is detected, the signal is directed to drones that sit on a wireless charging pedestal. One drone is dispatched to the precise location of the pest. The drone then engages the target and returns to its base after the encounter, reducing the pest presence without human intervention. This process emphasizes precision and minimizes disruption to the greenhouse environment.
New Atlas reports that a basic version of the camera system is already in operation at roughly 250 sites across Europe. The full configuration, which includes the autonomous drone on the pedestal, is under ongoing testing and refinement. Scientists intend to expand deployment toward the end of 2023, subject to regulatory and safety considerations. This project illustrates a growing trend in agriculture toward automated, data-driven pest management that could translate well to large-scale operations in North America as well. (New Atlas)
In related contexts, researchers have explored how drone constellations can be used to search for people and monitor large outdoor areas, underscoring the versatility of aerial robotics in diverse applications. While these efforts differ in目的, the common thread is leveraging real-time sensor data and intelligent automation to improve efficiency and safety across industries. (New Atlas)