Insects are a Brobdingnagian problem in glasshouse horticulture . Pest controller be growers enormous amounts of money and get-up-and-go and causes the sphere much concern . Currently , pests tend to be check with biopesticides and chemical pesticide . But there is now a chemical - gratis solution and it comes from the aviation industry . Delft company PATS is developing a organization that apply drones to eliminate pilot insect plague . Its current applications let in the cultivation of gerberas and chrysanthemums for the cut flower craft . To further produce the system and conform the droning for employment with other crops , PATS has secured € 250,000 from UNIIQ investment investment firm . Alderperson Karin Zwinkels of the Municipality of Westland announce the investment during the ‘ Modern Entrepreneurship ’ event at Royal FloraHolland in Naaldwijk .
Pesticides have limited effectInsect pests are a major job for glasshouse farmers . The favourable greenhouse climate let them to flourish and regurgitate easy . Despite the increasing use of biopesticides , such as Ichneumon wasps , growers are often unable to head off using chemical substance pesticides . However , chemicals often have only a limited effect and are not widely uncommitted for every type of pest . Some products also have side effects , both on the crop and beyond . raw pest control alternatives are therefore desperately required .
Bat - like pilotless aircraft vs mothsPATS has focus on one harmful insect to begin with : moth . Their offspring , cat , can cause considerable damage to a craw , resulting in yield personnel casualty . PATS is developing a solution using micro drones . Base stations fit with monitoring photographic camera are put in throughout the nursery . As soon as a flying moth is detect , a dawdler is activated and take aim towards the moth at lightning speed . It collides with the worm , which is then toss out of by the drone ’s rotating propellers : a swift squash racquet - like action that rent just a few second . Once the insect has been eliminate , the drone returns to the substructure station to recharge for the next mission . In direct contrast to the methods presently available , this system actively hunt insect pests to prevent them from spreading further throughout the nursery .
By using the investment funds from UNIIQ to strengthen its R&D squad , PATS will accelerate mathematical product developing , exposit its knowledge basis and bring down time to market . Co - father Bram Tijmons , Sjoerd Tijmons and Kevin van Hecke are passing pleased with the investment . “ We at PATS are very happy about UNIIQ ’s confidence in our team and our engineering , ” says Bram Tijmons . “ The investment will be used for further technical mathematical product growing and to expand the company ’s knowledge base . Our innovative software will allow us to support many conclusion users in their solar day - to - day harvest protection activities . ”
“ PATS , a spinoff of TU Delft , focuses on a major problem confront by the greenhouse and horticultural sphere , ” state UNIIQ Fund Manager Liduina Hammer . “ The founders have research background knowledge at MAVlab , TU Delft ’s drone lab , and UNIIQ ’s financial support will give them the chance to validate this substitute , forward-looking approach to pest dominance . ”
Source : Innovation Quarter ( Liduina Hammer )
