PATS-X (drone)

2023: Product Announcement

In early July 2023, Dutch researchers from Wageningen University and the Wageningen University and Research Center reported the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to kill harmful insects in agricultural areas.

This is primarily about the destruction of moths. To recognize them, a special platform of infrared cameras is used, which makes it possible to distinguish moths from other flying insects by the frequency of wing flaps and size. This is necessary in order to eliminate the likelihood of killing bees, which are necessary for pollination of plants.

PATS-C

The system is being developed by PATS. It consists of two key components - PATS-C and PATS-X. The first includes the mentioned IR cameras: at the moment when the moth enters the detection zone, the PATS-X module is activated - the drone rises into the air and tracks the insect. Next, the drone kills the moth, cutting it with its carrying screws. The drone then returns to the basing area to wirelessly charge the battery packs.

Onboard equipment drones during operation produces ultrasound in the same frequency range as bats. For this reason, some species of pest butterflies actively evade noise by heading to the ground. The system developers took this circumstance into account when creating drone control algorithms.

The basic version of PATS-C as of early July 2023 is used in approximately 250 greenhouses across Europe. Customers are informed about insect populations at their sites through a dedicated online dashboard. The PATS-X component is being tested and is due to first customers by the end of 2023. These solutions will help improve greenhouse productivity by eliminating pests.^[1]

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