UAV Pollination

Greenhouse Pollination System

Presenter: William Cowles

Co-Presenter(s):
Alex Kudelin, Shelby Liddicoet

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 20-21

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Nansong Wu

Department: Engineering

Funding Source/Sponsor: Koret Scholars Program

President's Strategic Plan Goal: Sustainability and Environmental Inquiry

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1JJ0hjdvvL7zKyKwC_iFESYXDdlHL61P7

Abstract:
Greenhouses are designed to regulate internal climate conditions, protect plants from pests, and from outside contamination. These enclosed structures aid farmers by extending the growing season as well as optimizing crop health. The tradeoff for these enhancements is the exclusion of natural pollinators. Costly and laborious artificial pollination methods are needed to compensate for this problem. This report presents the design and ongoing development of a drone pollinator as well as pest and crop control that can assist the agricultural industry using greenhouses. The design we are proposing is intended to be cost-effective, automatic and configurable for different internal structures. The drone, with a pre-programmed route, will be installed in a greenhouse and set up in a specific location where it can be loaded with pollen or other materials needed in agriculture. When pollination needs to be performed the user simply runs the command for the drone to start the process. Once activated the drone will take off on its own, fly to the designated location, and initiate the pollination process. Upon completion the drone returns to its starting position for recharge, refill and await its next pollination instructions. Our goal is to improve farms by making them more efficient and assist certain bee populations that are currently in decline.