UK-based start-up BioCarbon Engineering is planning to use drones to plant up to one billion trees a year, which could make drones a quickest solution to eliminate deforestation.
Owned by former Nasa engineer Lauren Fletcher, the company aims to use automation technologies to counter industrial scale destruction of global forests.
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For the project, the company is reportedly working VulcanUAV which produces machines that can carry payloads up to 8kg.
The drones will incorporate a computer algorithm to evaluate potential areas for reforestation, and will fly 2m or 3m above the ground, to shoot spherical pods containing pre-germinated seeds using a pressurised air canister.
Fletcher said: "The only way we’re going to take on these age-old problems is with techniques that weren’t available to us before.
"By using this approach, we can meet the scale of the problem out there."
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By GlobalDataThe company expects to plant 36,000 trees a day using the drone technology at around 15% cost of traditional planting methods.
BioCarbon Engineering said in a blog post: "Together with tree seeds, we hope to seed in other species including micro-organisms and fungi to improve the soil quality and ensure long-term sustainability of our efforts."
Earlier this year, BioCarbon Engineering’s prototype was showcased at the Drones for Good competition in the UAE.
The company intends to develop a fully working drone later this year.
Image: BioCarbon Engineering’s proposed drones will will fly two or 3m above the ground, to shoot spherical pods containing pre-germinated seeds. Photo: courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
