INNOVATORS plan to manufacture drones that will revolutionise sustainable farming in Wales after successful trials at a Denbighshire college.
Trials took place at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, near Ruthin.
The ‘Green Eagle’ drone was able to identify weeds and on-land issues before targeting them with pesticides, saving time, money and providing a carbon-neutral alternative to existing methods.
Led by Anglesey-based M-SParc in partnership with tenants AerialWorx and Fortytwoable - who built the AI (Artificial Intelligence) model – and BIC Innovation, the project was supported by Ambition North Wales.
Dewi Jones, farm manager at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, said: “I was delighted to see the progress made in producing and adapting the Green Eagle over the relatively short period of time we had working with the partners.
“It is now an advanced piece of equipment that can perform what was envisaged at the start of the project, which shows just what can be achieved when forward-thinking people from different backgrounds and disciplines work on new ideas and concepts that come together to form a new product.”
SEE: Ruthin pupils among those at NFU Cymru event at Coleg Llysfasi
He added: “The current and future potential applications for the Green Eagle in agriculture are wide and varied and I wish the companies well in taking their achievements and ideas forward into what will undoubtedly be a world that will demand a productive and sustainable farming industry fit for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”
M-SParc revealed proposals are in place to move to phase three following the success of the trials.
A spokesperson said: “This was a fantastic example of tenant collaboration and Fortytwoable and BIC Innovation are now working on a commercialisation plan in light of Fortytwoable identifying a new commercial opportunity as a direct result of this project.”
Dyfed Morgan, life cycle assessment officer and sustainability champion at M-SParc, added: “As part of our work we carried out a life cycle assessment to investigate the environmental impacts and footprint associated with all stages of the project.
“The result of our assessment showed embodied carbon emitted for the drones is 131 times lower across their life cycle than a traditional tractor to carry out the same work, reinforcing the merits of this project from a carbon footprint perspective."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here