PATS Indoor Drone Solutions, Delft - Theme Award (2022)

PATS Indoor Drone Solutions is a young business that exploits the ability to detect and eradicate harmful insects in greenhouses using drones. PATS helps growers in greenhouse horticulture to reduce crop losses, limit the use of crop protection products and automate a labour-intensive process. The system consists of a small drone, a charging station and a camera system. The camera system can search for pest insects, after which the drone eliminates the insect. The more data the software acquires as input, the better it can provide the growers with information about pest insects and the drones can do their work.

The jury said: PATS drones is a company with a high ‘charm factor’: technology that appeals to the imagination and enthusiastic entrepreneurs. They are striving to translate the possibilities offered by technology into answers to the grower’s challenges.

With technology from the aerospace engineering faculty at TU Delft and input from horticulture businesses, they are working on new, valuable developments for sustainable and chemical-free crop protection.

Pats Drones has been nominated by Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek