A Dutch salad grower is using a swarm of dozens of palm-sized drones to seek and destroy moths that are a threat to crops in his greenhouses.
The adapted drones use cameras and smart technology to scan the airspace in the greenhouses and destroy the insects with their rotors in head-on collisions.
Koppert Cress chief executive Rob Baan, who does not use pesticides on his plants, turned to technology to bring down the moths that produce caterpillars that harm his crops.
He says that 50 drone "sentries" will be enough to tackle unwanted pests.
The system is smart enough to distinguish between the moths and other insects that are beneficial for his plants.
"You don't want to kill a ladybug, because a ladybug is very helpful against aphids," Mr Baan told Associated Press.
"So they should kill the bad ones, not the good ones. And the good ones are sometimes very expensive – I pay at least 50 cents for one bumblebee, so I don't want them to kill my bumblebees."
The drone system is the brainchild of former students from the Technical University in Delft, the Netherlands, who thought they might be able to use drones to kill mosquitoes buzzing around their rooms at night.
It was taken up by technology start-up PATS Indoor Drone Solutions. "It's still a development product, but we ... have very good results,” chief executive Bram Tijmons said.
“We are targeting moths and we are taking them out every night in an autonomous way without human intervention."
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
