drones

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.

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.

"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."

"By using this approach, we can meet the scale of the problem out there."

The 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.