Description

ACROCrop developed by Alpha Unmanned Systems in Spain, offers an innovative drone designed for anti-frosting flights to protect crops. The drone carries out low-altitude flights to mix warmer air with the cooler air near the ground, thereby increasing the temperature and reducing the risk of frost damage. This drone technology helps in monitoring temperature and humidity in crops, reducing the risk of plagues or water stress, and decreasing the risk of crop loss due to frost.

Technical Progress

The project started with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) supplied by Alpha Unmanned Systems. The aim of the project was to demonstrate the utilization of the drone for anti-frosting in crops and verify its feasibility and benefits for crop protection. To achieve this, the drone was equipped with sensors capable of detecting convection-induced frosting conditions.

The findings from the development phase indicate that anti-frosting flights are feasible, and the use of drone-gathered imagery analysis and ground sensors for crop monitoring has even greater potential than initially anticipated. Limitations such as the limited time available to study the phenomenon and the complexity of anti-frosting flights were identified. The project's focus will shift from making small adjustments to the drone to emphasizing market dissemination and demonstrations.

The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) progressed from 4 at the execution plan stage to 6 at the development report stage, and finally reached 7 at the final report stage.

Network Progression

The project collaborated with various SMEs during the execution phase. The on-ground IoT sensors for the UAVs were provided by ELMIBIT, a Slovenian company. GeneticAI, based in Spain, developed the algorithms for the UAV's flight plan. The analysis of the images captured by the UAV using AI was carried out by Picterra S.A. in Switzerland. The drone's validation was planned to be conducted by the end-user, Finca Zerberos, at their vineyard in Spain.

An online survey was conducted with 2000 farmers growing permanent crops, who might be potential customers of the service provided by ACROCrop. The survey showed interest in frost protection from larger farms, who were ready to invest in a solution in the range of 1000-2000€.

The project was disseminated mainly through Facebook, X (former Twitter), LinkedIn, and other traffic on Alpha’s website, as well as a promotional video and webinar of the project. These efforts reached more than 7500 potential leads, confirming the interest in ACROCrop.

Start Date: December 2020

Duration: 17 months

Contact Person: Mr. Juan Perrela Clavería