Project description
Drones can kill poisonous caterpillars
Stay clear of those dangerous caterpillars. They walk in a long line across the floor of a pine forest. They would be easy prey for predators if they weren’t poisonous – they are covered with hairs that have a toxin. They spell bad news for the Mediterranean’s pine trees and for humans since their hairs can cause severe skin irritations. Their poisonous hairs are also devastating for dogs who put their noses near them. The EU-funded FitoStinger project has found a way to inject the pesticide directly into the nest without affecting the surrounding area. It uses automated drones equipped with artificial vision and a specially-designed and patented lance. This method is more effective and environmentally friendlier.
Objective
At FitoStinger S.L. we have combined the recent advances in artificial intelligence and drone technology to create an innovative solution for the pest control industry, specifically targeting the problem of Pine Processionary Caterpillars (PPC), which is an increasingly common and hazardous pest found in pine trees across the Mediterranean arch, with global warming increasing its reach. In trees PCC causes severe defoliation waekening the tree making it more susceptible to drought, fungus, forest fires etc. For people it is especially harmful due to the caterpillars urticating’s hairs which disperse through the air causing serious skin injuries, even triggering anaphylaxis in sensitive people. They can also cause various injuries to animals, by causing their tongue, oesophagus and stomach swell, which can lead to death. The hairs cause necrosis on the animal’s tongue and some lose almost all their tongue.
FitoStinger’s innovative method uses automated drones equipped with artificial vision and a specially designed and patented lance that allows the pesticide to be injected directly into the nest without affecting the surrounding area. Our method is fast, effective and environmentally friendly, unlike current state-of-the-art methods that spray the entire tree with pesticides, which is harmful to other species living in the tree as well as the humans in the area.
We are currently at TRL 7 with a semiautomated system. Once the project is completed the drone will be fully automated which will allow us to perform the treatment in half the time and increase the treatable area, potentially deploying a small fleet of drones for large parks and forested areas.
We estimate a TAM of 4,287M trees and SAM of around 1,205M infected trees. 5 years after commercialization a cum. EBITDA over €7M, an IRR of 40%, NPV of €3.5M and WACC of 10%, with 21 new employees. We also plan to expand our technology to target other pests such as Oak Processionary Caterpillars and Asian Hornets.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics autonomous robots drones
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08290 CERDANYOLA DEL VALLES
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.