Drones could scare birds away from agricultural crops.

In the future, cameras could detect blackbirds munching on grapes in a vineyard and send out drones to chase them away, then return to keep an eye out for the next flock of intruders. All of this takes place without the presence of a human.

A research team from Washington State University has created just such a system, which they describe in a paper published in the journal Computer and Electronics in Agriculture. The system is intended to have automated drones patrolling 24 hours a day to dissuade problem birds such as European starlings and crows, which cost growers millions of dollars in stolen or destroyed fruit each year.

Manoj Karkee, associate professor in WSU's Department of Biological Systems Engineering and the study's corresponding author, said, "Growers don't really have a decent tool they can rely on for discouraging pest birds at a reasonable price." "With more refining and industry alliances, this system has the potential to succeed."

Birds are being protected and drones are being deployed automatically. Karkee's team spent several years developing a camera system and algorithm that could detect and count birds as they flew in and out of fields.

The researchers created very small drones and tested them on small plots with simulated birds.

The system is similar to drone package delivery systems in terms of technology. Because there are still several hurdles to overcome, including ensuring that the technology works at scale, complies with federal drone regulations, and continues to deter birds even when drones are commonly flying around, it will be several years before this technology is commercially available for growers.

WSU's Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems collaborated on the project. "They frequently find ways to circumvent barriers. We don't want a system that only works for a few months or years before people give up."

For the time being, drones' mobility and whirring noises are enough to scare birds away. However, sounds like as distress calls or predatory bird noises might be added, according to Karkee. Builders could even create custom drones for the task.

"We could make drones look like predators or have incredibly dazzling reflective propellers," he suggested. "Birds would be kept away from the vineyards and fields if all of these things worked together. To be sure, we'll need to do extensive research over several years."

The drone automation study is the third in a series of three on drones and bird pests. The first experiment demonstrated that manually operated drones flying at random successfully drove birds away from vineyards. Drones were found to have a four-fold reduction in bird numbers.

The second project demonstrated the impact of bird control on agricultural productivity. Karkee's team returned to the areas where they had manually chased the birds away. Damaged fruits were reduced by around half in those crops.

Karkee intends to engage with growers, technology companies, and other stakeholders to begin discussions about the next stages in developing a commercially accessible automated drone system.

He explained, "It takes time." "However, the preliminary results are promising. We're excited to continue working on this project."