Design of a drone based injection system for pine and oak processionary treatment.

The aim of this work is the preliminary design of a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and reliable injection system for the treatment of the pine and oak processionary moths. The system has been designed to be integrated with a commercial drone, namely the DJI m300 or DJI m350 drones. The proposed system includes a mobile arm enabling the precise injection of a liquid suspension containing dispersed fungal spores directly into the nests, thereby mitigating environmental contamination. The design approach considered the preferred use of commercially available components, where feasible. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has been used for the realization of the components, coupled with structural analysis through Finite Element Method (FEM) software. Market-available components have been selected and included in the analyses. The work, carried out in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde and Ergatek s.r.l., is the initial phase of a longer term project to develop a drone based system able to recognise and treat the nests fully autonomously.