At the outset, the "Plan Bee" drone was created by Anna Haldewang of Syracuse as a college class project. Haldewang was simply trying to call attention to the shrinking number of bees when she designed the drone with pollinating capabilities. Although she can't say who she is working with at this time, her drone, Plan Bee, is now in the process of becoming a commercially produced product for the agricultural market.
As a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Syracuse native Anna Haldewang soon realized that a career in fashion design was not for her. Haldewang decided to take a break from college and work on private yachts for a year as she mulled over her future.
"I nearly gave my parents a heart attack when I told them I wanted to take a year off of school," said Haldewang.
One year became two and at the end of the second year, she was ready to return to school with a different major in mind, industrial design.
Haldewang's first class was in product development, and the professor challenged the class to come up with a self-sufficient object that stimulates the growth of plants. As Haldewang researched plant growth, she became interested in the decline of pollinator species and, more specifically, bees.
"I really wanted to create a product that brings awareness to this issue. The class was designed to create a form, a concept, and so I came up with a cross-pollinating drone. Ideally, how it works is that there are holes at the bottom of it so as it approaches the flower, it sucks up the pollen and then as it approaches another flower, it spits it back out from those holes," said Haldewang.
Her first designs were too literal, according to the young woman, recalling the feedback she received from her professor and classmates. Haldewang realized that she didn't have to reinvent the bee. Rather, she needed to create an object that could carry out the tasks of a bee. Plan Bee was born.
The design is hexagonal in shape, with black and yellow stripes on the six plastic loops to represent the essence of the bee. There are vents at the top and bottom of each loop. Haldewang designed the propellers to push air through the top vents and allow the gathered pollen from the previous flower to be deposited on the next flower. The drone appears flower-like when flipped upside down. There is also a tiny camera on the underside to help the drone recognize different types of flowers.
Originally, Haldewang designed the drone for backyard use. She was trying to create a connection with the owner of the drone to nature and in turn, bring attention to the bees' plight.
After the class was over, Haldewang continued to do more research and discovered hydroponic gardening and urban farming. One of the most time consuming and taxing tasks in urban farming is hand pollinating certain crops. According to Haldewang, she realized her drone might have more practical applications than simply a backyard novelty.
The agricultural sector has recognized the possibilities of the drone, as well. Haldewang is currently working with an engineer to further develop her drone and is in the process of obtaining a patent.
"When the final product comes out, it won't be this exact same size. It will definitely be a lot smaller because I have been researching more into agriculture. This (current model) wouldn't be able to maneuver around plants, especially in orchards," stated Haldewang.
The propellers were another concern to the developers. The drone's propellers were too large and would likely damage surrounding blossoms as it moves from flower to flower, said Haldewang. Fortunately, the technology is already available to make the drone autonomous. Plan Bee will be able to fly on its own, identify the flowers needing pollination and go from flower to flower easily.
What is next for Haldewang? She has already won awards for her yacht designs and has started her own company to market her projects.
"I have other business ideas besides Plan Bee that I do want to get involved in, but those are still in my head," said Haldewang.
However, she hasn't ruled out future agricultural applications.
"If I see a problem, I start thinking. When that inspiration comes, it will hit me out of nowhere. I can't be just going down one path. You have to go down the dirt roads, into the fields. I just have to be open to it," she said.