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One of the companies supported by AERO EDIH is FLOX Robotics, whose mission is to enable humans and wild animals to live in harmony. They are now taking help from Aero to further develop their systems, obtain permits from the Swedish Transport Agency, and expand their market areas.
The journey began about three years ago at KTH Innovation. Sara and her co-founder realized they had a unique combination of expertise in robotics, AI, automation, and the rapidly growing drone market. Since then, they have experienced phenomenal growth with numerous new collaborations. FLOX Robotics is dedicated to harmonizing the coexistence of humans and wildlife. They actively work to merge AI and robotics through drones to solve problems they see. By combining these elements, FLOX offers solutions that enhance coexistence and protect agricultural lands and wild species.
“Our drones are like a sheepdog that can identify animals, make decisions about the situation, and emit sound signals to move animals away from an area. Sometimes it’s misunderstood that we scare the animals, but that’s not true. We aim to ‘steer’ them away from places they shouldn’t be,” says Sara Nozkova, CEO, and co-founder.
FLOX Robotics’ drones are equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and AI algorithms, enabling precise and safe interactions with animals. These drones use specially developed sound signals to gently steer animals away from danger zones, showcasing a perfect symbiosis of technology and nature. The company takes great care in considering the environmental impact and ethical aspects of their work. The drones’ design minimizes disturbances in animals’ natural habitats and behaviors while ensuring their well-being is always a priority.
Due to climate change, animal populations have increased. It’s not always about moving animals from one place to another; we also assist with wildlife surveys and population monitoring over large areas. Currently, this is done with helicopters, but drones are much more climate friendly.
“We also identified a problem with wild boars and deer damaging golf courses and newly planted forests. The drones automatically help keep the animals away from these areas. A drone can herd up to 200-300 animals, easing the burden for forestry companies and farms,” Sara continues.
Another main area for FLOX is increasing flight safety at airports, where they done several tests and projects at Swedavia’s airports in Sweden. Bird strikes and small animals pose a challenge to flight safety, especially during takeoff and landing. FLOX’s drone-based wildlife management technology with automated flights contributes to increased safety and more secure operations by detecting and deterring wild animals before they collide with an aircraft engine, potentially causing damage costing millions. This work is done in close contact with the control tower, discussing and controlling safety risks before planes take off and land.
FLOX vision is to connect with other airports, municipalities, major forestry companies, or farms where their drones can help, day and night, to secure locations and facilitate work. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to know more about FLOX Robotics and their solution.
Read the full PR: FLOX aims to revolutionize how humans and wildlife coexist in shared landscapes with the aid of AI & robotics on drones – Aero EDIH
