Device and method for dropping vaccine for wild animals from an aircraft

Abstract

The subject of the application is a device for dropping vaccine for wild animals from an aircraft, comprising an aircraft (1) with a control module (2), a navigation system (3) and a wild animal detection system (4), and the device is equipped with a vaccine reservoir (5) with an outlet opening in its bottom, under which a vaccine feeder (6) is located. It is characterized in that the vaccine reservoir (5) is equipped with a revolver mechanism adapted to sequentially position the vaccine portion storage chambers above the outlet opening, the revolver mechanism being connected in its axis to the shaft of a drive motor (7) connected to a control module (2). The vaccine feeder (6) is a dosing-paddle feeder consisting of blades (8) attached transversely to a motor shaft (9), preferably a stepper motor, connected to the control module (2).An aircraft (1) is equipped with a winch (10) with a cable at the end of which an odor sensor (11) is connected to a control module (2). A method of dropping a vaccine for wild animals from an aircraft involves designating a flight route for the aircraft (1) to ensure precise distribution of the vaccine throughout the vaccination area, and the aircraft (1) then flies along this route. The method involves lowering an odor sensor (11) from the aircraft (1) to the ground surface during the flight at locations stored in the navigation system (3) using a winch (10) to collect odor data.If an odor corresponding to a pre-defined odor pattern of wild animals being the target for vaccination is detected, the control module (2) activates the vaccine feeder (6) and, after emptying the currently set vaccine portion storage chamber in the vaccine reservoir (5), activates the revolver mechanism for sequential positioning of subsequent vaccine portion storage chambers above the outlet opening.