During each growing season, thousands of pilots across the United States take to the skies in small aircraft loaded with large quantities of pesticides, flying at speeds exceeding 140 miles per hour just above the ground. This field of agricultural aviation is both essential and perilous for America’s farming sector, with fatal accidents occurring all too frequently. Enter Guardian Ag—a company founded by former MIT Electronics Research Society (MITERS) innovators Adam Bercu and Charles Guan ’11. They introduce a safer solution to traditional crop dusting: a robust drone designed to autonomously transport and spray payloads of up to 200 pounds across vast farmlands.
The Guardian Ag drone boasts an impressive 18-foot spray radius, 80-inch rotors, custom battery technology, and aerospace-grade materials, all tailored to make crop spraying not just safer, but also more efficient and cost-effective for farmers.
“Our goal is to integrate advanced technology into expansive American farms, essentially replacing hazardous options like tractors and airplanes,” Bercu explains.
“With Guardian, operators can arrive about 30 minutes before spraying is scheduled, mix the product, and use our app to plan their flight path. The app also provides a time estimate for task completion,” he says. “Thanks to our rapid charging system, recharging the drone occurs simultaneously with tank filling, streamlining the process.”
From Battlebots to Farmlands
Bercu’s fascination with robotics began in his youth in South Florida, where he participated in robotics competitions, constructed prototypes, and scavenged for components. It was at one such competition that he met Charles Guan, who later pursued mechanical engineering at MIT, leading to a lasting friendship.
“When Charles enrolled at MIT, he urged me to move to Cambridge,” Bercu recalls. “He said, ‘You have to come here; I’ve found a community of hackers like us!’”
Upon visiting Cambridge, Bercu was captivated by the vibrant makerspaces and hacker ethos of the area. He moved shortly after, spending countless hours at locations like the Artisans Asylum in Somerville and MIT’s International Design Center, where Guan held multiple leadership roles at MITERS.
“MIT allowed significant freedom and creativity for its students, particularly in student-run organizations like MITERS, setting it apart from other elite institutions,” Guan notes, emphasizing his deep involvement with MITERS during his academic career.
After graduating, Guan and Bercu founded a hardware consulting firm and showcased their skills on the hit show Battlebots. Guan also shared his expertise as a design instructor in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, guiding students in building go-karts.
Eventually, the duo shifted focus to develop a drone company, recognizing electric batteries’ potential due to declining prices and established supply chains for electric vehicles. “People pursued funding for eVTOL [electric vertical take-off and landing] aircraft, but we realized that diesel remained superior for long-distance endeavors. However, for short missions requiring peak power, electric systems outshined combustion engines,” Bercu elaborates.
This insight led them to consider using drones for crop spraying. Bercu’s background in an aviation family and connections with aerial pesticide applicators fueled their motivation.
“It’s a high-paying yet perilous job,” Bercu laments. “In the U.S., we tragically lose between 1 and 2 percent of agricultural pilots each year to fatal accidents while performing dangerous low-altitude flights.”
After piece-mealing spare components from Battlebots and their consulting gigs, the founders built a 600-pound drone. Once it was airborne, they decided to launch Guardian Ag, receiving essential early support and funding from the MIT-associated investment firm, the E14 Fund.
They spent the next year consulting with crop dusters and farmers while engaging with the Federal Aviation Administration.
“There wasn’t a regulatory category for our technology,” Bercu states. “Working with the FAA, we not only navigated the approval process but also contributed to establishing operational standards.”
Guardian carefully engineered its batteries for optimal drone performance. Depending on the specific farm, Bercu claims his drones can dispatch approximately 1.5 to 2 tons of payload per hour.
Additionally, Guardian’s drones provide a more precise method of spraying compared to traditional aircraft, significantly mitigating the environmental ramifications associated with pesticide runoff.
“This drone can easily replicate detailed designs across 20 acres, though we’re not utilizing that capability just yet,” Bercu comments. “For operators used to tractors, we aim to transition them to drone technology in under a week.”
Scaling for Farmers
So far, Guardian Ag has manufactured eight aircraft actively conducting payload deliveries over farms in California, where they are currently in trials with paying clients. The company is now ramping up production at its 60,000-square-foot facility in Massachusetts, with a backlog worth hundreds of millions of dollars in drone orders.
“Demand from growers has been exceptional,” Bercu enthuses. “They immediately recognize the value of our large drone with ample capacity.”
Looking ahead, Bercu envisions Guardian’s drones tackling a variety of tasks beyond agriculture, including ship-to-ship logistics and supply delivery to offshore oil rigs, but for now, the focus is firmly on farming.
“Agriculture is foundational to our nation,” asserts Ashley Ferguson MBA ’19, Chief Operating Officer of Guardian Ag. “We collaborate with multigenerational farming families, and the shift towards aerial spraying is becoming increasingly apparent. Notably, there’s an acute pilot shortage in agricultural applications, presenting a significant opportunity.”
Seven years after launching Guardian, Bercu expresses gratitude for the MIT community’s warm reception when he relocated to Cambridge.
“Without MIT’s support, this journey would not have been possible,” Bercu reflects. “Though I wasn’t able to attend college, I hope to apply to MIT one day for my engineering undergraduate degree or to enroll in the Sloan School of Management. I hold MIT close to my heart, and I’ll always appreciate the opportunities it provided.”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
