HERE COME THE AGRIDRONES
As it turns out, UAVs may
indeed have applications in the
enclosed space of a greenhouse
or other agricultural facility.”
Interview with an Expert
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems
International, an organization dedicated to
advancing the unmanned systems and robotics
community, has focused on agriculture for the
past three years. Miles Thompson, president
of the Atlanta chapter, shares his views on the
current and future states of agricultural UAVs.
How closely do you see the
technologies of general robotics and
UAVs converging in the future?
The most promising application is in crop monitoring.
Camera drones are generally too big and heavy to safely
operate around plants in an enclosed space, but there are
numerous small systems in development. The MicroUAV
Lab at Delft University in the Netherlands has developed
lightweight machines with on-board cameras that fly with a
flapping action. As soon as it is plugged in, the UAV can fly
around a room in obstacle-avoidance mode. MicroUAVs may
also find use in the precision application of chemicals when
needed for pest management, or to collect samples from
difficult-to-access locations.
UAVs are a specific field of robotics within the
group of unmanned vehicles. Very similar and,
in some cases, the same technology is applied
across the robotics spectrum.
Currently, what is smallest device in
development for agricultural use?
The size is largely dictated by the payload,
wind conditions and mission. A UAV that flies
in a greenhouse may be as small as 6 in. in
diameter, but another that takes imagery of
thousands of acres of corn will likely be a fixedwing aircraft with at least a 6-ft. wingspan.
Most efforts on agricultural UAV work
are focused on outdoor operations.
What, if anything, is happening with
small greenhouse machines?
UAVs are mostly useful for their ability to
cover large areas quickly without regard for
terrain. Greenhouses are a slightly different
matter. UAVs have some difficulty navigating
them because they may be GPS-denied, have
tall plants or require additional infrastructure.
UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) are more
common, and even a rail-mounted overhead
robot may be more practical.
126
Maximum Yield USA | November 2015
Safety and Legal Status
Up until recently, the legality of flying a UAV depended
on what you were doing with it. The US Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) had made it clear that commercial
drone flights were illegal without approval. But in February
2015, the FAA released a set of proposed regulations
that would “allow routine use of certain small unmanned
aircraft systems in today’s aviation system, while maintaining
flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations.”