Game Changers: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles could open up new levels of on-farminformation and services for growers and consultants

摘要

THERE'S AN increasing buzz in the air as the number of potential commercial uses for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) - commonly known as drones - continues to grow.Agriculture has long been considered one of the top markets for UAV use. It's certainly one of the top priorities in the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test site for UAV research now underway in North Dakota. The site, which became operational more than ten weeks ahead of schedule, is the first of six test sites across the U.S. chosen by FAA for UAV research. Their goals - to show that UAVs can check soil quality and crop status as a precision agriculture tool and to collect safety-relatedoperational data needed to help integrate UAVs into U.S. airspace.