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Rolla, ND | I am not so sure drone technology will primarily be airplane. Long term i think I can visualize a lot of small ground based drones that would do work I would find helpful. Air I can see some applications but the labor involved to actually do scouting type work on a regular basis is just a killer.
Today, with the air, in my low price large field crops. I can see a use in evaluating hail and pesticide damage from drift type of situations. There are other times a shot would be handy but more a one time shot not a routine thing.
Ground, I would love a little machine that would do things like take stand counts. Could have solar power so not just a battery slave. No reason a ground machine couldn't detect nutrient problems or detect disease or insects.
Problem would be if the dog decided they were something to take home and play with or something that should be grabbed and vilently shaken.
The idea would basically be to use drone to direct the human scouting. Thus allowing to more efficiently cover acreage.
Flying would be more in the smaller or higher value crops. Like I can see it being good for regular pictures of an orchard to pick up if a tree or tree has something wrong. Or where regular repeated fungicides are being used to see if the fungicide is working or is there a problem like resistance.
And drones would be great if you have things like saltwater lines to regularly check for leaks. In populated areas to use lidar to detect gas leaks I just don't think that is going to fly. Better to make a deal with the mosquito vector control to srap a sensor onto their plane. | |
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what can a drone do in regards to ag??
