Agricultural Drone Usage Could be a $32 Billion Market

Agricultural efficiency is poised to take a big leap with drone technology now that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is streamlining regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles. A recent report from PwC pegs the addressable market for agricultural drones to be worth a whopping $32.4 billion, second only to infrastructure.

That’s a big number. And the interesting part is that PwC isn’t the only one expecting drones to revolutionize agriculture.

1. Bank of America Merrill Lynch projects agriculture to make up almost 80% of the commercial drone market in the future, with the potential to generate $82 billion worth of economic activity in the U.S. between 2015 and 2025.
2. Goldman Sachs predicts the agriculture sector to be the largest user of drones in the U.S. and the second largest in the world in the next five years.
3. Research company Markets and Markets estimates the agricultural drone market to grow at a compounded average rate of 30% through 2022.

Not surprisingly, drone makers like AeroVironment Inc. are increasingly focusing on agriculture. The latest example is AeroVironment’s Quantix drone, which it unveiled at the just-concluded Drone World Expo at San Jose, California. AeroVironment expects Quantix’s features like one-touch launch, which makes it easier to map fields and gather instant analytics, to strike a chord with farm operators.

In fact, even technology companies are throwing their weight behind agricultural drones. Consider Raven Industries which specializes in navigation and radar systems solutions. Raven took a big leap earlier this year when it became the exclusive distribution partner for AgEagle’s agricultural unmanned aerial systems (UAS). AgEagle uses advanced technology like GoPro Inc. cameras and sensors in its UAS to capture real-time data for crop surveillance.

Considering that Raven already has long-standing partnerships with leading agricultural-equipment manufacturers like Deere & Company and AGCO Corporation I wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more agricultural companies pump money into drone technology in coming years.

Wait, they’re already doing it!

Agricultural companies are getting serious about drones

This past April, DuPont invested an undisclosed sum in drones company PrecisionHawk. The news took the market by surprise, as it isn’t every day you see an agricultural company turn into a venture capitalist. Clearly, DuPont must be expecting the agricultural drone market to take off to have made the move. PrecisionHawk cited how both companies “recognize the opportunity for drone technology solutions in agriculture,” backed by analysts’ estimates that peg the “economic impact” of the technology to cross a whopping $60 billion in 10 years.

On the other side of the agriculture spectrum, farm-equipment manufacturers are quietly digitalizing farms by adopting precision agriculture — a modern farm management concept that uses sensors to scan, record, and collect data from fields. Over time, the scope of precision agriculture has expanded vastly to include GPS, automated systems, geomapping, and satellite imagery. Drones are the latest addition to the list.

Several drone technology and software companies like Sentera and Agribotix have recently tied up with Deere Operations Center to extend their products and solutions to Deere dealers and customers. The Deere Operations Centre platform allows users to gather, analyze, and manage data related to equipment and farm operations virtually. You may call it remote farming. In line with its focus to automate agriculture, Deere is upgrading its Operations Centre with new mobile apps and software.

SOLO AGCO EDITION UAV. IMAGE SOURCE: AGCO

But none of it comes even close to what AGCO has done on the drone front. Hold your breath: AGCO already has a UAV to its credit! Launched last year, the SOLO AGCO Edition drone is equipped with GoPro cameras and can scout about 240 acres in 20 minutes to provide high-resolution aerial field maps.

With AGCO already taking the plunge, you may soon see more and more drones flying over farms, especially given how beneficial drones can be to farmers.

How drones fit into agriculture

Farmers today face one of the world’s biggest challenges: to feed a growing population amid weather blips and shrinking arable land. The key lies in boosting crop yields — something drones can help achieve.

Agricultural drones are high-tech systems that can do things a farmer can’t: scan everycorner of the fields to assess soil, monitor crop health, apply fertilizers, even track weather and estimate yields, and then collect the data and analyze it for prompt action. In short, drones can mechanize every step of farming, eliminating the costs of human errors and enabling farmers to react quickly to threats (such as drought conditions and pests), helping them maximize income and returns on investment in the end.

Long story short, drones can transform agriculture, and with the market potential now pegged at a whopping $32 billion, investors should keep a close watch on the companies that are investing in the technology.

Source: Motley Fool

Intel's Shooting Star, 500 Drone-Lightshow

Verizon Takes Drones Beyond Traditional Industries

Verizon made the news with its use of different types of drones to enhance network performance, but the fact that drones are being used for things like better 4G LTE service is probably the biggest news, showing UAVs entering more and more areas at a fast pace.

Verizon revealed in October how the company is using drones to enhance network performance and reliability, and how different types of drones were used for different tasks. There are the sort of uses that showcase a pioneering experience which widens the application of drones in daily life. They also demonstrate that UAVs, both big and small, have a role to play in our future since everything from small unmanned aircraft systems to a 17-foot wingspan drone were used.

Small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) were used to conduct cell site inspections in the Carolinas in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. The aerial footage allowed rapid assessment of any damage to cell sites that were inaccessible by land due to the flood waters.

Verizon’s first drone venue inspection at the Circuit of the America’s (COTA) racetrack in Austin, TX was conducted to measure network coverage in advance of a major event Oct. 21-23. The UAS carried two smartphones to test the 4G LTE network and record data. The drones were able to fly easily over a large concert area, rows of bleachers and spectator areas still under construction. The drone-based system performance testing took approximately 50 per cent of the time it would take to walk the venue.

The definitive test came with the use of  a drone at Cape May Airport, N.J. to test delivering 4G LTE network coverage from the drone itself, as essentially a small cell site in the sky. This was the first-ever test with Verizon’s Airborne LTE Operations (ALO) during an emergency management and disaster recovery exercise. The successful test proved that 4G LTE coverage can be provided from an aircraft to first-responders in the event no traditional service is available.

The test used a 17-foot wingspan RS-20 UAS, owned and operated by American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (AATI) with pilots controlling it from the ground. With FAA authorization the UAS was approved to fly up to 7,500 feet (but was tested with Verizon’s network at 3,000 feet and below). The aircraft is capable of flying up to 22,000 feet. The UAS can fly 12-16 hours at a time.

The technical trial was conducted under a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) issued by the FAA to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The NJIT approved the operation and participated in the research conducted by Verizon and AATI. Data on the flight activity was shared with the FAA in order to advance its goal of safely integrating UAS into the National Airspace.

Both quadcopter style UAS were owned and operated by Measure, who uses different types of drones based on the flight needs. These drones weigh 55 lbs or less. Both capture HD video images and can be equipped to capture network performance data.Measure operates under FAA authorization with a two-person crew that includes a ground pilot and visual observer for safe, legal and insured operations.

Source: Commercial UAV News

Tech Inspired By Nikola Tesla Charges Drones In Mid-Air

Everything that flies must eventually land. Unless, say, it’s an all-electric drone that can recharge while in flight. Researchers at Imperial College London have demonstrated a way to transfer electricity wireless to a flying drone. Even better: they did so building on a concept pioneered by Nikola Tesla. The technology uses inductive coupling, a concept initially demonstrated by inventor Nikola Tesla over 100 years ago. Two copper coils are tuned into one another, using electronics, which enables the wireless exchange of power at a certain frequency. Scientists have been experimenting with this technology for decades, but have not been able to wirelessly power flying technology.

Removing the battery from an off-the-shelf drone, the researchers attached a copper ring to the drone’s electronics. Then, a transmitter on the ground connected to a power supply made a magnetic field. When the drone flew into the field, hovering at a distance of no more than 4 inches above it, it was able to draw power from that field, and convert it into direct current to power the small flying machine.

The technology is still constrained by the narrow gap between drone and charger; 4 inches away from the charger is better than being plugged into it, but it’s not a ton of space. Still, the team at Imperial College London seems confident in the results, floating concepts for drones that charge over power lines, drones that charge other drones, and even inductive charging stations that can land on Mars to recharge tired robotic rovers. There’s also concept art for a military vehicle that can charge ground robots under a hatch in the back and keep drones powered through a charger on the roof.

It’s an electrifying vision of the future, where robots stay in the sky for as long as there’s a close enough power station nearby to keep them charged.

Source: Flipboard

Drones Used in Railroad Safety Inspections

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway became part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Pathfinder Program in creating a frame work for the commercial use of drones. 

On the Everett waterfront, BNSF demonstrated the use of small drones, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), to inspect the seawall that holds up the tracks as they run along the water.

The railroad is using the drones, equipped with cameras capable of ultra high definition video cameras, to inspect the tiniest details and look for any signs of trouble.  The railroad also uses the drones to inspect bridges, especially underneath, and in some cases even trains themselves.

It’s not that people haven’t been inspecting seawalls and bridges – human inspectors are still required.  Drones can allow them to cover ground faster, identify problem areas quicker, and get a view and perspective they couldn’t get before, such as inspecting the seawall by moving from the water over the tracks, instead of relying from one angle aboard a  boat and  another angle by  foot or aboard a rail mounted truck.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad became part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Pathfinder Program in creating a frame work for the commercial use of drones. (Photo: BNSF)

The railroad’s Bruce Teel, who is a manager of roadway planning, says the drones make inspections safer for employees,  such as spending less time hanging from ropes under bridges, lessening the risk of falling, and other hazards.

Under the Pathfinder program, commercial users could fly with an exemption from the FAA.  Recent months saw the first legal commercial uses for drones, although hobbyists have not been as restricted.

The basics of the new commercial rules restrict drones to a weight of less than 55 pounds. The operator must also be licensed to fly them and maintain visual contact with the drone all while maintaining an altitude below 400 feet.  Drones also cannot be flown over populated areas.

The next steps in expanded flight could include flying heavier drones out of sight, along with higher altitudes, but those ideas are still under study.

Source: King5