"Utilizing sense-and-avoid technology payloads on board all drones and UAVs will be a critical step in overcoming public safety concerns,” says R.S. Tahim, president and CEO of Advanced Defense Technologies. “Once autonomous aircraft are used with a high rate of success in rural areas we expect a transition toward precision agriculture and the utilization of drone technology to reduce costs and maximize yields.”
Sense-and-avoid systems onboard the company's UAVs will automatically steer the pilotless craft away from obstacles and potentially crash land the aircraft in a safe area—and, in turn, expedite the use of UAVs for commercial market sectors, including agriculture.
Potential applications include:
- Monitoring moisture levels and carcinogen in crops and vineyards
- Detection of carcinogen and pathogen levels in soil
- Identifying and monitoring the spread of crop destroying pests
- Monitoring of farm equipment
- Following the progress and quality of work of autonomous combine harvesters
Follow Avionics Intelligence news updates on Twitter (@Avionics_Intel), LinkedIn, and Google+.
Precision agriculture image courtesy Shutterstock.
