Farming with Drones the Next Biggest U.S. Robot Market?

Farmers are looking into the possibility of utilizing plane drones to spray crops, scan soil patterns and perform other tasks on American farms.

As the country’s contentious use of drones continues, the Department of Defense moves on to newer UAV models and the question of what to do with older versions arises. While NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly stated that the NYPD is exploring the option of drones, major farming companies have also shown an interest.

“A manned crop sprayer is flying 10 feet above his crops — how accurate is it? Any crop you spray that isn’t on your farm you have to pay for, and a remote-controlled ‘copter can be very precise,” says Chris Mailey, vice president of the drone promotion organization named AUVSI. “Spraying, watering — there’s a whole market for precision agriculture, and when you put that cost-benefit together, farmers will buy [drones].”

The possibility of drone farm use will inevitably depend on how manufacturers of these unmanned robots tailor pricing for farmers, the latter who have a laundry list of other expensive equipment needed to maintain their crops.

H/T + PicThx Animal