March Meeting: Flying robots coming to a field near you?

Remote-controlled robotic crop scouts in the sky? Tiny helicopters with HD aerial video capabilities for recording weed infestations in a field? Yes, it’s happening.

According to a March 2013 report from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (UAVSI), UAVs have the potential to generate $82 billion in economic activity between 2015 and 2025. It’s predicted that agriculture will be the biggest user of UAVs in the near future—accounting for 80 percent of all UAV commercial usage.

As the commercial regulations for these specialty aircraft start to loosen up over the next couple of years, agribusinesses need to be thinking about how to help farmers integrate the technology once they’re cleared for takeoff. The same technology used by the military for reconnaissance missions can be used to scout diseased crops or irrigation issues, help farmers more strategically and efficiently plan when they plant, fertilize, water, and even harvest their crops.

Join us for lunch at The Grove Grill where our own Kelli Polatty, Associate with Entira, Inc. will give us an overview of this exciting new technology and its possible uses and benefits for agriculture.