While drones are spreading into industries from warehousing to oil exploration, precision agriculture remains one of the most robust segments of the market. The ROI for drones in agriculture is compelling: and farms of every size are taking advantage of drone technology.
Three years is almost a lifetime in the drone industry, and much has changed since DRONELIFE first published our first list of the 7 Best Agricultural Drones on the Market. With new technology, new regulations, and new software and service offerings farmers have more tools to work with than ever before.
Some of the drones on our list remain from the original: PrecisionHawk (Lancaster) and SenseFly (eBee) have been major players in the drone industry and are continually improving their offering. The AgEagle is a drone specifically designed in collaboration with researchers at Kansas State University for precision agriculture, and it does the job well; HoneyComb’s AgDrone is another drone designed with agriculture in mind. But the rise of the prosumer drone, and the move by traditionally recreational drone companies like DJI into the professional space, have created more options. New services that provide qualified drone pilots have created a realistic choice for agronomists who don’t also wish to become Part 107 certified.
Let’s start with some of the leading commercial manufacturers in the industry: North Carolina-based PrecisionHawk and Parrot’s Switzerland-based senseFly.
PrecisionHawk takes a forward position not only in the production of commercial drones, but in all aspects of UAV technology. They are instrumental in the work of drone integration in the US, and are a prominent voice in drone regulations efforts. And while the company sells commercial packages that include DJI prosumer drones, their own Lancaster model remains an industry leader. The Lancaster can be used across industries: including mining, energy, and inspection; but its ease of use and durability make it ideal for agriculture, especially in difficult conditions. Lia Reich, PrecisionHawk’s VP of Marketing and Communications, says the platform is perfect for precision ag – and has stood the test of time. “PrecisionHawk’s first platform, the Lancaster, has been consistently updated as we learn and better understand the needs of our customers. Currently on its fifth iteration, the Lancaster fits the agriculture market’s need of capturing consistent data across large areas, but we have also seen significant growth for research applications,” says Reich. “The platform is well suited for enterprise seed and chemical companies and university researchers who need to fly various types sensors for advanced remote sensing applications. Engineers at PrecisionHawk have been able to differentiate the Lancaster from the other platforms the company sells, including the DJI M100 and M600 Pro, by integrating sensors like thermal and LiDAR while also improving durability and overall flight performance. In the end, the goal is to ensure accurate data collection on every flight. To do so, we continue to make the platform more autonomous and user-friendly to ensure the seamless integration of drone technology into our client’s existing workflows.”
senseFly’s eBee drone is another industry name found on our original list. Referred to then as the “eBee Ag Drone” it’s now the eBee SQ, a lightweight fixed-wing with Parrot’s fully integrated Sequoia camera. eMotion Ag flight planning software is designed to help integrate the drone into existing workflows. And the flight range – which senseFly says results in fewer flights – makes it an effective tool for large scale farms. The company has been diligent in keeping the platform evolving. “The eBee SQ allows agricultural professionals to collect highly precise data on the health of their crops, efficiently and cost-effectively,” says Jean-Christophe Zufferey, senseFly’s CEO. “It represents a platform-proven upgrade for those who may have been trialing drone technology—for example by flying quadcopters over their crops—including those who already own a Parrot Sequoia. By upgrading to the eBee SQ, these operators gain a professional-grade, easy-to-use system that can cover many more acres in a single flight.”
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