Drone News & Articles

​Photogrammetry software company Pix4D has launched its first-ever ​climate contest, inviting people from around the world to show how drones can be used to fight the climate crisis​.

The company is offering up a $3,000USD cash prize and access to Pix4D software to the project that best demonstrates the use of mapping to investigate or mitigate the the threats to the climate.

In making the announcement, Pix4D noted several projects around the world where its software is being used to investigate the impacts of climate change, including tracking melting​ glaciers in rural Kyrgyzstan​, counting the cost of​ storm-damaged crops in Puerto Rico​, or mapping chimpanzee nests in Tanzania.

The Pix4D Climate Contest is now open and is accepting entries until December 13, 2019. Organisers say winners will be announced by email in January 2020.

The judging panel includes Pix4D GIS-experts, environmental activists and a representative from ​Swiss Youth for Climate​.

As well as a cash prize and access to Pix4D software, winners will receive personalized technical support and have their projects featured on the company’s website.

Drone delivery by UPS and Wing dominates the news, and big inspections for the oil and gas and energy sectors are top of page in many industry publications.  It may seem like you have to be a big compnay in one of the major sectors – construction, energy, insurance, or public safety – in order to get benefit from drone technology, but that’s not the case.  Here are just 5 ways that drones are not only moving mainstream, but Main Street.

Real Estate

Real Estate was one of the first popular uses for commercial drones, and it still offers great bang for the buck.  Aerial photography of property for sale gives prospective buyers a sense of the property scale – and of the neighborhood.  If the property is only a couple of blocks from the water, an aerial view can bring that point home to the buyer.  Best feature is an idyllic country setting?  Go for the drone.

Now, drones can go beyond an aerial view of the property and move inside.  Small drones flown indoors can provide useful images for small developers checking on subcontractors, new homeowners who want to see how a build is progressing, or provide a great video tour of key features for a realtors website.

Roofing Inspections

Most roofing professionals are local small businesses, but they can still take advantage of drone technology.  With a Part 107 and a small drone in the truck, roofers can take advantage of aerial photography to quickly get a good idea of the scope of work, and use those images to communicate with their clients and negotiate a fair price for the work.  Gathering images with a drone instead of doing an initial evaluation on the roof is faster, safer, and means a smaller upfront investment for a job you might not win.

Roofing professionals can take drone tech one step further with thermal imagery.  Thermal imagery can help roofers find the leak in a large roof fast – and pinpoint exactly where they need to be.

Event Photography

Event photographers who make a living documenting the important moments in people’s lives should consider adding drone images to their portfolio.  It’s not only the “wow” shot of the bride throwing flowers over her shoulder – it’s an opportunity to show the entire gathering at once, showcasing not only the celebrants but the celebration.

Security

Owners of small businesses may not realize that they can use drones to secure the premises.  Warehouses, parking lots, auto yards, and more – if you’ve got a large area and a small staff and budget to secure the area, drones can help.  A drone can easily be flown periodically around the perimeter, providing information to the security team without requiring a walk around the property.

Drone Delivery (Really)

While big firms are dominating the news in drone delivery, it won’t be for long.  Uber Eats, for example, is planning to expand with drones – and many of the trials currently taking place, including the Wing trial in Christianburg VA, involve at least one smaller local business.  Smaller businesses may be able to expand their delivery region while reducing costs by being open to participating in drone delivery projects.

As the drone industry matures, drones are coming to a neighborhood near all of us.  Small businesses should be able to realize as much value from the technology as larger enterprise does.

A Chicago-based company has become the first in the city to win federal approval for its operators to fly drones over people.

Helios Visions was granted a waiver in September from the Federal Aviation Administration. The company, based in West Town, expects to use it sparingly to fly drones over construction sites when crews are working, like to supplement a ground surveying crew, for example. But the waiver could eventually be used to expand the business into photographing and filming outdoor festivals or making local deliveries.

Co-founder Ted Parisot told the Sun-Times that he and a few friends in 2014, ahead of the commercial drone industry, discussed how they could turn their interest in drones into a business.

In the past several years, Helios Visions has provided aerial photography to architecture and construction firms, including for the 78 development on the Near South Side and the renovation of the old Cook County Hospital.

Parisot said drones are a “safer, faster solution” to having someone take photos from a cherry picker or relying on workers to make assessments from scaffolding.

The FAA issues the federal waivers to operators who have a commercial license, allowing them to fly a drone at night, to operate a drone from a moving vehicle and for a single pilot to operate more than one drone at a time.

Parisot said Helios Visions had to spend “thousands of dollars” on additional hardware for its drone, including a parachute that could deploy in an emergency, and to get the drone certified to prove it met requirements in order to get the waiver.

Chicago was the first major U.S. city to create its own rules and regulations governing the use of drones when it passed them in 2015 and they remain some of the strictest on the books. 

Whether in the air, on land or in water, renewable energy companies are seeking groundbreaking autonomous solutions for inspections in a rapidly changing world.

Renewable energy has become the fastest-growing energy source in the United States, while global demand is transforming the way companies are tackling facility inspections. Drones are securing a key place in that process.

“The drone industry is still somewhat new,” said Harjeet Johal, vice president of energy infrastructure at Measure, a Washington, D.C.-based leading aerial intelligence company. “It’s only become a mainstream technology in the U.S. renewable energy sector in the last few years, but industries have picked up the technology quite aggressively.”

It’s not hard to see why. Drones make inspections cheaper and safer, replacing traditional methods that involved sending humans to precariously dangle from wind turbines, traverse 20,000-square-foot solar farms on foot or send dive teams underwater.

They also make inspections faster. What often takes manned teams weeks can now be accomplished in days and even minutes, increasing energy performance and reliability.

Then there’s the data. Drones are able to drastically improve the quality of information gathered during inspections. With the help of advanced automation and machine learning, they’re providing companies with greater visibility into future maintenance and repair needs.

Whether it’s in the air, on land or in water, drone technology is offering today’s renewable energy companies groundbreaking autonomous solutions in inspections for a rapidly changing world.

THE SOARING POWER OF SOLAR

In the last decade, solar power has experienced an average annual growth rate of 50 percent. As reliance on solar grows, so too does the size of sprawling utility-scale farms, making on-foot inspections less practical. Consequently, solar companies are increasingly turning to drones.

Measure’s mission is to enable enterprises to realize the transformative benefits of drone technology in wind and solar. The Washington, D.C.-based company is helping clients outsource drone programs or build them in-house, providing resources such as air frames, program software, data analysis, pilot training and advisory services to keep energy operating performance at peak potential.

“A typical drone inspection takes 10 minutes per megawatt of solar, so customers are seeing value in these faster-turnaround times and the digital information it offers, paving the way toward more rapid management,” said Johal, who has expertise in renewables and energy markets. The company offers a range of fixed-wing style airframes such as DJI’s Mavic Pros, Inspire 2s and M210s. SenseFly eBees are well-suited for the linear infrastructure of solar farms; Zenmuse or senseFly RGB sensors can quickly observe the infrared signature of panels.

A four-step analysis process organizes, reviews and classifies data:

• By autonomously following a predefined flight along a grid pattern, drones can take pictures of a solar farm, capturing thermal images and data
• Measure’s programming software then uploads to a cloud platform, stitching images together to produce a digital twin of the solar farm
• Each panel is given a GPS coordinate and undergoes automated analysis to identify variations in temperature, which tags potential defects
• Experienced engineers then look through tagged images for false positives or negatives, organizing defects into categories of risk and severity.

According to Johal, Measure’s data team is capable of processing and analyzing 800 photos per megawatt of solar, which represents time that highly paid engineers don’t have to put into those tasks. Measure also offers a Ground Control Flight Application, an all-in-one platform that combines a secure mobile flight application with a cloud-based management portal, enabling a team to fly safely, automate critical workflows, and manage thousands of flights, all in real-time.

These analysis programs are leading to new and richer data that can reveal complex issues and empower decision-making by building datasets to inform future inspections needs.

“Anyone can go out and fly a drone—you can go to a CVS pharmacy and buy one,” Johal said. “The value is in making the inspections process more repeatable and scalable so that it’s more autonomous over time.”

WIND FARMS OF THE FUTURE

As with solar, the wind power industry is evolving, and as turbines become larger, the cost and energy implications of shutting them down have become increasingly consequential. Drones allow turbines to be inspected while still operational, as compared with manned crews that have to shut down a turbine and hoist themselves to great heights via ropes to get a closer look at individual blades.

Measure offers wind energy companies multirotor air frames that are well-suited to the vertical infrastructure of a turbine. These drones are equipped with cameras that produce high-resolution imagery to identify fissures, cracks or other indicators of structural stresses that may require repair.

With each turbine inspection typically having about 300 images, and with wind farms typically having dozens, or even hundreds, of turbines, there are usually thousands of images that need to be processed, analyzed and classified after each inspection.

Measure’s wind inspection follows a similar four-step processing and analysis to solar, uploading drone data to a cloud platform and putting it through a software program that analyzes and categorizes images and places them into a quality inspection report.

“Drones can autonomously navigate around a blade and inspect a turbine in 15-30 minutes, reducing man hours and turbine downtime by 75 percent,” Johal said. “In the end, what you want is high-quality pictures that allow for an asset manager to make actionable decisions.”

Together with The AES Corporation (AES), Measure is deep into the automation process for wind sites, having inspected thousands of wind turbines, resulting in one of the largest turbine datasets available.

HARNESSING HYDRO

Unlike solar and wind energy, hydroelectric generators are among the United States’ oldest power plants. The average hydroelectric facility has been operating for 64 years, which means many are in desperate need of repair.

To address this aging infrastructure issue and ensure that hydro facilities are operating efficiently, companies are turning to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to get the job done.

Deep Trekker is an advanced Ontario, Canada-based developer of underwater ROVs and submersible robots. It boasts thousands of vehicles and six product lines, and operates in more than 90 countries.

The company offers tailored and durable autonomous robotic solutions for a range of underwater structural inspections such as hydroelectric facilities and dams, replacing the need for a traditional team of divers that can be costly, time-consuming and dangerous.

According to Cody Warner, industry specialist and business development lead at Deep Trekker, regular inspections on hydroelectric facilities and dams are essential.

“One of the most vulnerable places for a power plant is any structure that’s exposed to water,” he said. “Water is a very tough force; it’s going to beat down things like concrete and steel, so having regular eyes on those structures is really important.”

Deep Trekker offers the DTG3 and Revolution ROVs, released this year, to inspect the structural integrity of a hydro facility or check blockages in an intake system that can drastically slow efficiency.

The DTG3 is a mini observation-class underwater ROV built to provide operators the ability to quickly deploy and visually inspect infrastructure within underwater environments.

“What’s new about the DTG3 is how it communicates,” said Warner. “One thing we were really focused on is the use of analog signals for remotely operated vehicles, so when you press a control button, the robot responds right away.”

The Revolution is like the DTG3’s bigger brother, about three times the size, and with an ability to fight stronger currents. It can also go deeper, to about 300 meters versus the 200-meter-depth range of the G3, and can have a gyro built into the system for super-stabilization.

“We do a lot with two thrusters on our machine, which allows it to drive straight up and down and side to side,” said Warner. “We’re also able to do auto depth and active vehicle stabilization that can compensate against the flow of water. When the Revolution is fighting current, it’s actually actively talking to itself to re-correct.”

What makes its ROVs stand apart, Warner said, is its imaging sonar, which helps them “see” through mud water at the condition of a gate or facility and sweep an area. “We have the only mini ROV that can rotate an imaging sonar, which means the ROV can rotate its body 180 degrees on an axis,” Warner added.

Clients can opt to equip their ROVs with a range of features such as probes, thickness gauges, transponders and acoustics that are tailored to the type of inspection. “We’ve simplified the inspection process for underwater or in pipe,” said Warner. “We make things that are really tough, durable and cost-effective. And we’ve brought the barriers down to performing these regular inspections.”

SCALING UP

As drone technology advances, renewable energy companies are taking drone programs in-house for the long term and at scale.

Aforementioned Fortune 500 global power company AES partnered with Measure in 2017 to develop a centralized global drone and robotics program, building systems governance programs from the ground up and pushing for the adaption of technology across all businesses.

“Our mission at AES is to accelerate a safer and greener energy future, and we’re one of the leaders in new technologies for renewables,” said Bernerd Da Santos, executive vice president and chief operating officer of AES. Da Santos is also executive sponsor of the company’s drone and robotics program.

“Incorporating drones, robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning into our renewable energy inspections process on a global scale, as we’ve done through our partnership with Measure, is what the future is all about. The application of these technologies is helping our people and contractors do their work more safely and efficiently.”

To date, Measure has more than 200 pilots in 14 countries and 70 of their businesses use drones, resulting in 5,000 hours of inspection. Since 2017, it has seen $20 million in financial benefits and 100,000 hours of hazardous work avoided.

“This is a major initiative to change old assets to new assets,” said Assel Ayapova, global drone program manager at AES. “We’re working to change mindsets, bring high-level attention to this, involve all stakeholders at all levels and keep communications through different channels.”

Currently, 65 percent of AES’ businesses are using drones, and the company’s vision is to have all businesses adapt all available drone technologies. According to Ayapova, “It’s not just a nice to have; this is a part of our daily operations.”

COORDINATED ROBOTICS

With considerable renewable energy growth across the globe and an increasing reliability on drones to support it, one can’t help but consider what the future holds. According to UK-based Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult), that future involves coordinated robotics.

In partnership with eight industry and academic partners and as part of the UK’s efforts to accelerate clean growth in the renewable energy sector, ORE Catapult is lending industry insights and engineering expertise to a project focused on developing the world’s first fully autonomous wind inspection and repair solution.

Known as the MIMRee (Multi-Platform Inspection, Maintenance and Repair in Extreme Environments) project, the team has embarked on an ambitious two-year effort to prove that offshore wind operations and maintenance missions can be conducted by a team of autonomous vessels, aerial vehicles and crawling robots.

The project will combine expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence, marine and aerial engineering, nano-biotechnology and space mission planning. Guided wave research company Plant Integrity will lead it. The Halcyon vessel developed by French-based electrical systems designer for aerospace and defense Thales will serve as the autonomous “mothership.” A drone system that’s under development by the University of Bristol—a six-legged crawling repair robot called BladeBUG—is currently being prototyped. With various other partners, the team is off and running.

While still in early-stage development, the concept envisions a mothership vessel that could autonomously navigate to a wind turbine and deploy a drone to assess the damage. Once the damage is identified, the drone would then release BladeBUG to crawl along the length of the blade, characterize the damage, and perform maintenance and repair duties.

When its work is complete, the drone would then retrieve the robot, take it back to the vessel and move on to inspect another turbine.

“This is a really ambitious, cool project,” said Hamish MacDonald, a lead engineer at ORE Catapult. “A harmonious interaction between all these different vehicles is a key aspect of the project. The main challenge will be to bring these units into one team capable of planning, communicating, sharing data and working together on a complex chain of tasks.”

While still in its initial stages and with plenty of technical challenges to work out, if successful, the project has the potential to integrate inspections across a variety of renewable sectors.

“I think this project will have huge implications for other industries as well,” said Dr. MacDonald. “We’re trailblazing in a way because there’s no other project like this that we’re aware of out there. If we’re successful, a fully realized autonomous solution could have a lot of cross-sector applications.”

DRONE INSPECTIONS OF THE FUTURE

If the future belongs to renewable energy, drones will no doubt become an essential element across the solar, wind and hydro sectors. With the continued development of processing and analysis tools, in-house adoption of drone programs at scale and consortiums working to advance coordinated robotics, one can envision a world in which humans become an unnecessary—perhaps even altogether irrelevant—part of the inspections process.

In Frankfurt, Germany, French car manufacturer Peugeot has announced the winner of its 2019 drone film festival. The jury chose the film Calçada Portuguesa by Bernardo Bacalhau, which combines stunts on a BMX bike with aerial cinematography in Lisbon, Portugal.

Portuguese filmmaker Bernardo Bacalhau beat over 800 other competitors to take first place. He won the grand prize: A bundle of DJI equipment, two Peugeot Traveler MPVs for six weeks’ travelling and 5,000 euros to put towards his next adventure.

DJI and luxury hotel Jumeirah Frankfurt, where the event took place, were co-sponsors of the festival.

“A plethora of filmmakers from all over the world participated in this year’s Peugeot Drone Film Festival,” said Steffen Raschig, Managing Director of Peugeot Germany.

“That was overwhelming, and we are very pleased with the result. Choosing one of the more than 800 submissions was a challenge for the jurors, but they have found a worthy winner in Bernardo Bacalhau’s “Calçada Portuguesa”.”

The name “Calçada Portuguesa” means Portuguese cobblestones. Traditionally they form decorative mosaics underfoot with a combination of white limestone and black basalt, which Bacalhau captured in his film. The focus of the clip is French BMX artist Matthias Dandois, who performs stunts across the Portuguese capital.

“The special attraction of this film is the way Bernardo Bacalhau combined spectacular aerial shots of the wonderful cobblestone patterns and the artistry of Matthias Dandois with a subtle music track that fits the topic,” said Barbara Stelzner, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication for DJI Europe. “

This is a wonderful example of how drone technology can unleash creative thinking in an innovative and intelligent manner.”

The idea of the grand prize is to provide the winner with everything they need to plan their next creative adventure.

Mining companies are turning to drones to monitor difficult to reach areas, allowing for decreased interaction with hazardous activity. Safe to Work writes.

Mine sites are often located in remote areas with machinery and equipment that is controlled by operators that can be thousands of kilometres away.

In contrast, it is still common for operators to be working onsite despite the need to access hard to reach spaces – making the potential for hazardous activity even higher.

Should something go wrong, it is difficult to communicate issues and then receive assistance that is often urgent.

Recognising these issues, some of the world’s biggest mining companies are increasingly turning to remote controlled drones to inspect and monitor operations.

A drone’s versatility is allowing the major’s to carry out a plethora of activities that humans cannot, while maintaining the required level of safety.

This includes accessing isolated areas to monitor equipment and operators, as well as providing image data that can be used to observe the health of assets at mine sites.

For Rio Tinto, the introduction of drones at its Kennecott mine operation in Utah has enhanced safety through high wall mapping and rock fall analysis.

The technology is allowing the company to see things that used to be inaccessible, using thermal diagnostic capabilities to identify equipment problems to recognise hazards before they turn into injuries.

One specific example of this is identifying high friction rates on equipment in real time, allowing Rio Tinto staff to notify maintenance teams so issues can be addressed.

Similarly, South32 has deployed drones at its Worsley Alumina operation in Western Australia, removing humans from dangerous jobs such as working in confined spaces and at heights.

The company has gone as far as introducing a dedicated team to the operation of drones, camera systems and other robotics around the site.

Equipped with high definition cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are also becoming increasingly important for equipment supplier Beumer Group, which provides bulk material conveyors, elevators and loading equipment to a range of mine sites.

Beumer project engineer overland conveyor Eugen Doberstein says the company has been working with drone technology for about three years, including in the mining industry.

He believes that drones they have now become almost “standard equipment” that is used for measuring sites or operating and maintaining facilities.

“One of the main reasons for the increased use are the higher standards in occupational safety: only a few people are on site and could be exposed to possible hazard,” Doberstein says.

“In general, the use of these aerial vehicles is becoming more and more important for many companies in very different industries.”

Indeed, major miner BHP has been a leading exponent of drones to make its operations safer in both mining and petroleum.

BHP has used drones at coal mines in Queensland to ensure areas are clear before a blast takes place and to track fumes post blast.

Drones are also used to improve road safety at BHP’s sites by monitoring traffic, road conditions and hazards.

In addition to their safety benefits, BHP has used drones fitted with military-grade cameras to provide real-time footage and 3D maps of sites.

Capturing data from drones is also being capitalised on by Alcoa, which has introduced the practice across its Western Australian operations.

It has allowed for more accurate maintenance planning, exact scaffolding requirements and are widely accessible on iPads across the site.

The use of drones on mine sites extends to providing up-to-date data that can detect whether a new building has been erected or traffic routes have shifted within a mine, giving operators current information on areas that can be accessed safely.

Perhaps the most important safety factor, however, relates to actually removing personnel from dangerous zones in mine sites.

“We benefit significantly from less effort and thus manpower amongst other things and this is also reflected in costs,” Beumer manager of plant design, bulk materials handling systems Lukas Paul says.

The lack of human contact on mine sites is provided by a drone’s ability to have a route planned for them through computer systems.

By using appropriate software, staff can calculate the exact flight path giving the drone direction to fly in its pre-determined route.

They can also be controlled through smartphones or tablets, naturally meaning less people on mine sites and therefore, a reduced susceptibility to injury.

Drone technology itself has developed rapidly over the past few years and they are now smaller and have improved quality, according to Doberstein.

“The cameras being used are becoming more compact and are delivering increasingly high-quality images,” Doberstein explains.

“The stabilisation systems have been improved too, the aerial vehicles are now able to connect to certain satellites and thus access GPS data to maintain their position- even strong gusts of wind can no longer drive them away.”

The types of drones being used are also diverse and a particular interest within the mining/quarry industry is copters.

Their similarity to helicopters allows copters to stand still in the air thanks to their rotors. They are particularly suitable for narrow take-off and landing areas or when they have to perform at low speed.

“Users can control them manually and they mainly fly over medium-sized and small building sites. In addition, they are used for quarry faces in quarries,” Doberstein says.

“Due to the fact that we only need to measure one corridor for a belt conveyor, we use a copter for our projects. If the route is over several kilometres, we divide it into several segments, as the drone is only able to fly over the route in sections due to its limited flight time.”

Beumer head of conveying and loading systems sector Andreas Echelmeyer says the use of drones are “already part of our everyday work routine.”

This trend only seems to be growing in popularity as technology enhances the ability of drones and mining companies become more creative in ways to keep staff safe onsite.

According to a new market research report titled, “Agriculture Drone Market by Product (Hardware (Rotary Blade, Fixed Wing, Hybrid), Software), Application (Precision Agriculture, Livestock Monitoring, Smart Greenhouse, Irrigation, Precision Fish Farming), and Geography –Global Forecast to 2025”, the global agriculture drone market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31.1% from 2019 to reach $5.19 billion by 2025.

Practical applications for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or drones have progressed significantly in the recent years as the technology has improved in tandem with a fall in its cost. Interest from both consumers and business in drones is growing, with new applications being developed rapidly for use across many industries including agriculture – one of the primary sectors expected to see sharp uptake of drone technology in the near future. The growth in agriculture drone market is mainly attributed to the growing global population and rising pressure on the global food supply, rising venture funding for the development of agriculture drones, growing e-agriculture or information and communication technologies (ICTs) in agriculture, rising automation in agriculture, growing emphasis on enhancing agriculture efficiency, and rising need for water conservation across the globe.

The global agriculture drone market is mainly segmented by product (hardware (rotary blade, fixed-wing, and hybrid) and software), application (precision agriculture, livestock monitoring, smart greenhouse, irrigation, precision fish farming, and other application), and geography.

On the basis of product type, hardware segment is estimated to command the largest share of the overall agriculture drone market in 2019. Growing need for replacement, upgradation, and modification in the drone hardware components to increase the lifespan and performance of drones as well as to gain competitive advantage is driving the growth of this market. However, software segment is expected to grow with the fastest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to growing software technology and increasing software demand for better data analysis in the precision agriculture.

In hardware segment, rotary blade drone is estimated to command the largest share of the overall agriculture drone hardware market in 2019. The large share of this market is mainly due to its greater maneuverability and compact design, easy to use nature, higher payload capacity, and comparatively lower price than the other types of drones. However, the hybrid drones market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, owing to its ability to carry heavy weights and hover over fields. Moreover, this hybrid drone offers combined advantages of both rotary blade drones and fixed-wing drones. Like fixed-wing drones, they can fly at high speed and in the same manner as like rotary blade drones, they are also capable to stay at one place for a long time.

Based on application, irrigation application segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The fast growth of this segment is mainly attributed to growing global demand of drones in water management and drought management. Drones with thermal cameras can detect leaks from the water distribution systems of a cultivated field, which helps to take corrective actions in order to avoid the water loss.

Geographically, the North America is estimated to command the largest share of the overall agriculture drone market in 2019. However, Asia-Pacific agriculture drone market is developing and expanding at a rapid pace. The rapid growth of this market is mainly attributed to the growth in the population and thereby surging food demand, accelerated economic growth of many countries in the region, rising technological advancements in the agriculture sector, and rising government funding for precision farming applications.

The report also includes extensive assessment of the key strategic developments adopted by the leading market participants in the industry over the past 5 years (2015-2019). The agriculture drone market has witnessed a number of product launches in the recent years. For instance, in April 2019, PrecisionHawk Inc. launched PrecisionAnalytics software for drone data analysis. Similarly, in November 2018, Parrot S.A. launched Parrot Bluegrass Fields drone for efficient crop assessment.

The global agriculture drone market is fragmented with the presence of many regional and local players. The key players operating in the global agriculture drone market are SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd., (China), AeroVironment, Inc. (U.S.), Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (Israel), PrecisionHawk Inc. (U.S.), Trimble Inc. (U.S.), Parrot S.A. (France), Microdrones GmbH (Germany), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (U.S.), American Robotics, Inc. (U.S.), Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan), and Sentera, Inc. (U.S.), among others.

Request a sample report at https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-sample-report/cp_id=4986

Note: The author has conducted ethnographic fieldwork with XAG, an academic endeavor undertaken with the company’s permission. He has not worked for, consulted for, owned shares in, nor received funding from any company or organization mentioned in this article.

By late October, Xinjiang’s farmers are almost finished harvesting the region’s two million hectares of cotton. That’s an area the size of Israel or New Jersey. Prior to picking, crops are sprayed with chemicals so the leaves fall off; this aids harvesting. While cotton farmers generally have enough resources—human or mechanical—to pick the cotton, they have struggled to conduct the pre-harvest spray efficiently. As with many agricultural products, there is a precise window of time for picking cotton: picking too early or too late negatively impacts its quality. Hence, the timing of the pre-harvest spray is crucial.

During my ethnographic fieldwork investigating China’s agriculture drone industry, XAG, one of China’s biggest drone makers, explained to me their arrangement sending tens of thousands of drones—almost their entire fleet, by truck and plane—to spray as much farmland as possible in the shortest possible time so harvesting occurred the moment cotton quality peaked. 

A new business ecosystem emerging around agriculture drones facilitated this feat. Previously, farmers were dependent on local government and business monopolies for their fertilizer and pesticide needs. Now, independent drone operators who are trained by drone manufacturers offer farmers an alternative.

Introducing the new ecosystem

Drone companies manufacture the product and provide all the hardware and software systems necessary for the machines to operate. While smaller manufacturers try to sell direct to farmers, larger manufacturers like XAG have had more success setting up training and certification centers across the country, usually at the county level. At these centers, large numbers of Chinese pay to become certified agriculture drone operators. Upon graduation, operators are assigned by the manufacturer to work exclusively in a specific territory, usually a collection of villages.

To facilitate the development of the ecosystem, manufacturers enforce these territories, so operators need not worry about competition for now. But savvy operators go on to establish successful businesses and can even “take over” multiple territories with the manufacturer’s permission; these operators purchase large fleets of drones from the manufacturer and become known in their territories as reliable experts and professionals. The really successful operators stock their own chemicals, giving customers a choice of brand. They may even look after drone maintenance. Regulatory frameworks are catching up with all this activity; for now, operator licensing is a grey area across some parts of China.

Operators make money by hiring out their services to farmers, spraying their fields for an all-inclusive price per mu (666 1/6 square meters). County governments support the industry by subsidizing operators’ purchases of new drones. University graduates from the city, interested in agriculture now that it is “techy,” are rushing to take part, either as apprenticed staff of certified operators or seasonal casuals. From this perspective, the new drone business ecosystem appears very rosy.

Entrenched interests

But existing stakeholders and relationships make things complicated. Local businesses dealing in agriculture equipment and synthetic chemicals as well as various government departments have engrained commercial interests that come into conflict with the new drone ecosystem. Very few of these existing stakeholders are adapting to the new ecosystem described above. Indeed, prior to the arrival of drones, local businesses could rely on farmers purchasing synthetic chemicals such as pesticides directly from them. Larger farms bought or rented machinery such as tractors as well.

At the moment, drone operators are incentivized to drive penetration of drone use; i.e. spray more mu while using less chemicals. Existing businesses, by contrast, are volume businesses; they make money by selling more synthetic chemicals to the same group of farmers. (This is one reason why pesticide use in China is so high.) Complicating things even further, existing businesses are sometimes offshoots of local government departments. The arrival of drones thus puts pressure on government revenue.

Several tense incidents and stand-offs have already occurred, although there has been no violence. One incident narrated to me is as follows: an operator and his team were blocked from entering a particular village, even though they had been hired to conduct a drone spray. It took several days of negotiations between the drone manufacturer and a group of county and village officials to break the deadlock. In this case, the village officials had controlled the local chemical industry for decades. And in case you are wondering how it is that local governments incentivize and discourage agriculture drones at the same time, such is the nature of official departmental responsibilities in China today.

None of this is to say that local and international businesses cannot capitalize on the growing agriculture drone market in China today. Yet while having the best wing or nozzle is important (see the previous article in this series), an understanding of how agriculture drones are reconfiguring local business ecosystems in the countryside and the many stakeholders involved is critical. It does appear that local monopolies are eroding as international Chinese companies empower both individual operators and farmers to pursue a slice of the revenue pie. It is not so simple, however; new power asymmetries are already appearing.

Indeed, in the next and final article in the series, we will explore some of these new power asymmetries; the data streams that underpin the agricultural drone industry as well as the intelligent computing technologies and cultures that facilitate these data streams. In short, we will explore who controls this data and what they do with it.

WARNING: possible disturbing image

Drones have captured horrific video of dolphins being stabbed to death by hunters in Japan.

In activist group Dolphin Project’s most confronting video yet, men in motorboats have herded the pod into a place known as The Cove.

Dolphins jump out of the water, but a patch of the blue ocean has already turned red with dolphin blood. Men on the boats direct the hunters in the water who duck-dive in search of their prey. They grab a striped dolphin with their gloved hands. Blood erupts from the dolphin’s face. The well-practised hunters appear to grab the animal’s dorsal fin and ride it out of shot.

For over a decade, activists have travelled to Taiji, 420km southwest of Tokyo, to film the annual dolphin hunt. Hunters combatted their efforts to publicise the slaughter by erecting large tarpaulins to hide the event from the cameras.

Dolphin Project’s Lincoln O’Barry told Yahoo News Australia that until now, activists had been live streaming from a great distance using their phones.

“We’ve been seeing it now for 12 years basically from the same couple of angles, he said, "It’s very limited and the hunters do that on purpose.

Mr O’Barry said the drone captured an entire dolphin drive from beginning to end.

“It’s heartbreaking to see this and it’s happening six months out of the year, every day,” he said, “We’re seeing it from the dolphin’s point of view for the first time. You really feel what the dolphins are feeling - it’s a much more emotional experience to watch it.”

DJI’s Mavic Mini has just hit the shelves.  Ali Crane of DJI experts Dr. Drone explains the differences between the Mavic Mini and the Mavic 2 in detail to help you choose.

With the recent reveal of the highly anticipated Mavic Mini, DJI finally introduced their first new consumer drone of 2019, over a year after the release of the now world-renowned Mavic 2. The new Mavic Mini features game-changing specs, including a weight of only 249 grams and a maximum flight time of up to 30 minutes.

With its weight being under the lowest weight class of drones for most countries, powerful specs, and foldable, ultra-compact design, the Mavic Mini could be set to dethrone the Mavic 2 as the world’s most popular consumer drone. Below we have broken down the differences between both the Mavic Mini and Mavic 2 to help you better determine which drone is the right investment for you.

Design

The Mavic Mini is DJI’s smallest and most lightweight drone ever, weighing in at only 249 grams and compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The aircraft features a foldable design that mimics that of the Mavic 2, and when completely folded down is about the size of a soda can. When folded, the Mavic Mini measures 140×82×57 mm (L×W×H) and when unfolded 160×202×55 mm (L×W×H). Aesthetically, the Mavic Mini features a matte, light grey colour and sleek, aerodynamic design.

Of course, the highlight of the Mavic Mini’s design is its weight, enabling users to fly the drone without having to abide by government regulations in many countries. This is a ground-breaking feature for drone enthusiasts of any level, as it gives users the option to fly in more areas that were previously restricted, without having to worry about the baggage of government rules.

The Mavic 2 series includes both the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro. Both drones feature similar aircraft designs and specifications but different cameras. The Mavic 2 aircraft features a matte dark-grey color and fold-down design. When folded down the Mavic 2 measures 214×91×84 mm and 322×242×84 mm when unfolded. When completely folded down the Mavic 2 is about the size of a water bottle and roughly twice the size of the Mavic Mini, though the overall drone is still extremely portable, compact, and easy to travel with.

Camera and Gimbal

In spite of its extremely small size, DJI equipped the Mavic Mini with a powerful 3-Axis gimbal system to keep any footage captured smooth and shake-free. The drone is capable of capturing 2.7K video at 30 fps, 12-megapixel stills and features a 1/2.3 sensor with an electronic shutter. Though the Mavic Mini lacks 4K video capabilities, the 2.7K 12-megapixel camera is perfect for beginner or casual users. One limitation for more professional users would also be that the drone can only shoot in JPEG and MP4 formats.

Both the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro feature DJI’s patented 3-Axis stabilized gimbal system. With the Mavic 2 series, users have two powerful camera options to choose from depending on their application and desired price point. The Mavic 2 Zoom is the only drone in DJI’s consumer line up that has zoom capabilities in flight, featuring 2x lossless optical zoom that can go from 24mm-48mm. The Zoom can capture stunning 4K video at 30 fps, 12-megapixel stills and features a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor. The Mavic 2 Zoom also comes with a few unique modes including Super Resolution, wherein the drone can shoot and stitch together a stunning 48-megapixel photo as well as Dolly Zoom, an effect that will enable users to zoom into a subject and distort the image outwards for a dynamic and cinematic shot.

For the Mavic 2 Pro, DJI partnered with iconic Swedish camera maker Hasselblad, to create their highest quality camera on a consumer drone to date. The Mavic 2 Pro features a camera capable of capturing 4K video at 30 fps and 20-megapixel stills in JPEG and DNG RAW. The Mavic 2 Pro also features a 1-inch CMOS sensor, the largest sensor size of any DJI consumer drone for enhanced detail, light, and colour. In comparison to the Mavic Mini and even the Mavic 2 Zoom, the Mavic 2 Pro’s camera will give users much more control over their camera parameters including shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, making it the ideal choice for those looking to use a drone for more professional endeavors.

Performance

Though small in size, the Mavic Mini does not sacrifice performance. The Mavic Mini features an incredible flight time of up to 30 minutes with a fully charged battery, and a maximum range of 4 km, a ground-breaking achievement for DJI. Using an Enhanced WIFI system, the Mavic Mini will also automatically switch between 2.4GHz and 5.8 GHz frequencies. The aircraft can handle temperatures between 0° to 40°C (32° to 104°F) and up to 28.4 km/h wind speeds under warranty. Despite its extremely small and lightweight size, the Mavic Mini performs extremely well in the air. When piloting the Mavic Mini, the aircraft is very accurate and price in flight, and maintains its stability even in moderately strong wind conditions.

The Mavic 2 features a similar flight time of 31 minutes but double the range of the Mavic Mini with a range of up to 8 km. The Mavic 2 series utilizes DJI’s upgraded OcuSync 2.0 system which supports automatic switching between 2.4GHz and 5.8 GHz frequency bands to maintain the strongest connection possible with the least amount of interference. For users who may be flying in more extreme conditions or more remote areas, the Mavic 2 would be a more reliable choice as it does not rely on a WIFI transmission system like the Mavic Mini. The drone can also handle more extreme temperatures and wind speeds than the Mavic Mini including wind speeds up to 29-38 km/h and temperatures between -10°C to 40°C under warranty.

Obstacle Avoidance & Safety in Flight

One thing the Mavic Mini lacks is an obstacle avoidance system, something that has essentially become a standard feature for DJI enterprise and consumer drones. The Mavic Mini features only downward-facing sensors in combination with its GPS to keep position in the air. For added safety, users can equip the Mavic Mini with the 360° Propeller Guard which will make the drone weigh more than 250 grams. This means that in some countries drone pilots will have to obtain a license to fly with the propeller guards attached.

A highlight of the Mavic 2 is its upgraded omnidirectional obstacle avoidance system including 2 front camera sensors, two bottom facing sensors, one bottom facing infrared sensor, two rear camera sensors, one camera on the left and right side of the drone, and even one upward facing infrared sensor for safer flights in the air. The obstacle avoidance sensing in the left and right directions are only available in certain intelligent flight modes including QuickShot, Tripod, ActiveTrack, and POI. With its upgraded obstacle avoidance system, the Mavic 2 can scan its environment in real-time to better detect and avoid obstacles to ultimately provide users with safer, collision-free flights.

Intelligent Flight Modes

The Mavic Mini comes with some intelligent flight modes including four QuickShots modes, Return-to-Home, and CineSmooth Mode, but does not feature some of DJI’s most popular intelligent modes such as ActiveTrack and Waypoints. With QuickShots, users will be able to capture dynamic footage with just a tap. The QuickShots modes include Helix, Dronie, Rocket, and Circle. In CineSmooth Mode, the Mavic Mini’s speed and movement will be slowed down so that users have more control over their footage. This mode is particularly useful for flights in complex environments or tight spaces. With Return-to-Home, the Mavic Mini will automatically return to the spot it was launched from at the press of a button or when it detects that is has a low battery or has lost signal.

The Mavic 2 features a much larger selection of all of DJI’s most popular intelligent flight modes including TapFly, Point of Interest, ActiveTrack, Tripod Mode, Return-to-Home and Cinematic Mode to name just a few. Its newly upgraded ActiveTrack 2.0 is improved to generate a 3D map of its environment in real-time to better map out and predict a subject’s movements. The Mavic 2 also features six QuickShots modes so that users can capture dynamic shots with the tap of a button including Dronie, Boomerang, Circle, Rocket, Helix, and Asteroid.

Which Drone is Right for you?

Both the Mavic Mini and Mavic 2 are powerful drones in their own right delivering exceptional performance and ground-breaking specs. Each drone provides unique advantages to the user depending on what they are primarily looking to use the drone for.

If you are a beginner or casual drone enthusiast seeking a highly reliable, safe, and fun drone without having to worry about the complication of government regulations than the Mavic Mini would be a perfect choice. The drone features an incredible range and battery life for its size, and though the camera cannot shoot in 4K which could be a deterrent for some, its 2.7K 12-megapixel camera will still deliver stunning aerial footage for the average user. While it is also missing some of DJI’s most familiar features including an obstacle avoidance system or the popular ActiveTrack intelligent flight mode, the Mavic Mini still surpasses expectations when it comes to performance and ease-of-use. Overall, the Mavic Mini is the ideal drone for entry-level or recreational users who want an affordable option, and a drone for everyday use.

On the other hand, the Mavic 2 series is a higher-end model with powerful functions capable of providing users with semi-professional video footage. With its stronger OcuSync 2.0 Transmission system the Mavic 2 is also more ideal for users who may potentially be flying in more remote areas, landscapes, or mountains. For those looking to use a drone for more professional applications, want more options in the post-production process and the highest quality camera, the Mavic 2 Pro is the ideal choice. Meanwhile, Mavic 2 Zoom is a more affordable option for those who want to capture dynamic shots in the air or want to shoot scenes with the least amount of disturbance to the surrounding environment as possible.

Between the Mavic Mini and Mavic 2 series, drone enthusiasts of any level will be able to find the perfect companion to take their creative or professional endeavors to all new heights. Whether you are just dipping your toes into the world of drones, or ready to launch your next business venture, DJI has once again given drone lovers powerful, reliable options to take to the skies and beyond.