Precision Farming Drives Uptake for Drone Technologies

IDTechEx has a detailed market research report on the drone technologies market, "Drone Market and Industries 2021-2041". In this report, IDTechEx combines expert analysis and years of knowledge of this innovative industry to disseminate the most important and critical information into one clear concise market research report. This article discusses the use case of drones in agricultural applications.

 

Different drones have different applications. Rotary drones are typically a more efficient design for smaller drone sizes. With four fixed-pitch props, there are few moving parts and this reduces the cost of the drone. However, this design does not scale up very well.

 

As a result of this, fixed-wing drones are typically used for longer distances, where less dynamic handling is required. Use cases include surveying or mapping, where the drone can follow a fixed path and map a large area whilst remaining in the VLOS of the drone pilot. One particular use case for fixed-wing drones is in precision agriculture.

 

Drones are less restricted by their use in agriculture due to the rural location of farms. In the UK for example, commercial drones fulfill two categories: a small unmanned aircraft is defined as 'any unmanned aircraft, other than a balloon or a kite, having a mass of not more than 20 kg without its fuel but including any articles or equipment installed in or attached to the aircraft at the commencement of its flight'. A commercial operation is defined as: 'flight by a small unmanned aircraft except a flight for public transport, or any operation of any other aircraft except an operation for public transport. Drones have different regulations in towns and cities, compared to countryside or open fields or farmland. With most drones requiring a camera for examination, before use they have to be cleared by the civil aviation authority for example before using the device. This can take time to get approval. Therefore, it is typically easier for use cases in mapping or agriculture, away from buildings and built-up areas, where this restriction is less stringent.

 

 

Furthermore, IDTechEx predict within the next ten years huge increases in farm drone users will occur. It might not be an exaggeration to say that drones will become as common as tractors. By this time, their usefulness will have been proven and every year costs will have fallen. Also, drones would be near to full autonomy, autonomously conducting regular checks of farm, updating the maps, generating insights, making decisions, carrying tasks such as spraying, etc.

 

This detailed and extensive research by IDTechEx on the drones market shows that drones will provide many innovations across the agricultural industry, providing opportunities for new sensors to be used that can provide insights into agriculture and crop management. Regulations will reduce in the future, and therefore, the limitations around the use of drones will also reduce. However, agricultural use cases are still expected to be the leading market segment of the future. For more information on this, and other drone use cases, please see the market research report "Drone Market and Industries 2021-2041".

 

This report will provide you with the insight and understanding to a range of market research questions including:

 

 

 

The report covers a range of use cases, technologies, both hardware and software. It is the key resource for understanding the drone market and its associated technologies. For more information please see below.

 

For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Drones, or for the full portfolio of Robotics and AgTech research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research.

 

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.