An Article taken from the "Western Producer", December 17 2015.
This will leave no trails... and quiet and small enough not to attract any attention!
A remote controlled aircraft
maker from China has stepped into
small agriculture in a big way.
DJI is taking orders in China for a
battery powered, eight-motor helicopter
with a 2.6 gallon spray tank.
The company said the drone can
cover about 10 acres an hour at low
water rates, even with four battery
changes per hour.
The Agras MG-1 takes advantage
of DJI’s experience in flight controllers
and precision guidance systems
to provide centimetre-level
accuracy, company founder Frank
Wang said in an email.
The helicopter uses a form of
radar to keep itself at a constant
distance from the crop or intended
target weeds, while GPS based
mapping helps determine the right
location for application.
The unit maintains as-applied
maps, even through battery changes,
and is capable of variable rate
application based on actual ground
speed.
I t i s s e l l i n g i n C h i n a f o r
US$15,000.
The company claims the Agras is
40 times more efficient than farm
workers applying pesticides from a
backpack sprayer.
While it is aimed at smaller-scale
agriculture, DJI said the drone’s
ability to target pest problems and
control them in small areas could
also make it valuable on larger
farms.
The helicopter has four ceramic
nozzles, but the specifications on
those are not yet available. Four
pumps run from the rotor motors
on which they are mounted.
The downdraft from the rotors
helps ensure the spray reaches the
target, the company said.
Cooling for the motors and batteries
comes through the tubular
frame. Air is drawn in through three
sets of filters at the unit’s core and
sent to the motors, which keeps
spray and dust out of the power
units.
Operators can let the software fly
an application map and take care of
the spraying. However, there are
also semi-automatic and fully
manual modes, one allowing for
autonomous flying and manual
application and the other letting
the operator do it all.
Wang said the company hopes to
show it can provide equipment
beyond the hobbyist level that can
benefit industries such as agriculture.
DJI said it plans to soon take
orders in South Korea as well as
China, but has no firm dates outside
of those markets. However, it
said it eventually intends to market
the new helicopter in other parts of
the world.
The company has also partnered
with U.S. company FLIR to develop
a new, lower cost thermal imaging
system for small aerial vehicles for
agriculture and forestry.
mike.raine@producer.com
This will leave no trails... and quiet and small enough not to attract any attention!
A remote controlled aircraft
maker from China has stepped into
small agriculture in a big way.
DJI is taking orders in China for a
battery powered, eight-motor helicopter
with a 2.6 gallon spray tank.
The company said the drone can
cover about 10 acres an hour at low
water rates, even with four battery
changes per hour.
The Agras MG-1 takes advantage
of DJI’s experience in flight controllers
and precision guidance systems
to provide centimetre-level
accuracy, company founder Frank
Wang said in an email.
The helicopter uses a form of
radar to keep itself at a constant
distance from the crop or intended
target weeds, while GPS based
mapping helps determine the right
location for application.
The unit maintains as-applied
maps, even through battery changes,
and is capable of variable rate
application based on actual ground
speed.
I t i s s e l l i n g i n C h i n a f o r
US$15,000.
The company claims the Agras is
40 times more efficient than farm
workers applying pesticides from a
backpack sprayer.
While it is aimed at smaller-scale
agriculture, DJI said the drone’s
ability to target pest problems and
control them in small areas could
also make it valuable on larger
farms.
The helicopter has four ceramic
nozzles, but the specifications on
those are not yet available. Four
pumps run from the rotor motors
on which they are mounted.
The downdraft from the rotors
helps ensure the spray reaches the
target, the company said.
Cooling for the motors and batteries
comes through the tubular
frame. Air is drawn in through three
sets of filters at the unit’s core and
sent to the motors, which keeps
spray and dust out of the power
units.
Operators can let the software fly
an application map and take care of
the spraying. However, there are
also semi-automatic and fully
manual modes, one allowing for
autonomous flying and manual
application and the other letting
the operator do it all.
Wang said the company hopes to
show it can provide equipment
beyond the hobbyist level that can
benefit industries such as agriculture.
DJI said it plans to soon take
orders in South Korea as well as
China, but has no firm dates outside
of those markets. However, it
said it eventually intends to market
the new helicopter in other parts of
the world.
The company has also partnered
with U.S. company FLIR to develop
a new, lower cost thermal imaging
system for small aerial vehicles for
agriculture and forestry.
mike.raine@producer.com
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