Small Unmanned Systems Business Expo Presenter Chris Anderson

1. FARM DRONES!
Chris Anderson

3. QuickTime™ and a
H.264 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Looper (2012)

4. 4
Unchanged for last 1,000 years:
A one-pixel-per-row analog
sensor network
(rose plant used to spot fungal
infections in vineyards)
THE BIGGEST COMMERCIAL
MARKET: Agriculture
Company Confidential

5. 5
Big Data Agriculture
Opportunity: "Closed-loop farming".
Use aerial data capture to use
chemicals/water/labor only where
they’re needed.
x 0.5x
Half of farm inputs are wasted due to lost
information (the “open loop” problem)
Company Confidential

6. 6
Why agriculture?
• Spot disease/problems
faster
• Use less chemicals and
water (save money, better
for food and environment)
• Improve productivity
• Two words: private land
• Safe: under 400ft, visual line
of sight, no built-up areas,
few obstructions, no
people
• When used by farmers for
their own purposes, non-
commercial
Highest Economic
Benefit
Lowest Regulatory
Barrier
Company Confidential

7. 7
Source: AUVSI
Drones
Company Confidential

8. Why agriculture?
• Spot disease/problems
faster
• Use less chemicals and
water (save money, better
for food and environment)
• Improve productivity
• Two words: private land
• Safe: under 400ft, visual line
of sight, no built-up areas,
few obstructions, no people
• When used by farmers for
their own purposes,
considered non-commercial
Highest Economic
Benefit
Lowest Regulatory
Barrier

11. Step 1:
Mark farm
on tablet
Step 2: Watch
drone map
farm
Features:
•Precise georeferencing
•Real-time path planning
•Multiple aircraft control
•Vision-based event detection
Company Confidential

15. Plants show damage in infrared
and near-infrared
(Chlorophyll absorbs infrared light. Damaged plants
have less chlorophyll)

16. Source: Vincent Family Farms

17. Source: Airphrame

18. Source: Airphrame

19. Source: Ryan Kunde, DRINK Wines

20. Source: Ryan Kunde, DRINK Wines

21. Source: Airphrame

22. Source: Airphrame

24. Questions?