American startup RaptorMaps is developing a way to use drones to make crop mapping easier for farmers. Keeping track of crops' health is important but excruciatingly difficult for farmers; these drones will help ease the process, hopefully boosting farm harvests.
RaptorsMaps' project is being supported by a $100,000 cheque from MIT. The drones themselves are designed to fly over farms while capturing multispectral images. The system then uses data analytics to identify unhealthy crops. Damage caused by pests, weed or disease can all be depicted. Data picked up by the drones is relayed to the cloud, allowing farmers on the ground to effectively maintain and deal with their crops.
While many people associate drones with war and violence, these crop mapping drones show that the technology can be used, in the words of RaptorsMaps co-founder Forrest Meyen, to "feed the world".
What's Driving This Trend
- Crop Mapping Drones
- Using drones for crop mapping eases the process and boosts farm harvests.
- Data Analytics for Crop Health
- Utilizing data analytics to identify unhealthy crops enables effective maintenance and better crop management.
- Cloud-based Crop Management
- Relaying drone data to the cloud empowers farmers to effectively maintain and deal with their crops.
Who This Affects Most
- Agriculture
- The use of crop mapping drones can revolutionize how farmers monitor and manage their crops.
- Drone Technology
- The application of drones in the agriculture sector presents disruptive opportunities for drone manufacturers and service providers.
- Data Analytics
- The integration of data analytics in crop health analysis opens up new avenues for companies specializing in agricultural data management and interpretation.
