# Autonomous Agricultural Systems Hands Free Hectare Uses Drone and Automated Machines to Tend Crops By Joey Haar | Published 2018-02-02 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hands-free-hectare References: [wired](http://www.wired.co.uk/article/future-of-farming-and-agriculture-drones) & [handsfreehectare](http://www.handsfreehectare.com/) Drones are almost commonplaces, and experts claim that autonomous cars and trucks are just around the corner, so 'Hands Free Hectare' and its technology should hardly come as a surprise. The innovative project, which was developed by a team of researchers from [Harper Adams University](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/harper-collective), uses a fleet of drones and autonomous agricultural machines to plant, monitor, and harvest crops entirely without human intervention. Farming might seem relatively straightforward at first blush, but modern agriculture is deeply complex. It requires thorough knowledge of soil quality, crops and crop disease, climates, farming methods and so much more. In order to automate that wide range of expertise, Hands Free Hectare sends out drones to retrieve images of the plots, and those images are then processed and turned into usable data by proprietary software developed by Hands Free Hectare's agriculture professionals. Once the software has processed the data and created actionable insights, it sends that information to [automated agricultural machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/agriculture-robot), guiding them through planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops. As the global population grows (and with it the specter of [food scarcity](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aidriven-food-security)), automated agriculture like that of Hands Free Hectare will become increasingly important in maximizing crop yield. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.0/10 - Popularity: 41% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Autonomous Agriculture:** Opportunities for implementing drones and autonomous machines in the agriculture sector to increase crop yield. - **Precision Farming:** Utilizing drones and software to monitor soil quality, crop health, and climate for optimized farming methods. - **Data-driven Agriculture:** Using proprietary software to process imagery data and provide actionable insights for automated agricultural systems. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Agriculture:** Implementing drone and automation technology in farming to increase efficiency and maximize crop yield. - **Technology:** Developing innovative software and hardware solutions for autonomous agriculture and precision farming. - **Food Security:** Addressing the challenges of global food scarcity through the adoption of automated agricultural systems. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fully Autonomous Tractors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-tractor.md) - [Autonomous Earthwork Machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ces-2025-john-deere.md) - [Flying Fruit-Harvesting Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tevel-far-drone.md) - [Automated Farming Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/farming-robots.md) - [Automated Multipurpose Farming Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-farming-vehicle.md) - [Precision Robotic Weeding Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/weeding-service.md) - [Smart Indoor Farming Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-farming-ai-robots.md) - [Performance-Driven Agricultural Drones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/agricultural-drone-technology.md) - [Greenhouse-Roving Agricultural Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/greenhouseroving-agricultural-robot.md)