A new revolutionary app is being launched which uses drones to make walking in the fields a thing of the past.
And all that is needed is a smartphone and a small drone.
After choosing a field, the 'Skippy Scout' app flies the drone, collecting high resolution imagery at various points in the field.
These are downloaded straight to the phone and can be analysed for Growth Stage, Green Area Index, Weeds and Disease. Farmers can then share the data from the phone at the fields edge.
Drone AG has been offering farming-focused drone systems and certified training for over 3 years, and this is their first move into software which is a fast growing area in modern agriculture.
“In terms of taking and analysing photos, it’s like other crop scouting apps you can get, except with Skippy your phone camera can fly around the field by itself,” said Drone AG's Jack Wrangham.
“It makes field scouting more efficient through the use of affordable drone systems, which many farmers and agronomists already own. The aim is to save time, while also providing more information which can be easily shared.
“You can use popular drone systems like the DJI Mavic and Phantom series, using an iOS based mobile phone. These drone systems can be purchased for as little as £500, so the cost of entry is relatively low,” he added.
Meet Skippy Scout:
— Drone AG® (@dronesforag) October 10, 2018
Our new app that makes walking fields a thing of the past.
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It collects high resolution imagery of points across your field automatically.
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All with just your phone, and a drone...
.@farmingonline @FarmingFutures @aFarm_r pic.twitter.com/YNfkJ2YA7p
'Drone code'
Flying drones professionally needs a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This means those that provide services to others, such as Crop Consultants, will need to do a 2 day course and flight test to obtain their PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operations from the CAA).
However, the CAA has recently confirmed that a farmer operating a drone on their own land does not need a commercial license.
Mr Wrangham said: “It’s great to have confirmation on this from the CAA, as it’s been a grey area for so long. Whilst it means farmers don’t need a full license, they should still follow the drone code – keeping the drone within line-of-sight and below 400ft.”
“As the technology develops and becomes more intelligent, flights beyond line-of-sight will become safe enough to allow and we’ll start to see true drone automation on the farm.
He added: “Using a drone to scout a field is just the beginning of our goal to develop super-simple software that uses drones (not just airbourne!), smart phones, automation and AI to enable more efficient farming, with less hassle.”
The Skippy Scout app will be free during its launch and testing phases, starting in November.
