Agricultural businesses leading the way with drone technology, new survey reveals

8% of agricultural firms have used drone technology for assessing crop growth, and distributing pesticides and fertilisers
8% of agricultural firms have used drone technology for assessing crop growth, and distributing pesticides and fertilisers

New research reveals that agricultural firms are leading the adoption of drone technology.

A study of 3,045 UK adults published in the The UK Drone Usage Report 2016, reveals that 586,430 Britons have used drones for commercial purposes.

The agricultural industry (18%) has been quick to incorporate the remote flying technology into their processes, including assessing crop growth, and distributing pesticides and fertilisers.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being put to work in an increasing number of commercial situations, such as filming, surveying landscapes, and product delivery.

The media industry (63%) is leading the uptake of their use – most commonly using them for taking aerial photography or videography.

Facilities management firms (39%) ranked in second place for commercial drone usage, with Mitie having recently unveiled plans to use drones for accessing problems such as pest control in high rise buildings.

Oil and utilities companies (34%) are also driving drone uptake. Firms such as BP and Shell currently use UAVs to inspect off-shore oil rigs and pipelines.

The construction industry (17%) ranked in fifth place, and are using drones to access the progress of projects.

The UK fire and police services have also been incorporating drone technology into rescue operations.

UAVs can provide alternative angles from which to access and observe crime scenes and can be used to access the safety of hazardous sites.

Surveillance (32%) is amongst the most common commercial uses of drones, following photography.

More than one in five (21%) is using a drone for security purposes in the workplace.