New drone standards set to 'revolutionise' British farming

2018 is going to be the ‘Year of the Drone’, the House of Lords event heard
2018 is going to be the ‘Year of the Drone’, the House of Lords event heard

New drone standards to be unveiled are expected to lead to strengthened public confidence in safety, security and compliance with the agricultural industry.

The upcoming standards are set to release the true potential of the drone industry, which will in turn revolutionise the way farmers work.

The announcement was made at a drone event in the House of Lords on Wednesday (28 February).

The event heard how drones will use advanced scanning technology to detect crop disease before it is visible to the human eye and assist in the intelligent use of pesticides, thus dramatically reducing our exposure to them and increasing crop yields.

British Standards Institution (BSI) Chairman Sir David Brown said the BSI is playing a "pivotal role" in supporting the global future for drones through its work on standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

“Standards accelerate innovation, boost productivity and enable trade, while promoting safety and consumer protection,” Sir Brown said.

'Pivotal year'

Robert Garbett, in his role as Chairman of the BSI Committee on Drone Standards, said: “The development and adoption of the first quality and safety standards for the drone industry will make 2018 a pivotal year for an industry which is set to become a global phenomenon.”

The event heard that the key to growth for the drone industry are educating the public on the positive impact that this technology will have on lives.

Investors have been urged to get behind research and development, which will enable the industry to break through the barriers it faces.

Government was also urged to stand behind the drone industry to ensure that it is not "choked by over regulation".

Mr Gabett added: “The potential for the drone industry worldwide is huge, and particularly for the UK economy where the combination of our intellectual capital – our technology, engineering, innovation, governance, and above all, our development and support of high standards – is world class.”