Agricultural drone swarms on the Drone Radio Show! Arthur Erickson, CEO and Founder of Hylio, talks with host Randy Goers about his company, the FAA exemption for agricultural drone swarms and how this will impact the drone industry.Listen below:
Arthur Erickson is CEO and Founder of Hylio Drones. Hylio develops and offers innovative drone systems that automate precision agriculture treatments. Hylio is American owned and operated, and its drones are made in the USA with US and globally sourced components. Using Hylio’s technology, farmers/producers can now apply crop treatments directly to problem areas, allowing farmers to increase yields by addressing pests and deficiencies with more accuracy and efficacyEarlier this year, Hylio received first ever FAA exemption for 55+ pound drone swarms to fly over agricultural lands. Under the exemption, Hylio has been granted permission to swarm up to three 55+ pound UAVs at a time with one pilot and no visual observer. The drones will monitor crops using AI, plant seeds and perform spray applications of fertilizer, pesticides, and more. This achievement sets an important precedent for the commercial UAS industry and lays the groundwork for other operators to file and obtain the same permissions.
Arthur received a degree in Aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. While working as a UAS researcher at UT, he started Hylio in 2015 alongside fellow students. Arthur has led Hylio from their early days of prototyping through the present. Today, Hylio’s systems are owned and operated by hundreds of farmers and applicators in both the US and abroad.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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