Holding over two decades of experience, Karthik is driving innovation at DEP.

The use of autonomous machinery is increasing in our day-to-day lives with its influence across verticals. It is being considered as a great technological tool to assist farmers in mitigating some of the toughest agricultural challenges and help increase farm productivity through a comprehensive technological ecosystem.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have undoubtedly revolutionized the agricultural industry with their increased applications in recent years. But while significant strides have been made, there are still some inhibiting factors that continue to hinder efficiencies in farming practices. For a farmer managing hundreds of acres of land, the challenges are all too familiar. Variances in terrain, increased invasion by pests and difficulty predicting future crop growth cycles are some of the issues that negatively impact agricultural productivity.

Challenges faced by the Agricultural Industry
In the agricultural industry, one of the primary challenges farmers face is dealing with pests and the high levels of pesticides that need to be utilized. With large areas of land, it can be difficult for farmers to gauge exactly where pesticides are most needed and where to appropriately distribute them. Brute force approach to handle pests would be both inefficient and expensive. Not only is it harmful for crop production, but it can be detrimental to humans and the environment alike. To combat these issues, DEP’s drone technology provides the ability to localize pest control and minimize the use of pesticides by mapping the land to assess the intensity of the pest invasion. In doing so, it has the ability to ensure high crop yield with reduced environmental impact.

Another key challenge that farmers currently face is knowing how to maximize the agricultural area they have and make effective use of their land. Drones aid in analyzing and mapping land area to provide real-time data on soil type and health. Through the use of machine learning technology, these drones are able to identify and assess different terrain types and provide farmers with

appropriate information on depths of seed planting and updates on the health of crops. This information is vital in enabling farmers to leverage their land and maximize yield production.

Transformation with the Drone Technology
Customized drone technology can facilitate the transformation of the agricultural industry by providing farmers with fast and efficient ways to monitor and thereby improve crop yield. This enables better business decisions to improve overall productivity and profitability. A flexible drone infrastructure platform can ensure adaptability for various applications. It is essential for cost reduction and efficiency in providing farmers and companies a singular mechanism for agricultural applications.

These customizable and programmable drones include flexible hardware that can be altered depending on the given need. Night vision lenses may be added for nocturnal usage, sensors and emitters can be included for bird repelling capabilities and imaging cameras may be inserted to receive detailed analysis land analysis. The new drone technology businesses need only to invest in a single drone that can then be utilized for multiple purposes and provides a software platform where all data is received in one central location.

A flexible drone infrastructure platform can ensure adaptability for various applications

These uniquely designed drones have the ability to specifically assist farmers in myriad ways.
Additionally, drones allow farmers to analyze their crop growth cycles and plan accordingly. Once the field area is mapped, the drones can give data to enable the farmer to make intelligent decisions the most optimal areas for planting and relay back that information. When the crops bear fruit or flowers and are ready for harvesting, the drones can determine the optimal time for harvesting and the most economical way to harvest the crop. Finally, with the farm information data collected using the drones it is possible to make predictions on the future growth cycle and allow farmers to further optimize their land for increased revenue and profit.

With its advanced technological hardware and software capabilities, companies can assist in designing and developing a drone and associated infrastructure that provides surveillance across farmlands. The drones have high endurance to withstand variations in weather and are extremely robust, ensuring long flight durations. Finally, the company’s product engineering and aerospace teams can work with businesses to custom design modular drones to meet different farmland needs and are programmable for various terrain and land types.