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UAS coalition examining uses for drones in ag, other industry
By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

STARKVILLE, Mo. — Farmers will take advantage of the benefits of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as the technology evolves and rules regarding their use are developed, according to a professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“They’re becoming more commonplace every day,” said Robert J. Moorhead II, also director of the university’s Geosystems Research and Northern Gulf Institutes. “They’re another tool in the tool chest. Farmers are very interested in using them, but are confounded by the FAA’s (Federal Aviation Administration) rules.”
UAS – also called unmanned aerial systems by those in agriculture who wish to avoid the term “drones” for its potentially negative connotations – can be used by farmers from spring through fall harvest, he noted.
“Early on, they can show if seeds are sprouting or if spring rains have washed them away. That will enable a farmer to make replant decisions quickly. During the summer, they can detect problems in the field, such as with clogged nozzles, and in the fall, thermal imaging can help them decide when best to harvest.”
The systems could help with counting cattle and help confirm the availability of food for animals on grazing land, he said. They could also be used to monitor the health of trees, for habitat analysis and in aquaculture.
The cost for a UAS varies depending on size and complexity, but some cost less than $1,000, Moorhead said. “If you wanted one to overfly a field and look for voids, you wouldn’t need much more than that. But if you’re looking for more specific information, you’d probably want to hire a specialist to look at the results.”
Current research includes finding ways to decrease the physical size of the technology while increasing the amount of time an unmanned vehicle can fly, he said.
The FAA has released draft rules for UAS weighing less than 55 pounds. Under the proposed regulations, UAS may only be flown if the operator has a visual line of sight with the aircraft. The craft must stay under 500 feet, may not be flown over populated areas and can’t be flown at night.
In May, Mississippi State was named by the FAA as the home of a new National Center of Excellence for UAS. The university will serve as the leader of a coalition tasked with researching unmanned systems for the agency.
The coalition – Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) – is made up of 21 universities and 100 industry and government partners. Among ASSURE’s members are Indiana State University and The Ohio State University.
“ASSURE exists to provide the FAA with the research they need to write UAS rules,” said retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. James Poss, ASSURE’s executive director.
ASSURE members are conducting UAS-related research in several areas, including airworthiness and qualifications needed to operate them. Its members are also studying which combination of weight and configuration would cause the least amount of damage to people, structures or manned aircraft if struck by a UAS.
In looking for potential ASSURE teammates, Poss said there were two criteria – those with practical experience with UAS and working with the FAA.
“They needed to know how to fly UAS and how to get them flying quickly,” he noted. “We didn’t want the top UAS universities to have to compete with each other. We wanted to band together to create a super team.”
Congress has budgeted $5 million for the Center of Excellence for the first year of the five-year agreement. ASSURE members and their corporate partners will also contribute $5 million.
UAS have the potential for uses in many industries, including agriculture, weather forecasting, insurance and housing, Poss stated. 
The cost for an unmanned system may range from about $3,000 to millions of dollars. The vehicles could be used by farmers to check crop conditions, either on a weekly basis or in the event of bad weather, Poss explained; they could also be used to verify crop insurance claims.
OSU is studying remote sensing for corn production via unmanned systems, said Scott A. Shearer, professor and chair of the university’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Research is focused on such areas as directed scouting, stand counts and plant water stress, he noted.
“In the 1990s, satellite imagery received a lot of interest for use in agriculture,” Shearer explained. “But today, UAS can fly under a lot more variable conditions. Satellites are limited by cloudy days. UAS can make more flights during the growing season.”
UAS help farmers manage their acres more effectively, he noted. “The use of remote imagery is very price-sensitive right now. But they will become a more normal way of doing business for farmers,” he said.
“I don’t think they will replace crop scouts or certified crop advisors. They will provide the information to help farmers and advisors make more informed decisions.”
7/22/2015