PHOTO: DJI
PHOTO: JOHN DEERE
PHOTO: DRONES4AGRO
PHOTO: XAG
The latest developments in spray drones
John Deere revealed the giant VoloDrone at the Agritechnica Show in Hannover, last autumn. A joint development with Volocopter, it is 9.2m wide, has 18 rotors, a fully electric drive and is powered by lithi- um-ion batteries, which provide a flight time of about 30 minutes on one charge. Like smaller drones, it can be remotely or automatically operated and is able to follow a pre-programmed route. What sets it apart is its 200kg carrying capacity, which enables it to carry two tanks, a pump and a spray boom, offering outputs of up to 6ha per hour. It has a standardised attachment system that allows different applicators to be fitted depending on requirements.
In November last year Chinese drone giant XAG unveiled its latest Xplanet quadrotor UAV, which has a 20kg payload. For spraying it has a 16 litre capacity tank and is equipped with rotary atomisation noz- zles, fitted below the rotors, which produce 85 to 550 micron sized spray droplets. It also has variable flowrate control according to speed, as well as automatic refilling. In Rapid mode, with a 7m spray width it offers workrates up to 18ha an hour, producing a coverage of 5 droplets/m², at an application rate of 12 litres/ha and at 7m/s flying speed. The ‘Fine spray width’ mode is 4.5m wide and this produces 15 droplets/m² at the same dose and speed.
Last November DJI, which is China’s other leading drone manufactur- er, launched its latest Agras T16, six-rotor agricultural drone. This is equipped with a quick-change, 16 litre capacity tank providing workrates of up to 16ha an hour. Spray rates of up to 4.8 litres/min can be applied via four pumps supplying eight nozzles, which, depending on type and size, create droplets between 130 to 265 microns. Mount- ed on arms underneath the rotors, these offer working widths from 4m up to 6.5m, set between 1.5m to 3m above the crop. Flowrates are maintained by an electro-magnetic flow meter. The modular design makes it easier to swap the liquid tank and the battery, to help speed up turn-around times and boost operational efficiency.
Drones4Agro, which is supported by the EU in an EFRO project, aims to produce a fully certified, 150kg drone – a ‘flying tractor’. It offers custom designs on a novel platform that, unlike other pro- prietary designs, comes in widths from 3m to 9m, equipped with eight to 24 rotors, distributed across the width. These various sizes can support payloads from 15kg right up to 80kg. This, it says, allows users to tailor the drone to suit their oper- ations – from vineyards to open field applications. At the same time it offers different spray application techniques creating very fine, mist droplets from rotary atomisers up to standard, regular pressure nozzles.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 May 2020 21
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