Follow US Immigration and Life in the US: Since Amazon unveiled its plan to use drones for package delivery, the commercial utility of drones has sparked heated debate in the United States. While the business community is increasingly interested in expanding the commercial applications of drones, the public is concerned that this could lead to the abuse of drones for personal privacy surveillance. Consequently, most state legislatures in the US introduced bills this year to prevent drones from infringing on privacy, and over a dozen states have enacted laws restricting law enforcement agencies from using drones for tracking and surveillance. Due to privacy concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has deemed the use of drones for commercial purposes illegal. Companies and research institutions can only apply for special permits for specific requirements, such as technical research and development, flight demonstrations, and training for flight personnel.
To date, the use of drones in the US has been limited to military purposes. Additionally, some government departments, such as police departments, fire departments, and Customs and Border Protection, have the authority to use drones. Under strong pressure from the business community, the US Congress has required the FAA to establish rules for drone use in US airspace by September 2015, a challenging task that has left the FAA scrambling. The FAA stated that it would identify six drone test sites nationwide by the end of the year and propose a draft for small drone management next year, with the contents of the draft currently kept confidential.
Drone industry experts point out that agriculture is actually the best sector for drones to demonstrate their capabilities. In vast, sparsely populated areas filled with crops, the use of drones does not pose issues related to privacy infringement or personal injury. At the same time, drones can effectively collect a large amount of information on crop growth, which is highly beneficial for the precise application of fertilizers and pesticides.
Robert Blair, a farmer in Idaho, could not wait for the FAA's regulations to be finalized; when he had a good idea, he acted on it immediately. Blair and several friends built a drone for use on their own farm, equipped it with a camera, and monitored crop growth across the farm's 1,500 acres. The drone is 5 feet long from end to end and weighs no more than 10 pounds, barely larger than a turkey. With it hovering over the fields, Blair can clearly see his cattle herd on his computer, as well as the beans, barley, wheat, alfalfa, and other crops planted in different plots.
Regarding legal and regulatory issues, Blair is well aware of the situation. His drone is effectively just an aviation model, flying at an altitude no higher than 400 feet above the ground, which falls within the range permitted by FAA regulations. Moreover, the flight area is far from residential locations, so there are no complaints or claims. On the contrary, Blair jokingly says that he has accumulated a wealth of historical data through drone patrols, which can be used to analyze crop and herd losses, serving as strong evidence for insurance claims.
"I am now engaged in surgical agriculture. With the support of drones, I am practicing completely environmentally friendly agriculture because I know how to precisely apply fertilizer, irrigate moderately, and spray pesticides and herbicides reasonably," Blair said.
In addition to using drones to collect farmland information, some university research institutions have also developed operational unmanned helicopters. An unmanned helicopter jointly developed by the University of California and Yamaha Motor Company can spray chemicals in vineyards and orchards. In Florida, farmers use unmanned helicopters equipped with infrared cameras to control the spread of diseases in citrus groves. Others fly various uniquely shaped drones over newly seeded land to drive away birds that peck at the seeds, which is far more effective than traditional scarecrows.