An agricultural unmanned aerial systems (UAS) startup, Hylio, claims it is the first company in the U.S. to receive a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to swarm 55 lb drones using just one pilot and no visual observer.
The FAA exemption lays the groundwork for other operators and customers using drones to obtain the same permissions, Hylio said.
According to the company, swarm UAS will be used in the future to increase productivity on farms. Hylio used an example of a 55 lb drone that can treat about 50 acres per hour. Three of these drones could triple this coverage. In all, it could mean a huge boost in revenues and productivity for farmers.
The FAA exemption allows these drones to multitask as a team versus only a single UAS executing one task at a time. So, an operator could be planting cover crop seeds while others are spraying treatments, for example.
The exemption allows for Hylio to pilot a swarm of up to three 55 lb drones, but it also applies to other drone varieties as well.
“Swarming drones over 55 pounds has long been the desperately sought holy grail in the agricultural industry,” said Arthur Erickson, co-founder and CEO of Hylio. “For years, the ag sector has been severely hindered due to the fact that only smaller, under 55 lb. drones could be swarmed, leaving much of the potential productivity on the table.”
