Present Status/Current Outlook of This Project of Research:
The collaborative team has been working with sUAS since May 2010, however, the lack of permanent flight regulations from the FAA has made widespread use by commercial and public users difficult. The long anticipated release of permanent flight regulations for sUAS on August 29, and the fact that the permanent rules offer a rationale and easy pathway to use, means adoption of this emerging technology by commercial users such as wholesale nurseries will increase rapidly.
The concern is that research-based information is lagging behind the anticipated number of users and as such experienced researchers need to ramp up their efforts quickly.
There is also a need to demonstrate that aerial systems can provide affordable solutions for growers and we feel our team is well positioned to accomplish the research objectives.