Israel’s Volcani Centre acquires two Sniper UAVs for precision agriculture research
Prestigious Volcani Centre in Israel has acquired two Sniper UAVs manufactured by Alpha Unmanned Systems, for precision agriculture research.
Sniper UAV manufactured by Alpha Unmanned Systems
Prestigious Volcani Centre in Israel has acquired two Sniper UAVs manufactured by Alpha Unmanned Systems, for precision agriculture research.
Advances in technology and continuous research have been helping the agriculture industry to evolve and revolutionize the way their work is done, and unmanned aerial vehicles, most commonly known as drones, are the latest promising innovation.
Agriculture is taking the lead in the implementation of UAVs, where the main purpose is to seek for both economic and environmental optimization. Even though the introduction to this technology is just taking off, more research centres and farmers are starting to take advantage of the opportunities that this type of aircraft can bring.
This is certainly the case for the prestigious Volcani Centre in Israel, which has recently acquired two Sniper Helicopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Alpha Unmanned Systems for use in agricultural research.
The Volcani Center serves as the research arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the State of Israel and their expertise in plant sciences, plant protection, environmental sciences and herd management have made them a reference for different countries around the world.
Sniper Helicopter with Flir Camera
Their constant research and innovation is what has made them gain a worldwide reputation, with remarkable achievements such as the development of Arid Zone Agriculture that has considerably benefited not just Israeli industry, but also numerous farming communities all over the world.
Now, they are directing their expertise to precision agriculture, which is becoming an important strategy for crop management and farming optimization – and drones are the perfect tool for carrying out these innovative methods. Using high-tech systems will help farmers to increase yields and reduce costs.
Victor Alchanatis of the Volcani Center said:
“We are delighted to include the latest UAV technology for agricultural monitoring and are very pleased to be working with Alpha in Spain. Alpha´s products enable us to extend our research within budget and extend agricultural investigation using the latest UAV and imaging technology available.”
UAVs’ small size makes them easier to operate and enables them to hover in even the most difficult to access areas. In addition, they can fly near the plantation for a better capture of images and information, making it usable even when weather conditions are not optimum. Additionally, they can easily integrate different sensors and technology as required, such as GPS for instance, which can offer a more accurate result as well as offering the farmer relevant information in real time for a quicker reaction to the crop’s needs.
The Sniper’s long autonomous flight times of 2 hours and proven reliability ensure that commercial grade applications can be developed and tested.
“Modern Farmers” are starting to take advantage of the advances in information technology and integrating them into the unmanned revolution. There is no doubt that UAVs are a promising tool to face current and future problems in the agricultural industry – not only supplementing current farming methods, but also ready to address other potential uses that will increase considerably in the future.
