California Agriculture
The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources has published its January through March edition of California Agriculture with an amazing article on drones in the UC system. The article introduces the many potential applications for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) from crop yield analysis and beetle detection to mapping bodies of water and tree stress analysis. The researchers on these projects come from many of the UC campuses, hilighting the importance of developing technologies for agriculture throughout the state. In addition to demonstrating the potential for UAS in agriculture, the article discusses the regulations placed on commercial UAS use by explaining the key points of FAA Part 107. Part 107 outlines what counts as commercial operations and what is permitted or prohibited under that definition. The article also introduces the concepts of fixed wing and rotorary aircraft, explaining the pros and cons for each of these systems, as well as the different immaging technologies that are employed. If you want to read this article or the entire magazine, you can find it here.
