Aerobotics COVID-19 Care | Drone Partners
Tags: Drone Service, Coronavirus Update, Tech, Startup, Agtech

While the new year has brought exciting prospects for the ag-tech industry, it’s also brought along the uncertainty and hardship of the coronavirus outbreak. Here at Aerobotics, we care about your safety and we’re aiming to support our customers, Drone Partners and employees as best as we can!

1. Coronavirus crisis (COVID-19)

Response from Aerobotics:

As we continue to navigate the uncertainty of the Coronavirus spread, our customers, Drone Partners and employees remain our primary concern. Here are the steps Aerobotics is taking in providing support for our community while ensuring continual service at all times.

Advice from the World Health Organisation:

Help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by keeping up to date with the latest information on the outbreak. For more information, check out the WHO website for basic measures you can take to protect yourself against the virus.

Here are a few practical tips for Coronavirus prevention:

2. Aerobotics Updates

Drone Flights during the COVID-19 lockdown:

During this challenging period, Aerobotics will be working hard to continue providing our clients with the vital information they need. In most countries, the services related to the production and yield of agriculture is considered an essential service, which may allow us to still conduct drone flights. We are taking all measures to ensure that we operate in line with government regulations in each country.

We are going to be in constant contact with our growers and our Drone Partners that have upcoming flights scheduled in the next few weeks as things change to make sure we are always operating within the bounds of the respective local government regulations.

Please note that any information and the permission to visit farms on Aerobotics’ behalf is subject to change and subject to any government regulation or ordinance which becomes known to Aerobotics after the date of this communication. Please keep a lookout for further communication from our team with respect to this as the situation unfolds.

Yield Estimation Product:

This year, Aerobotics has focused on improving the accuracy of the data obtained for our yield estimation product. Instead of flying over the top of orchard trees, we have been rolling out a side flight method in order to identify more fruit, which enables us to generate data in a way that is more representative of the orchard’s yield. We have seen very promising results so far and we will be reaching out and training all current and potential drone pilots on this new collection method in the coming weeks in line with our rollout plan.

3. Industry updates

MicaSense firmware update:

New firmware is available for RedEdge-M/MX and Altum! This release includes updates such as improvements to the DLS 2 firmware and faster capture and transfer speed to storage media. We recommend updating your sensor for optimal performance in capturing your drone imagery! Get the New Altum and RedEdge Firmware here.

Countries turn to tech to fight Coronavirus:

Drone deliveries – As countries continue to find the most effective and safest way to combat the Coronavirus outbreak, drones are proving to be a viable solution in achieving this. MedTech companies across the world are making use of drones or “Telemedicine” to help provide healthcare services to those quarantined or practising social distancing. Telemedicine has made it possible for healthcare professionals to communicate with patients remotely, saving time and allowing possibly contagious patients to remain in quarantine.

Drone surveillance and enforcement – China and France have deployed drones in their countries to enforce Coronavirus restrictions. America is planning to implement the same approach.

The drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and loudspeakers enabling the police to detect citizens who are not adhering to the strict quarantine policies and direct them to return to their homes. This drone technology is intended to replace the surveillance and enforcement duties of police officials, thus further decreasing human contact and the risk of infection.

We will make sure to keep you updated on policy changes as soon as we become aware of them.

Please reach out to Matthew Davis for global flight schedule queries:

Email: matthew@aerobotics.com

Cell: +27 (78) 194 9699