A number of states have introduced legislation and three have passed bills prohibiting the use of unmanned aircraft.
But there are proponents who say unmanned aircraft could be used for all sorts of good including agriculture.
Gretchen West is executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a non-profit trade association with 7,500 members from around the globe. She says the unmanned aircraft technology started decades ago and has been developed mainly for the military but we are now seeing a shift into the civil market, law enforcement, federal agencies and such.
West says they would like to see the technology move into the commercial market and believes agriculture will be a big use.
First off, the Federal Aviation Administration has to clear the commercial use of unmanned aircraft. The first step in that journey could come in September 2015. Beyond that the technology would need to be refined for agricultural use, but that could evolve quickly.
West says Yamaha is already using unmanned helicopters to spray crops in Japan.
West says efforts by states to limit or completely ban unmanned aircraft could become a roadblock to development of the technology.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com