Background

Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as Drones are being increasingly used in the European Union. The economic sector is growing and brings new jobs, but under a fragmented European regulatory framework.

The European Union is about to introduce a common regulatory framework.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations projects that by 2050 humanity’s ranks will likely have grown to nearly 10 billion people. Given the limited scope of expanding the arable land, a legitimate question is: where will our food come from? Well, farmers will need to produce more with less while preserving our environment for future generations. And society as a whole has a duty to help them achieve this. Although agriculture is perceived as a fairly traditional economic sector, precision agriculture technologies have already boosted crop yields significantly in the last decades.

The origin of drones

It all started in Madison Square Garden where Nicola Tesla staged a scientific tour de force during the Electrical Exhibition of 1898. The demonstration was completely beyond the generally accepted limits of technology at this time. His invention took the form of a radio-controlled boat, a heavy, low-lying, steel craft about 120 cm long. Tesla’s boat carried several large batteries on board. Radio signals controlled switches, which energized the boat’s propeller and rudder. More Info