DJI joins China suppliers with its first agriculture drone

DJI announced its first agriculture drone in a move that will allow the company to venture into a space that has been one of the first industries to eagerly adopt unmanned aerial vehicles. The DJI Agras MG-1 has eight rotors and can carry more than 10kg of liquid for crop spraying, according to the company. The drone is also “water- [and dust-resistant], and made of anti-corrosive materials.” It can be rinsed off and folded up for easy portability.

When the FAA started loosening regulations concerning the commercial use of drones, farmers were a hotly anticipated consumer base. Yet, the first drones authorized for commercial use were too expensive and not suited for this purpose. Some buyers and makers were already ignoring the regulations, but regulatory limbo can stunt the growth of a market since ambiguity could hurt the confidence of manufacturers. Now the rules for commercial drone use are clearer, but the UAVs must still remain in the visual line of sight of the operator for safety reasons. This also limits the technology’s use for agricultural purposes and prohibits drones from being used in different applications such as package delivery, which multiple retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, have been experimenting with. The FAA started looking at changing that regulation this year, but the rule still stands for now.

China manufacturers have not just been steering clear of the market, though, while the US hashes out its own regulations. A search for “agricultural drone” on Global Sources returns nearly 8,000 results. Many are not that dissimilar to what DJI is offering in terms of specs. They have six or eight rotors and can carry a load of 10 to 15kg. The Agras MG-1will no doubt be a more premium product than what many are offering currently. It could also help advance the product category, but in some ways, DJI is now just catching up by entering an area that has been advancing without them. The Agras will launch first in China and South Korea before moving on to other markets.