Future engineers research using drones to help farmers

HADLEY — It’s not the type of partnership that forms every day, but it could turn out to be a fruitful match that may change the way farmers deploy agricultural chemicals.

In recent months, a team of six University of Massachusetts Amherst engineering students have been developing a drone-operated pest control product. But with little experience in how to operate a drone, the students are turning to a local group of remote controlled flying vehicle hobbyists for hands-on training flying drones.

The Hampshire County Radio Controllers will teach the students how to safely operate and understand changing policy around drones, which they will use to safely and cheaply deploy chemicals on crops. As a capstone project, the students hope to have the drone fly fully autonomous on a specified path and release chemicals with accuracy from a developed container.

“Our club is always looking to help people who are interested in the hobby,” said Leo Dube, a director at the club. “That sort of work really interests us.” Read the rest of the article online at GazetteNet.com

http://www.gazettenet.com/UMass-engineering-students-developing-drone-operate-pest-control-product-16689169