UAVOS, a Hong Kong based company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of unmanned vehicles and autopilot systems, announced it has converted a Robinson R22 helicopter for use as an unmanned agricultural drone. A UAV of this size is not certified for use anywhere in the U.S. under existing Federal Aviation Regulations.

The R22-UV has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,400 pounds and is equipped with a custom-developed Simplex Model 222 spray system weighing 92.59 pounds. Its spray boom is 22.9 feet wide, with a swath width of 45.9 to 52.4 feet. It can autonomously stay aloft for up to two hours.

In a press release, UAVOS listed several advantages this UAV can provide to farmers, all of which are the same as manned aircraft. They include:

• The ability for helicopters to be operated in the regions without airfields and during nighttime.
• Excellent for operations in wet conditions – where the use of ground equipment is impossible or difficult. Unlike heavy machinery, which cannot go into a field immediately after a heavy rain,  aircraft have no impact on the ground. Aircraft sprayers don't touch the ground so there will be less soil compaction. This is when heavy machinery like tractors roll over the soil, pressing it down and damaging it.
• Replacing back-pack sprayers. UAV implementation eliminates manual spraying.
• UAVs also enable growers to spray their crops precisely and at will, which is critical for fighting herbicide-resistant weeds. The rotor of the helicopter produces a huge downward rotation force, which promotes the pesticide droplets to penetrate the crop from top to bottom, which is conducive to the pesticide droplets evenly scattered in all parts of the plant, so that the spraying is accurate.

UAVOS specializes in the development and manufacture of unmanned vehicles, autopilot systems and components including servo drives, pan-tilt platforms and rescue/emergency landing systems. The company has offices in Hong Kong, the U.S. and Switzerland.