![]() ![]() The Yamaha R-MAX is a great machine and has delivered much success to Asian Farmers do to the size of farms, friendly regulatory environment, and payload capacity of the vehicle. The terrain and size in Japan are much better suited for UAS and has led to the great success of the Yamaha RMAX and other spraying drones. In fact, the UAS that was so rapidly adopted in Japan and propagated throughout East Asia (Korea, Japan, China) have not found the same use case in the United States mostly because the average farm size in the United States is 444 Acres while in Japan the average farm is 4.8 Acres and tiered. This reflects the very same assumptions that many manufacturers, consumers, and entrepreneurs take when approaching UAS, and is what of the many pitfalls in business: Needs Must Drive Mission. This report assumed the adoption rate of UAS technology by farmers in Japan would be the same adoption rate by American farmers essentially equating the US farmers’ needs to Japanese farmers’ needs. AUVSI got a lot right in that report, but they misunderstood one element that we are still seeing ramifications of to this day in agricultural markets. Unfortunately, the report made the same mistake that many organizations do – they believed one size fits all for farms. Expectations were high, and money began pouring in. It was coupled with efforts by major manufacturers and industry voices. This AUVSI report is one of the most important industry analyses responsible for the rapid adoption by investors and interest by lawmakers. ![]() Clarion calls ring out for a new agricultural revolution in order to help feed the people of the world, help struggling farmers, and accommodate the population booms that are sure to come in the next decade. It’s no surprise that the stalwart hero of that report was agriculture. In 2013 AUVSI published an industry leading analysis on the economic impact of drone integration in an effort to foster investment in the growing drone industry and to provide reasons for lawmakers to minimize regulatory hurdles impeding unmanned innovation. If you have been a part of the drone community since 2010 you have heard the promises of AUVSI or industry representatives when it comes to really two markets – law enforcement and agriculture. That industry, of course, is agriculture. This week we are diving into the industry that has been the hallmark of the unmanned aircraft revolution and one that even consumer grade manufactures are beginning to integrate into their portfolio. Last week we looked at inspections and how companies are saving money in the oil and gas, solar, wind, and utilities industries by incorporating unmanned aviation. ![]()
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