Media Release: Droidworx, 11.08.13
Any farmer who has dreamed of being able to check farm stock, infrastructure or crops from the air, without leaving the warmth of their kitchens on a cold winter’s morning, will soon be able to do just that.
It might sound like fantasy but Droidworx New Zealand is bringing the dream alive with their high-tech range of aerial robotic craft, developed at the company’s Raglan base.
Already causing a sensation in the film and television industries, the craft are now being developed for use in agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
These remote-controlled eyes in the sky can not only monitor stock and crops by transmitting live video back to the operator, but can also carry sophisticated equipment capable of detecting soil problems, weeds, moisture levels, crop and animal diseases and even forecasting production, say company directors Linda Bulk and Rob Brouwer.
The quadricopter machines can also carry a spray tank for selective spraying and, in the not-too-distant future, the Ag-Monster will be capable of carrying 20 litres of concentrated spray, says Bulk.
The company has spent much time developing hardy airframes to make the machines suitable for agricultural applications.
The work has certainly paid off – at this year’s Fieldays, the Ag-Monster took out the Most Viable Business Award and contractors, farmers and horticulturalists are already taking notice, says Bulk.
She and Brouwer, a former pilot, stumbled upon the technology used in their machines in a little helicopter shop near their hometown in northern New South Wales.
“It was the very first quad rotor [four engines] machine to enter the country, and we have been involved in its development ever since,” says Bulk. The pair set up Droidworx in Australia three years ago, and moved to Raglan 18 months ago.
Droidworx NZ has grown rapidly, igniting what Bulk describes as “a worldwide frenzy”.
“Ninety-eight per cent of our products go overseas and are mainly used in the film and TV industries.