An Australian company has developed technology that allows drones to graze cattle completely independently. The app includes a docking station with a drone that can land, charge and take off according to a programmed schedule.
Fourth-generation farmer Luke Chaplain founded SkyKelpie in 2022, which develops drones for agricultural purposes. He recently presented a new development at the cattle show in Australia — shepherd drone It can be controlled from any corner of the world, if there’is a connection at both ends — at the docking station and where the pilot is writes Interesting Engineering.
In its development, SkyKelpie has focused on such drone features as flight time, payload and obstacle avoidance.
In addition, the company has developed a course for shepherd drone operators, where special attention is paid to such skills such as flight accuracy and orientation in space. Participants learn to manage animals as a cohesive mob and use drones to disperse animals within a pen. The course also considers methods of adaptation for different types of animals and terrains and teaching animals to calmly respond to guidance of drones.
The company has developed three models of herding drones. The first entry-level model for livestock gathering. Second — takes aerial observation to a new level thanks to an improved thermal and zoom camera. The third model is equipped with a powerful thermal imager and a camera with a 200-fold magnification, and is also protected from dust and water, able to work at temperatures from -20 to 50 degrees Celsius.