Nov 19, 2024
As Elon Musk pushes driverless cars, one company is already testing autonomous helicopters to spray crops and fight fires
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: drones, Elon Musk, food, robotics/AI
The heart-stopping flights led to his research of unmanned aircraft systems while getting his doctorate degree in aerospace engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Then, he formed Rotor Technologies in 2021 to develop unmanned helicopters.
Rotor has built two autonomous Sprayhawks and aims to have as many as 20 ready for market next year. The company also is developing helicopters that would carry cargo in disaster zones and to offshore oil rigs. The helicopter could also be used https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-season-2024-firefighters…2e4c66fd7” rel=“noopener”>to fight wildfires.
For now, Rotor is focused on the agriculture sector, which has embraced automation with drones but sees unmanned helicopters as a better way to spray larger areas with pesticides and fertilizers.