2023 - Volume #47, Issue #1, Page #10
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One-Man Drone Perfect For Farm Use
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The vehicle qualifies as an ultralight because it weighs less than 255 pounds, has a single occupant, goes less than 63 mph, and therefore doesn’t require a pilot’s license.
“It has six independent motors, each with their own battery pack,” Kowitz says. “Each unit has its own controller and propeller.”
Kowitz says the idea behind their independence is that the propulsion units “talk” to each other, an important safety feature built into the Recon.
“If you lost a motor for any reason, you could still fly and land safely with the vehicle because the others would compensate,” he says. “By comparison, if you see someone flying a glider with a small motor on it and that motor goes down, they’re going down hard.”
The flight controls are two joysticks, with one on each side of the pilot. The left stick will take you up in the air if you push it forward and down to the ground if you pull it back. If the joystick is in the center, the vehicle will hover.
“The right stick is the directional stick,” he says. “Push it forward to fly straight ahead and pull it back to fly in reverse. If you push it right, the vehicle slides to the right and vice-versa to fly left.”
There’s also a thumbwheel on the right stick that allows the pilot to pivot the Recon in a circle while hovering. “It’s like spinning in a circle while you sit in an office chair,” he says.
The folks at RYSE Aero Tech found out firsthand how this could benefit American farms. They’ve been spending time at farm shows talking to producers and asking what they thought.
“We asked farmers how they could use this, and they came back with interesting responses,” he says. “They said in crop scouting, reducing soil compaction, and as a much easier way to get to your irrigation system when the crops get high.”
It’s a great timesaver when trying to get around in difficult terrain. If a producer is flying a drone to see what’s out there, you’ll still have to bring the drone back and make a long walk or drive to wherever you’re going.
“We visited with a producer in Steamboat Springs, Colo., who had a reservoir 6 miles from his operation,” Kowitz says. “It took him 45 minutes to get there with an ATV. With our vehicle, he’s there in a few minutes.”
Some of the key features of the RYSE Recon include: up to a 25-mile range, the ability to operate on both land and water; six independent propulsion systems with rechargeable batteries.
Kowitz says the MSRP for a unit is $150,000. “If you can get things done faster and more efficiently by using a Recon, this will more than pay for itself over time.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mick Kowitz, RYSE Aero Technologies, 6951 Cintas Boulevard, Mason, Ohio 45040 (ph 513-318-9907; sales@ryseaerotech.com; www.ryseaerotech.com).
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