Identification of Appropriate Drone Technology and its application areas for Agriculture Automation in Bhutan

Abstract

Various applications of drones in agriculture sector around the world have been analysed in this paper. One of the conclusions after the study conducted indicates that almost all of the tasks are not fully automated but relies on the drone operator. The role played by the operator is varied depending on the type of tasks performed. Nevertheless, irrespective of the level of involvement of the operator, all the agricultural tasks noted in this study benefited immensely by the involvement of drones. The agricultural characteristics and limitations in Bhutanese context were studied along with the drone obligatory restrictions from the Bhutan Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA). The application areas to agricultural sectors in Bhutan which are legally and economically feasible have been mapped. The study also proposes the drones to be owned and operated by local government officials or community centre heads since farmers are not eligible to own the drones as well as due to small land holdings it is also not feasible.