Evaluation of Unmanned Multicopters’ Performance Indicators for Pesticide and Agrochemical Application

The authors considered the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as one of the promising innovative directions for the development of economic and social sectors. The authors touched upon the prospects for their use in agriculture, especially for pesticide and agrochemical application, where accuracy, quality and timeliness are important. The relevance of multicopter performance assessment was noted. (Research purpose) The authors aim to develop and test a methodology for the evaluation of multicopters’ performance indicators for pesticide and agrochemical application in the agricultural industry. (Materials and methods) The authors used scientific and technical information and experimental materials, applied methods of system, statistical and functional-cost analysis, mathematical modeling, object and process parameter optimization, as well as previously developed methodological approaches to studying the aerial distribution of substances. (Results and discussion) The authors presented a general description and content of the developed methodology and means for assessing multicopter performance when applying working solutions that provide for an estimation error of up to 7 percent.The typical options for field plots and their treatment were specified. The authors analyzed the results of testing the methodology and software for a typical hexacopter with the payload of up to 10 kilograms. The authors analyzed the impact of working speed of up to 10 meters per second, application rates of 2-30 liters per hectare, the size and characteristics of the field plot up to 200 hectares, traffic patterns and other factors on productivity and multicopter treatment cost.  (Conclusions) The authors confirmed the efficiency of implementing complex multi-factor assessment of multicopter performance indicators for working fluids application in agricultural production. The authors determined the appropriate area of  applying multicopters with a payload of up to 10 kilograms in the field plots up to 50-60 hectares with a rut length of up to 800-900 meters with different treatment performance: flight – up to 10.5 hectares per flight hour, working – up to 7.5 hectares per hour, daytime – up to 55 hectares. Proposals and recommendations for the provision, organization and implementation of this work were formulated. 

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