Home-grown technology creates green collar local jobs and helps communities become resilient and self-sufficient. John Robb profiles a low-cost drone that monitors soil conditions so farmers can take corrective action before crops are affected. The drone was created locally and costs less than $1,000 to build.
The work being done by Tom McKinnon and Jim Sears in Colorado is interesting to say the least. These guys have developed a low-cost, remote control drone that takes multispectral images of farmland.
This technology saves farmers money because it is much less expensive than manned aircraft flights or satellite imagery while providing useful information about the health of their plots. These drones can also be fitted with infrared cameras that map the soil moisture content of the area; affording farmers the opportunity to correct dry conditions before they affect crop production.