It's the latest technology that has taken still imagery to new heights.
But business owners and event planners aren't the only ones tapping into it.
Farmers have now taken interest in using drones.
They say it helps them become better decision makers when it comes to managing their crops.
"It would be great to see what those ancestors think about what we're doing now," says American Soybean Association Board Member Kevin Scott. "My great grandfather moved here in 1888, so everything was done by horse and buggy."
Times have definitely changed the farming industry.
What once was an all-manual labor task has now advanced to using technology like drones.
Scott says these unmanned air crafts are helping farmers better manage their crops.
"There are a lot of variables that we can't see from the road," he explains. "Typically we drive by on the road and say it's good enough, looks good, and there are some things you want to take a look at."
To do so, Scott uses the images and videos his drone takes.
It only takes a simple click of a button to take the picture.
But the result is much more invasive.
"Snap a picture and you can take that home, put it on your computer, and blow it up," says the farmer. "Then you can count the bugs on the plant. If you have enough bugs to treat, then treat it. If you don't, good. But you don't have to walk a half a mile out in the field where you can barely walk and do the counting; you can fly out there and do it."
Some of Scott's drone images show crops that have died from spraying problems, planting errors and the effects of a bad storm.
"This gives us an opportunity to look at those things and determine whether we are doing a good job with our inputs," says Scott, which is important with all the changes.
Not just in technology, but in an increase in demand as well.
"We're feeding so many more people in ag and we have to be good at it, because the world population is continues to grow, people want to eat," explains Scott.
Scott says with all these changes, it's important for consumers to know what's going on in the farming world.
To help with this, an organization called Hungry For Truth of South Dakota was created.
It's another step the industry has taken, but he doesn't think it will stop here.
"We're just scratching the surface," says Scott. "Technology is coming that it would take infrared photos, NDVI photos that are much more intense. They'll show the temperature difference in the crop, if a crop gets hot it means it's sick if it's cool its better. So we're just scratching the surface on what the drone technology is going to do for us."
Source: Farmers Tap Into Drone Industry
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