Are drones the future for Georgia's farmers?

MACON, Ga. -- Georgia farmers could be going high-tech.

Researchers at the University of Georgia are looking at new ways to help farmer's analyze their fields with the help of drones.

These unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV's, aren't a brand-new technology and a variety of companies and industries, including farming and agriculture, have been using the devices to help analyze certain things.

According to research engineer Simerjeet Virk, using drones and UAV's is still a work in progress but the devices could benefit Georgia farmers once there's a better understanding on how to use them.

"Right now, we are still trying to figure out how we can collect all this imagery with different types of sensors or cameras. You know, multi-spectral, thermal, visual imagery. But the biggest piece that we are missing right now is how to actually use all that imagery and implement in agriculture," Virk says.

By using this technology, researchers and eventually farmers hope to have a better understanding of how their fields and crops are doing.

"If you collect it in a timely, a good manner, it gives you a perspective for the whole field, how your whole field looks, where are the issue areas. There is no chance of missing them if they are right in the middle of the field or something, which you won't notice if you are just doing a manual field scouting just by walking around the field," says Virk.

Virk says it's uncertain time how many farmers are using this technology due to ongoing research on how to effectively utilize their capabilities, but he added that UAV's could make things a little easier for farmers.

Virk also mentioned the strict rules and regulations the Federal Aviation Administration places on drone pilots, which could create roadblocks during research.