Yes, it is perfectly legal to fly and apply with drones as long as you have the necessary licenses. Please visit our FAA Licensing page and/or our Regulations FAQ tab to learn more about the necessary licenses.

With drones, you are able to safely spray much finer droplets than you would typically spray with traditional methods. These smaller droplets provide much better coverage and product efficacy.

With traditional methods (such as airplanes and ground rigs), you often must utilize coarse (325+ microns) or larger droplets because these devices do not have external methods for controlling drift; they must spray larger, heavier droplets and use drift control agents in an attempt to reduce their drift risk. The major disadvantage of this is that the larger your droplets are, the weaker your coverage is. ‍As a general rule, smaller droplets (very fine > medium) offer better coverage and the only drawback to smaller droplets is that they are more susceptible to drift. This is where drones come in. Drones have a great system for drift control: the downwash from the drones’ propellers provides 55-350+ pounds (depending on the model) of force to push those smaller droplets downward into the target area. Additionally, drones are precision tools that are able to fly much closer to the top of the crops than manned aerial applicators. The combination of this propeller downwash and the close proximity to the target area allows drones to safely spray very fine to medium droplets that provide much better coverage than their larger counterparts. Furthermore, the downwash has the added benefit of pushing away top layers of foliage so that these smaller droplets are able to penetrate to the bottom and middle of the crop. Whereas normally you may be worried that smaller drops could not penetrate well, the drones’ aerodynamic properties negate that issue.

In summary, while you are spraying less total solution volume by drone than you would with a normal spray rig, your smaller droplets actually end up giving you better coverage despite there being less liquid overall.

When spraying by drone, you should utilize the aerial application labels. There are many effective pesticides that have aerial labels that call for 1 - 3 GPA (gallons per acre) total solution volume. These are the ranges you should target when spraying by drone.

The label is the law. We never advise any operator to deviate from the label’s instructions. You should apply the amount of chemical that the aerial label prescribes for the intended treatment; you should typically utilize the lowest amount of total solution that the label allows (usually 1 -3 GPA total solution volume). With that being said, we are hopeful that drone-specific labels will soon come out that explicitly allow applicators to apply not only less volume per acre overall but even less chemical volume per acre.

There are not yet any drone-specific chemical labels on the market but many organizations that hold Experimental Use Permits are currently conducting tests of drone applications at chemical rates that are lower than the traditional aerial label amounts. Many researchers believe that drones will allow applicators to apply less chemical per acre, but the industry is still awaiting official publishing of drone-specific labels.

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Yes; in fact they can be much more effective than traditional applications when used properly.

With traditional methods (such as airplanes and ground rigs), you often must utilize coarse (325+ microns) or larger droplets because these devices do not have external methods for controlling drift; they must spray larger, heavier droplets and use drift control agents in an attempt to reduce their drift risk. The major disadvantage of this is that the larger your droplets are, the weaker your coverage is. As a general rule, smaller droplets (very fine > medium) offer better coverage and the only drawback to smaller droplets is that they are more susceptible to drift.

This is where drones come in. Drones have a great system for drift control: the downwash from the drones’ propellers provides more than 55-350+ pounds (depending on the model) of force to push those smaller droplets downward into the target area. Additionally, drones are precision tools that are able to fly much closer to the top of the crops than manned aerial applicators. The combination of this propeller downwash and the close proximity to the target area allows drones to safely spray very fine to medium droplets that provide much better coverage than their larger counterparts. Furthermore, the downwash has the added benefit of pushing away top layers of foliage so that these smaller droplets are able to penetrate to the bottom and middle of the crop. Whereas normally you may be worried that smaller drops could not penetrate well, the drones’ aerodynamic properties negate that issue.

With ground spraying rigs, you often must utilize coarse (325+ microns) or larger droplets because these devices do not have external methods for controlling drift; they must spray larger, heavier droplets and use drift control agents in an attempt to reduce their drift risk. The major disadvantage of this is that the larger your droplets are, the weaker your coverage is. As a general rule, smaller droplets (very fine to medium) offer better coverage and the only drawback to smaller droplets is that they are more susceptible to drift. Drones are able to safely spray much smaller droplets (in the very fine - medium range) which offer much better coverage than larger droplets. This allows drones to utilize far less solution than ground rigs when applying.

‍Ground rigs also have limited clearance height; even the majority of high-clearance boom sprayers on the market today max out at around 9 feet at the tallest. This can make spraying taller corn in mid to late season a challenge. Drones, on the other hand, can freely move in 3D space and thus can easily service crops of any height; from low sitting rice all the way to 20+ foot tree crops.

Ground rigs must trample some crop in order to service your lots. Research from Purdue demonstrated that yield loss due to wheel tracks accounted for anywhere from 0.8% to 6.7% of yield loss on soybean fields depending on the growth stage and the type of ground rig used. Drone applications avoid this yield loss since they simply fly over the crops to apply.

Ground rigs can also cause harmful soil compaction; especially ground rigs that are loaded with heavy liquid chemical loads. Soil compaction has been shown to possibly account for 10-20% of yield loss in unfavorable years. Drone applications avoid ground compaction since they simply fly over the crops to apply.

Drones, thanks to their propeller downwash, can penetrate the crop canopy much better than ground rigs. The downwash pushes away the top layers of foliage so that the smaller application droplets are able to penetrate to the bottom and middle of the crop. Whereas normally you may be worried that smaller drops could not penetrate well, the drones’ aerodynamic properties negate that issue. Ground rigs do not typically have any method for pushing the product down into the lower portions of the crop.

Ground rigs can have difficulty applying over terrain with elevation variations. Drones have no problem traversing over rising or falling slopes. Drones can easily fly over drainage ditches or protruding ground features that might be littered throughout your fields.

Ground rigs can have difficulty navigating irregular shaped or smaller fields. For example, a 120’ wide boom sprayer wouldn’t be able to spray a long, narrow lot that is thinner than 120’. A large ground rig would also have difficulty spraying corners, curves, and other strange shapes. Drones are able to spray any arbitrarily shaped area and they have adjustable effective swaths going from as thin as 6’ to as wide as 40’.Ground rigs cannot easily or safely navigate wet/muddy terrain. For example, flooded rice paddies are impassable by ground rigs. Also, when traditional row crops receive rain, they can often become impassable as well. This can be a compounded problem because many crop pests begin to grow and flourish immediately following a rain event so at the moment when you most need to go and treat your crops, you might not be able to with the ground rig that you have on hand. Drones don’t mind wet ground since they fly over the crops.

See study done by Ricetec that compares airplane vs drone efficacy of herbicide application.

Airplanes can carry much heavier payloads than our drones, but also have many disadvantages. Even though planes have a size advantage, deploying a fleet of our drones can allow a user to cover thousands of acres per day, as well.

Like ground rigs, airplanes do not have any method for pushing the product down into the lower portions of the crop. Therefore, when spraying smaller droplet sizes, they are at higher risk of the droplets drifting off target. Drones, conversely, have powerful propeller downwash which drives the droplets down into the target area. This downwash significantly mitigates the risk of drift when spraying finer droplets.

Airplanes cannot perform precision spray applications. By nature, and airplane performs fast moving sweeps over the crop with a typical effective swath width of ~60’ - 80’ (depending on the size of the aircraft); this means that even if the pilot tries to manually toggle the spray system on and off, the most precise application they could make would still hit at 2000+ sq. ft. Our drones, on the other hand, are precise enough to spray as small as a 5 sq. ft. area (depending on your nozzle configuration). This allows you to target individual spots or patches for treatment, reducing time and resources spent.

Airplanes also have great difficulty applying near tree lines, fence lines, power lines, and other common obstacles. Many airplane aerial applicators, for good reason, avoid applying too close to these obstacles which pose a crash risk for them. This results in either areas of the crop that are completely missed or areas that are inconsistently sprayed. For example, as a pilot banks upwards at the edge of a field in order to clear the tree line, their elevation is increasing which is negatively affecting the deposition of the product.

Airplanes are much more expensive to acquire (both through purchase or leasing), maintain, and operate. Thus, airplane applicators have a much higher barrier to entry and are hit with high operating expenses. Typically, this forces the airplane aerial applicators to avoid spraying smaller lots entirely or to enforce minimum payment amounts (per flight, per day, etc.). For farmers, this can make contracting of airplane applicators prohibitively expensive, especially if you are a farmer with smaller, scattered lots. Drones, conversely, are much cheaper to purchase, maintain, and operate. Even a fleet of drones is more affordable than an airplane for aerial applications on both the front and back end.

Finally, it’s an unfortunate reality that application by airplane is fairly dangerous. Every year there are several deaths and injuries associated with airplane applications. The drones, by nature, expose operators/pilots to much less danger. In the rare event that a drone crashes, typically the extent of the damage is limited to the drone and a few stalks of corn. By utilizing drones, aerial applicators can perform their treatments cheaper, safer, and more precisely; creating value for both themselves and the farmer receiving the services.

Most helicopters used for aerial application actually don’t have a major capacity advantage over drones. Typically, application helicopters have anywhere from 20-60 gallons of effective payload, whereas our largest drone at the moment can carry a 18.0  gallon capacity. Thus, by deploying just two or three of our drones, you can already begin directly competing with the capacity being put out by a helicopter.

Helicopters share the propeller downwash advantage that drones have. In many ways, the aerodynamics of a helicopter application are similar to a drone application. Both utilize the downwash to drive smaller droplets down into the target area, mitigating the risk of drift.

Although they can handle it somewhat better than airplanes, helicopters still experience difficulty applying near tree lines, fence lines, power lines, and other common obstacles. Many helicopter applicators, for good reason, avoid applying too close to these obstacles which pose a crash risk for them. This results in either areas of the crop that are completely missed or areas that are inconsistently sprayed. For example, as a pilot banks upwards at the edge of a field in order to clear the tree line, their elevation is increasing which is negatively affecting the deposition of the product.

Helicopters are more precise than airplanes, but they are still much less precise than drones. Typically, helicopters perform sweeping applications (similar to airplanes), but they are able to hover and target areas that are smaller than the whole field. With that being said, the most precise a helicopter can get is typically a 100+ sq. ft. area due to their boom configuration. Additionally, targeting multiple small spots within a field in a manually piloted helicopter can be a very tedious task and is prone to human error. On the other hand, drones are precise enough to spray as small as a 5 sq. ft. area. (depending on your nozzle configuration). This allows you to target individual spots or patches for treatment, reducing time and resources spent. Unlike the manually piloted helicopter, the drone can be programmed to target as many spots as you want and it will go out and autonomously handle that with precision and efficiency.

Like airplanes, helicopters are much more expensive to acquire, maintain, and operate. Thus, helicopter applicators have a much higher barrier to entry and are hit with high operating expenses. Typically, this forces the helicopter aerial applicators to avoid spraying smaller lots entirely or to enforce minimum payment amounts (per flight, per day, etc.). For farmers, this can make contracting of helicopter applicators prohibitively expensive, especially if you are a farmer with smaller, scattered lots. Drones, conversely, are much cheaper to purchase, maintain, and operate. Even a fleet of drones is more affordable than a helicopter for aerial applications on both the front and back end.

Unfortunately, helicopter applications, like airplane applications, are fairly dangerous. Every year there are several deaths and injuries associated with helicopter applications. The drones, by nature, expose operators/pilots to much less danger. In the rare event that a drone crashes, typically the extent of the damage is limited to the drone and a few stalks of corn. By utilizing drones, aerial applicators can perform their treatments cheaper, safer, and more precisely; creating value for both themselves and the farmer receiving the services.

It depends. If the product label calls for you to utilize drift control agents, then you should do so. Other than that, you should utilize drift control agents if the situation calls for it. Oftentimes the drone’s downwash alone is enough for you to have effective drift control. However, in some conditions you might want to consider adding a drift control agent. To give a few examples: drift control agents can be useful if you’re flying higher than usual (perhaps to apply over hilly terrain), or if there is more crosswind than usual.

We currently offer four drone models:
AG-210: 2.5 gallons (10 liters)
AG-216: 4.5 gallons (16 liters)
AG-230: 8.0 gallons (30 liters)
AG-272: 18.0 gallons (72 liters)

Yes, using our AgroSol software, you can easily define a boundary for the drone(s) to spray as a broadcast application. You can define key parameters such as application altitude, swath width, desired dosage, and more to achieve the exact application quality you want.

At this point, Hylio’s drones have been used to successfully spray virtually all crop types; from staple row crops such as corn and soybeans to specialty crops such as berries, citrus fruits, and tomatoes. Hylio’s drones are also used for non-ag purposes such as weed control for municipalities and energy companies as well as mosquito control.

Yes, using our AgroSol software you can target both areas and individual points to spot spray. You can either define these within AgroSol itself using our map interface, or you can import these from virtually any GIS/ag-scouting 3rd party program (such as MyJohnDeere, Ag Leader, Climate FieldView, DroneDeploy, Pix4D, etc.) Once these points/areas are defined, you can then assign them to a Hylio spray drone which can treat them autonomously.

Yes, using our AgroSol software, you can define any arbitrary line that you would like for the drone to spray. This could be a straight A-B line, a curved line, or a very complicated line with many twists and turns; it’s up to you.

Yes. Thanks to the precision of Hylio’s AgroDrones, you can apply products only where your crops need them without needlessly over-spraying in other areas. We have a variety of different spray modes that allow you perform variable rate operations which include: spot spraying, multiple area spraying, and zonation spraying based off of prescriptions. The electronic flowmeters aboard the AgroDrones allow the aircraft to automatically adjust their spraying mid-flight to achieve precise, variable rate goals.

Hylio's ground control software, AgroSol, features native GEOTiff stitching capabilities. Meaning that if you upload images, AgroSol can stitch them together to form a base layer map which you can use for planning mission boundaries, identifying weeds and other problem areas, and more.

While Hylio itself does not yet create dedicated crop scouting drones, you can use our sprayer/spreader drones for image gathering. Our platform works very well with many 3rd party crop scouting systems. You can also utilize popular platforms such as DroneDeploy and Pix4D to perform crop scouting tasks (such as stand counts and NDVI crop health scans).

It is easy to export prescription maps from 3rd party platforms into Hylio’s AgroSol software. With these maps, you can perform data-driven, precision application of chemicals.

Yes. It’s quite common to mix application chemicals with drift control agents such as MSO, for example. You can also mix multiple different pesticide products together, but you must follow the labels (label is the law!), and you need to be mindful of the viscosity of the mixture. Some products don’t mix well together and can create a thick, gluey substance that may not be able to pass through the drone’s spray system. The vast majority of products that are mixed and applied aerially by planes/helicopters would also work when mixed and applied with our drones.

Yes. All of our models are compatible with optional granular spreader devices which you can purchase from us. The granular spreader device is an automated, rotary device that can be used to apply a wide variety of solid material products such as fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds. You can learn more about the spreader devices on our accessories page.

Yes. All of our models are compatible with optional granular spreader devices which you can purchase from us. The process to switch between the liquid and solid payload equipment typically takes 30 - 60 minutes and involves dismounting one set of equipment and mounting the other using standard fasteners.

AG-210: 2.7 gallons (10 liters); 22.0 lbs. (10.0 kg.)
AG-216: 2.7 gallons (10 liters); 35.2 lbs. (16 kg.)
AG-230: 5.2 gallons (20 liters); 66.1 lbs. (30.0 kg.)
AG-272: 18.0 gallons (72 liters); 158.7 lbs. (72 kg.)

In a typical application flight, the drone will completely empty its payload within 5-10 minutes depending on your application settings.

Yes. The drones have electronic flowmeters that track material flow from the drone. These flowmeters are integrated into the drones’ onboard computers and are also synced up with our AgroSol software; this allows the drones to automatically adjust their flowrate with control loops in real-time to ensure consistent applications. In dynamic flowrate mode, you simply define a solution dosage rate per area that you wish to hit (2 gallons/acre, for example) and the drones systems will coordinate to maintain that target dosage. When the drone decelerates coming into a transition, the pump will decrease flowrate in order to avoid over spraying and vice-versa.

The flowmeters we utilize, when properly calibrated, have a margin of error of approximately 2%.

Yes. The drones have electronic flowmeter sensors which can detect when material has stopped flowing. In this way, the drones know when they run out of material and they will then automatically return to your designated land point for refilling.

Yes. If the drones have to return to home mid-application (low battery, ran out of material, etc.), then they automatically store the last point where they applied and will resume at that point once you send them back out. This checkpoint is shown on our AgroSol interface while you’re operating.

This depends on the intended goals of your application. Usually we recommend a spray altitude of 12-15 foot above the crops which results in an optimal effective swath that balances coverage with width. There are instances where you might want to fly lower, or higher, in order to optimize your application. For example, you could fly lower than 12-15 feet in order to reduce your swath width so you can spray a narrower ditch.

This depends on the intended goals of your application. Generally speaking, we recommend that you fly as fast as possible while still keeping up with the intended dosage rate; the faster you fly, the more productive you will be in terms of acres treated per hour/day/etc.

To clarify, if you would like to target a 2GPA dosage rate for your application, there is a maximum speed at which you can fly where your pumps will still be able to maintain that dosage. AgroSol has a built-in calculator that will determine what that maximum speed is for the model you are using and the dosage you are trying to achieve. As an example, the AG-230 can apply at a rate of 2 GPA while flying at a maximum of ~20 mph. Therefore, it would be optimal for you to fly at 20 mph with the AG-230 when targeting a 2 GPA dosage.

AG-210: Up to 20 feet (6.1 meters)
AG-216: Up to 25 feet (7.6 meters)
AG-230: Up to 35 feet (10.7 meters)
AG-272: Up to 40 feet (12.2 meters)

There are several parameters that affect the effective swath width of the drones:
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Spray Altitude
Generally speaking, increasing your spray altitude will increase your effective spray width. We recommend a spray altitude of 12-15 foot above the crops which results in an optimal effective swath that balances coverage and width.

For example, an AgroDrone spraying at 15 feet above the crop will have a wider effective swath than one spraying with similar spray settings except at an altitude of 5 feet above the crop.

Spray Speed
By decreasing your spray speed, you will increase your effective swath width. If the drone has more time to linger over a certain area while spraying, the downwash pattern will widen the swath that you’re putting down. For example, an AgroDrone spraying at a 2GPA rate flying at 10 mph will have a wider effective swath than one spraying at the same rate but flying at 20 mph.

Flowrate / Nozzle Selection
By increasing your flowrate, you can boost your effective swath width. For example, an AgroDrone flying at 20mph and spraying at 2 GPA rate will have a wider effective swath than one flying at the same speed but spraying at 1 GPA.

Nozzle selection will dictate your flowrate and thus affect your swath width as described above.

By adjusting the nozzle configuration and the altitude of application, the operator can reduce their swath to approximately 6 feet in width. This can be useful for spraying thinner test plot rows, fence lines, ditches, etc.

The nozzle configurations on the AgroDrones are fully customizable in terms of nozzle tip and physical placement; you can even set up the AgroDrones to only have a single, central spraying point which could be used to spray individual plants. This can bring your spray area down to a 3 sq. ft. or less depending on your nozzle selection.

You can effectively spray most commercially available products by drone. This includes herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, larvicides, micronutrients, fertilizers, biologicals, and more. You can effectively apply both systemic and contact products.

We generally don’t recommend that people utilize our AgroDrones for extensive NPK fertilizer applications; typically you would apply several hundred pounds of these fertilizers per acre and given the drones’ payload capabilities, they are not well suited for this application. However, if you only need to treat a relatively small amount of acreage, then the AgroDrones may still be a practical option for these relatively heavy fertilizer applications.

This depends on the intended goals of your application. By default, we send out our AgroDrones equipped with Turbo TeeJet. These tips typically produce droplets in the fine to medium range (145 to 325 microns); this is usually effective for most applications done by drone. There may be more unique cases where you would opt for either smaller or bigger droplets.

You can easily switch out the nozzle tips with nozzle tips of your choosing. The AgroDrones are compatible with most TeeJet style nozzle tips which feature a hand twist-on, twist-off installation method for easy swapping right there in the field.

This depends on the intended goals of your application. Generally speaking, droplets in the fine-medium range (145 - 325 microns) are optimal for many applications made via drones. You want to utilize smaller droplets than you typically would with traditional application equipment; these smaller droplets allow the drones to provide great coverage and efficacy at lower solution rates. However, you would usually avoid using droplets that are very fine, or smaller (< 145 microns) because those pose a higher risk of drift. Please view the chart for general guidelines on nozzle size selection for different application goals. Remember, the label is the law!

The pumps generate a maximum of 65 psi of pressure.

Yes. Our software, AgroSol, tracks every application that you make. These spray reports are available in the “Reports” tab of our AgroSol software. These reports are not automatically sent to any 3rd party; they are stored within your account and you can use them however you see fit.

These reports detail important information such as: time stamps, crop treated, targeted pest, chemical products utilized and at what rates, area treated, volume of solution applied, operator information, customer information (if applicable), speed, altitude, and more. These reports streamline administrative tasks such as invoicing and compliance reporting with the EPA and FAA.

AgroSol has built-in data logging and reporting features to streamline your compliance requirements. AgroSol tracks every application that you make. These spray reports are available in the “Reports” tab of our AgroSol software. These reports are not automatically sent to any 3rd party; they are stored within your account and you can use them however you see fit.

These reports detail important information such as: time stamps, crop treated, targeted pest, chemical products utilized and at what rates, area treated, volume of solution applied, operator information, customer information (if applicable), speed, altitude, and more. These reports streamline administrative tasks such as invoicing and compliance reporting with the EPA and FAA.

You’re free to utilize whatever system works best for you. The majority of Hylio customers prefer to use fill-rite style nozzles coupled with transfer pumps in the 15-30 GPM range to fill their Hylio drones up directly when they land. Typically you would run this pump directly from a “hot tank” that contains your chemical solution.

Additionally, on thspecifically, you have the option of “hot-swapping” the liquid tanks. This means that you can simply pull out the previously-used tanks by hand and drop in new, pre-loaded ones within a matter of seconds.

Generally speaking, no. We would recommend having some sort of agitation system in your hot tank, but since the drones typically dump their full payload in 5-8 minutes, you usually don’t have to worry about the chemical settling while it is in the drones’ tanks as long as you are not spending too much time on the ground in-between flights.

This varies depending on your operational needs. If you have just one drone, you can simply utilize a pickup truck towing a relatively small carry-on/utility trailer (approx. 5’ x 8’). Between the pickup’s bed and the trailer, you can typically haul all of the equipment you need for a lean, rapid deployment operation. This equipment would include: a water tote (perhaps 100-200 gallons), a “hot” tank (where your solution is mixed, approx. 100 gallons), a generator (typically 5 - 10KW), chargers, batteries, and auxiliary equipment (ground station, tools, PPE, etc.)

If you have a multiple-drone operation, we would suggest utilizing a larger trailer (approx. 8’ x 14’ - 20’ range) in order to have enough room to carry multiple drones, larger water and chemical tanks, and more chargers and batteries.

For planning transportation, you can find spec sheets showing the dimensions of the various AgroDrone models here:
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‍AG-210 Spec Sheet
‍AG-216 Spec Sheet 
‍AG-230 Spec Sheet
AG-272 Spec Sheet

Generally speaking, using an enclosed trailer is optimal so that the electronic components (primarily chargers and batteries) are protected from the sun, rain, and other elements. The batteries will charge faster and more healthily at lower temperatures; having the batteries in shade helps prevent overheating. Additionally, implementing some sort of active cooling system can decrease charge times and increase battery lifespan; even just fans moving air over the charging batteries can help significantly, but a climate controlled (air conditioned) charging area is even better.

Check out this video of a Hylio customer’s trailer set up to see a great example of a convenient, efficient arrangement.