Helicopter-shaped drone will reduce the need for manual labour through maintenance and surveillance capabilities

GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology has unveiled the second version of Alpas, a helicopter-shaped drone designed specifically for the agricultural sector.

Alpas II was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona. The drone has been developed by GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology as an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle which can be used for surveillance and maintenance within the agricultural sector. The aircraft is equipped with a central tank and electric pump which allows Alpas to perform atomisation through its four nozzles.

Reducing manual labour and chemicals

Liquids such as fertilisers or insecticides, can be loaded in a stable manner and distributed across crop plantations uniformly, reducing the need for manual labour. The spray effect of Alpas II allows it to shorten the exposure time of the plant to chemicals and decrease the amount of chemicals required.

Alpas II is equipped with computer controlled flight control, as well as dual laser/ultrasonic sensors, allowing precise and automatic spraying.

Mr Lo Cheng-Fang, Chairman and CEO of GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology said: “We have been working for years to provide intelligent solutions for agriculture, providing technology that allows them to optimise their production processes.”

‘Alpas’ (in Chinese Shen-Nong) is named after the saint of farmers and bears the name of the god of agriculture in the millenarian Chinese culture.