Unmanned Systems Technology 033 l SubSeaSail Gen6 USSV l Servo actuators focus l UAVs insight l Farnborough 2020 update l Transforma XDBOT l Strange Development REVolution l Radio telemetry focus

46 O ver the past few years, countless organisations around the world have realised just how much cost-effectiveness, safety and time efficiency can be gained by using UAVs for logistical tasks such as carrying cargo, hoisting inspection equipment or providing temporary telecoms services. The enormous demand this has spurred has given rise to bigger, more powerful unmanned aircraft that are engineered to lift heavier weights than ever before – both in absolute terms, and relative to their airframe bodies. Such UAVs now come in a wide range of sizes and configurations, with a broad divergence in designs to suit end-users and their different needs. Agriculture The economy and geography of Ukraine are dominated by agriculture, with 25 million hectares of crop fields being planted and harvested every year. It is only natural then that the country would host a number of UAV developers aimed at aerial agriculture services. UAVita’s Discovery UAV is the latest platform aimed at this market, with crop dusting being its primary launch application. It has been tested extensively with local farmers, spraying pesticides at ultra-low volumes, and has also been used for monitoring crop health using various cameras, according to the company’s CTO Yuri Pederiy. “Most recently, we partnered with Israel- Rory Jackson reports on how developers are meeting the surging demand for UAVs with greater weight-carrying capacities Weighty August/September 2020 | Unmanned Systems Technology UAVita’s Discovery UAV for agricultural spray and monitoring has been slightly redesigned for series production (Courtesy of UAVita)