Flies could help to monitor disease outbreaks by acting as 'autonomous bionic drones' .

Flies could help to monitor disease outbreaks by acting as 'autonomous bionic drones'. Swarms of flies can be used to help monitor disease outbreaks, suggest scientists. This follows their research that shows how whole communities of bacteria – known as a microbiome – can “hitch a ride” on common carrion flies and can be transferred to any surface where the flies land. An international research team led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have proposed that swarms of flies can be used to help monitor disease outbreaks.

The Use of Drones in Agriculture.

The future of agriculture lies with drones and precision agriculture. The use of drones in agriculture not only makes production effective but its relatively cheaper and accurate as on-site assessments are possible. The rising population that requires more food must actually be hinged on better agricultural practices. 

Drones have found uses in various industries such as courier,medical, security and most of all food industry. The function of these drones varies from surveillance, mapping zones and actually engaging in some field practices,thus saving labor costs. The various ways that drones can be utilized to ensure food security are outlined here; 

  

The use of drones in agriculture.

 The advantages are enormous, see,thinking about these benefits one will think that laws regulating drones' operation will not be strait jacketed so that frustration will not discourage users. Drones are more easily serviceable and significantly cheaper than small piloted planes or satellites. 

 The route to food security is lined by various innovations and to truly succeed in the achievement of #zerohunger #endhunger #endpoverty, we have to embrace smart agricultural practices of which the use of drones must be fully embraced. Agriculture leads the market for commercial drone usage, and it is expected to generate millions in revenue in 2025. 

 Adaptable regulations will make it easier for farmers to use drones to check fields for disease, spray fertilizer, or watch over livestock. see 

 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently streamlined the registration process for commercially used drones, putting new rules in place for the protection and regulation of users of the unmanned aircrafts. 

These procedures are expected to benefit both farmers and the drone industry, as agriculture already leads the market for commercial drones and is expected to generate $350 million in drone revenue in 2025.

Agribusiness: leveraging technology in agriculture.

Drones are just one of many technologies whose use in the agricultural sector could cut operation costs and improve yields, helping a growing global population with shrinking resources to cultivate more food with fewer inputs Silicon Valley and the vast cornfields of the U.S. Midwest may appear to have little in common, but a growing relationship between big data and agriculture is poised to improve yields, reduce raw material use and decrease production costs. 

 Over the past year, the precision agriculture industry, which has pioneered the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and robotics to increase data collection and efficiency in agriculture, has continued to expand in the United States and around the world. As drone use in agriculture becomes even more prevalent and new achievements in machine learning and artificial intelligence are made, high technologies — the internet of things, big data, robotics and artificial intelligence — will overlap with agriculture more and more. 

 The concept of precision agriculture, or the use of data to enhance agricultural production, has been around for more than two decades. The field includes a range of different technologies, including GPS-guided tractors, yield and soil monitoring, variable rate applications for water and fertilizers, and data collection by satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles. 

 Technology in agriculture will enable farmers to do more with less — especially as advances in sensor technology and computing technology continue — to keep up with rising demand for agricultural products over the next few decades. Using even one of the precision agriculture technologies can save farmers substantially on a per-acre basis. continue

How drones are changing agriculture.

Drones aren’t new technology by any means. Now, however, thanks to robust investments and a somewhat more relaxed regulatory environment, it appears their time has arrived—especially in agriculture. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—better known as drones—have been used commercially since the early 1980s. Today, however, practical applications for drones are expanding faster than ever in a variety of industries, thanks to robust investments and the relaxing of some regulations governing their use. Responding to the rapidly evolving technology, companies are creating new business and operating models for UAVs. Drone technology will give the agriculture industry a high-technology makeover, with planning and strategy based on real-time data gathering and processing. PwC estimates the market for drone-powered solutions in agriculture at $32.4 billion. Following are six ways aerial and ground-based drones will be used throughout the crop cycle: 1) Soil and field analysis: Drones can be instrumental at the start of the crop cycle. They produce precise 3-D maps for early soil analysis, useful in planning seed planting patterns. After planting, drone-driven soil analysis provides data for irrigation and nitrogen-level management. Read

Drones and veterinary medicine.

What's that hovering at your shoulder? Oh yeah, the diagnostic test you ordered a few minutes ago.You may have seen a neighbor playing with a drone in the backyard or someone flying one around town. The toy remote-controlled helicopter of yesteryear is growing up and into a device that may revolutionize some components of veterinary practice. A drone may also be called an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), but the U.S. government has adopted the term unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Drones are traditionally powered by gas, jet fuel or rechargeable batteries .Future commercial uses for drones include virtual reality video tours of foreign countries, viewing vacation real estate, virtual attendance at outdoor sporting events and, most important for you, several veterinary applications Today, the closest thing to functioning veterinary drones are those used by the local government in Houston, Texas, to track stray dogs.Read more

UK Defense Firm BAE Systems Wants to “Grow” Drones in Vats with Chemical 3D Printing.

As UK defense and aerospace company BAE Systems prepares themselves for the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow, some of their scientists and engineers were asked to outline their current ides for the future of designing and manufacturing military aircraft. They envision the 3D printers of the future to be a lot more efficient, and a lot different than what we have available to us today. The BAE scientists believe that within this century they will be capable of growing Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) using advanced chemistry and large chemical baths. The process would be capable of creating functional, near fully assembled drones for specific military operations within a matter of weeks. The ideas and concepts or these lab-grown aircraft were developed as part of their collaborative approach to sharing technology and scientific ideas with other established companies, new tech startups and researchers in academia. The process would require a cutting-edge chemical 3D printer and computer called a “Chemputer” that would grow the customized aircraft and some of their electronic systems at the molecular level. The drones would take shape by introducing raw materials into the chemical baths and apply centrifugal force. This would encourage the aircraft to form into their final shapes, and the process could even be used for larger aircraft components that could later be assembled. “This is a very exciting time in the development of chemistry. We have been developing routes to digitize synthetic and materials chemistry and at some point in the future hope to assemble complex objects in a machine from the bottom up, or with minimal human assistance. Creating small aircraft would be very challenging but I’m confident that creative thinking and convergent digital technologies will eventually lead to the digital programming of complex chemical and material systems,” explained Regius Professor at the University of Glasgow Lee Cronin, who is also the Founding Scientific Director at Cronin Group PLC, the company that is helping to develop the Chemputer. While BAE Systems and their corporate partners seem to be focused on the potential military and aerospace applications, the same process could also revolutionize civilian industry and technology. Similar chemical 3D printers could be used to manufacture anything from cars and other vehicles, personal electronics and even furnishings. Welcome to a world of possibilities!!! 3D PRINTING WORLD Contributed by 3dprint.com

DHL's delivery drone can make drops quicker than a car..

The latest version of DHL's delivery drone has made more than 100 successful deliveries and can get parcels to remote villages faster than transporting them across difficult terrain in a car. The third generation of the company's Parcelcopter completed a three month test period of autonomously carrying parcels to and from set locations in Bavaria, Germany. From January to March this year DHL operated a 'Skyport' where a selected number of private customers in the Reit im Winkl area could take their parcels and put them into the port. Once the parcel was inserted its delivery system would begin, the drone would take-off and fly to another port eight kilometers away. The drone's cargo was typically either sporting goods or urgently needed medicines and it arrived at the Alm station within just eight minutes of take-off," DHL said in a statement. The same journey normally takes 30 minutes by car, according to DHL. The drone made 130 deliveries in three months, carrying individual payloads of almost 2kg and flying up to 40mph. The company launched its first drone delivery service in 2014, with its first development of the Parcelcopter. At the time the copter was used over a 12km open water route, delivering parcels to the car-free island of Juist in Lower Saxony. The first drone trial could carry up to 1.2kg per trip and provided the community of 1,700 people with basic medical aid. Culled from wired.co.uk

DHL's PARCELCOPTER IN ACTION.

The DHL delivery drone faster than cars.

Drones could speed up HIV tests in remote areas.

Malawi has started a test program that uses drones to improve access to HIV testing for babies. There are various factors such as poor roads and high transport costs, in remote areas that often result in delays in testing. This can prevent access to vital anti retroviral treatment early. Ten percent of Malawians suffer from HIV - one of the highest rates of the deadly condition in the world. Malawi has started testing the use of drones to speed up the time it takes to test infants living in rural areas for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The United Nations' (UN) children's agency UNICEF has partnered with US-based drone company Matternet to develop a program in which Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) pick up sample batches from local health centers and deliver them to specialist laboratories. There are only eight such laboratories across the country, which has a population of more than 16 million. Currently motorbike couriers are used to transport samples across often poorly-maintained roads. UNICEF and Matternet believe deliveries could be made more efficiently by air. The testing program is currently using simulated samples. The first successful test flight recently completed a 10 kilometer route from a community health center to the Kamuzu Central Hospital laboratory in the capital Lilongwe. UAVs have been used in the past for surveillance and assessments of disasters, but this is believed to be the first use of the technology on the continent for the improvement of HIV services. "There are many delays in the continuum of getting HIV positive children on treatment, they need to come in early for testing, ideally before two months, between six and eight weeks, their tests, the dry bloodspots need to get from the health facilities to one of the eight laboratories nationwide," said Judith Sherman, head of Unicef Malawi's HIV and Aids program. The plan is eventually for UAVs to be operated by health workers by virtue of a password and a GPS signal on their mobile phone. A simple swipe of a button will make the vehicle airborne. Each drone costs $7,000 USD but minimal battery charging costs make them cheaper over time than diesel fueled motorbikes. In 2014, about 40,000 children in Malawi were born to HIV positive mothers, according to UNICEF. Every year around 10,000 children die of the virus, a number the agency says could be tackled by early diagnosis and quality medical care. An estimated one million Malawians were living with HIV in 2013 and 48,000 died from HIV-related illnesses in the same year. A young child may be infected by their HIV-positive mother during pregnancy or breast-feeding, but drug treatment can reduce the risk of transmission. UNICEF estimates that if the flights are cost-effective the drones would be able to carry up to 250 tests at once. read more here;http://in.reuters.com/article/us-malawi-hiv-drones

DRONES AS FUTURE COURIER NETWORK.

Drones are now been programmed to be the future courier network, with services spanning from mail delivery to food supplies. The Australian mail department are about to test some drones for mail delivery.This service will be very useful in rural areas, areas with inaccessible roads and war torn areas. A consumer trial would use the drones to deliver parcels to 50 locations twice a week in an outer metropolitan location, said Ben Franzi, Australia Post general manager e-commerce platforms and marketplaces. The technology could be especially valuable for rural customers whose homes are far away from their mail boxes. The drones would be operated by delivery drivers who would launch the drone from where they are parked on a road. The delivery drones were developed by Melbourne company ARI Labs. They are fitted out with a high-definition camera, as well as a parachute, alarm and warning lights which can be activated as safety precautions if needed. They also send encrypted data back to a ground station so engineers can safely monitor flight activity in real time. ARI Labs hopes to be able to automate the monitoring in future. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/innovation/australia-post-tests-drones-for-parcel-delivery-20160415-go77a4.html#ixzz46GNcO000

Using GM crops, genetically chosen cows, and technology like satellites and drones: Uruguay wants to feed 50 million people.

using GM crops, genetically chosen cows, and technology like satellites and drones, Uruguay - with a population of just 3 million people - is aiming to produce enough food to feed 50 million. e

Uruguay is a traditional exporter of agricultural commodities. It has a well-developed agro-industry and livestock sector that mainly draws on Uruguay's wealth of natural and agricultural resources. Agricultural exports include beef, fine wool, rice, grain, dairy products and honey.

Agriculture: farming robots and food security.

Robotics has been incorporated to livestock and general farming to increase productivity and also increase revenue by preventing losses.Africa needs to embrace more of technology-based agriculture to produce more and ensure food security. 

 Africa needs to make greater investments in science and technology to become more efficient and competitive in agriculture, says the African Development Bank (AfDB). 

According to the Bank, science and technology are critical in transforming the agriculture industry from one that manages rural poverty to a wealth creating sector. “There cannot be a secure Africa unless we first and foremost revive the rural economies. 

We must turn these areas into zones of economic prosperity. And for that to happen, we must transform the main source of livelihoods – agriculture – into a wealth-creating sector,” said Dr Adesina. The use of robots in agriculture will not only guarantee more harvest,but smart production methods.

 New agricultural practices such as hydroponics farming, biocrops and selective breeding will not only ensure food security but provide more jobs. read more

Agribusiness: Agricultural robots.

The release of the film Terminator,which featured a cyborg with the sole aim to destroy mankind really shook the box office. Little did we know it was an introduction into the future of possibilities. The world has evolved over time with the introduction of phones,internet and robots.

The machine actually called a cyborg was actually flesh over iron and steel programmed for an assignment. 

 The cyborg was really a type of computer; with a microchip with million of information that can be easily accessed.This cyborg could be anybody and could do any thing; he could change form, voice and was extremely powerful with laser-sharp focus.

The follow up was a build up to the first with more advanced technology;this time exploring the power of liquid metal to achieve the purpose of destruction.

 WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ROBOTS!!!!. Technology is dynamic, really evolving over time and helping us get things done.Did you know that the cyborg was actually a super-duber computer with a microchip of stored data?

 Do you know that the same principle is being harnessed today to ensure safety, food security/food safety ,provide entertainment and employment. 

 Robots are used now a days to carry out activities on the farm, these are programmed and set up to supply food and water to animals .This reduces labor costs as a robot can serve so many animals with a time frame .There is also the assurance that the animals are fed. Read how a pig farm is using robots;http://www.wattagnet.com/articles/902-robot-takes-the-strain-out-of-strawing. 

The use of robots is not limited to any specie or function, as they operate according to specification. Read how robots work on dairy Precision farming , a method to ensure food security, also uses robots to ensure maximum production Precision Farming techniques, aim to vary the inputs in production systems so the output is optimized from both an economic and environmental perspective.

  Read Robots are also involved in food safety when you talk about the QR codes, this reading system works on the basis of stored data,information and analysis.

The robots basically operate on data, analysis and data generation which is basically what the computer world offers. Did you know that robots, biotech and mash up are intertwined???? Robots function on data/information; so does genetic engineering.

The scientific mixing and matching of desired traits(DNA) into another to produce a more stable and viable specie that is usually more productive.

The mashup is the same technique of mixing and matching to produce content from various sources. The future is really wrapped around technology to ensure food security and safety 

.In the world today, robots have been assigned more tasks than you imagine; ;

Nadine, a "receptionist" at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She is friendly, and will greet you back. Next time you meet her, she will remember your name and your previous conversation with her. She looks almost like a human being, with soft skin and flowing brunette hair. She smiles when greeting you, looks at you in the eye when talking, and can also shake hands with you,and she is a humanoid. Read more (photo credit; internet)