A new exemption for drone piloting from the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared the airways for "drone-swarm" agriculture, a method of seeding and spraying crops at a fraction of the traditional cost. Hylio, a Texas-based drone manufacturer, successfully applied for an exemption from the FAA to allow fleets of drones weighing 55 pounds or more to fly together.
Andy Kreikemeier, a Nebraska farmer behind Infinity Precision Ag, says he began using drones about six months ago, primarily in hard-to-reach places. In addition to the pilot and the spotter, his operation also includes a third person to refill the drone. "Now we can run three drones with two people with this exemption," he told Fox News Digital.