Agricultural drone unveiled by defense contractor Tesseract

Defense contractor and robotics firm Tesseract Ventures has retooled its military drone for the American farm.

The Tesseract Ag Drone uses computer vision and optics to provide farmers with detailed, real-time information about their crops. The drone can help farmers track crop development, identify pests, monitor weed growth, observe weather impacts and assess crop and soil health, the Overland Park, Kansas-based company said.

When paired with the Tesseract Synthesis Software, operators can use the drone’s data to provide recommendations that improve a farm’s efficiency, yield and sustainability.

Earlier this year, Tesseract was awarded a contract by the U.S. Special Operations Command for its latest drone, the Special Warfighter Assistive Robotic Machine (SWARM). This nano first-person-view drone can work alone or in groups and can deliver payloads, including explosive charges against enemy troops, during operations.

“Our commitment to agricultural innovation is both military-proven and farmer-led, offering enhanced capabilities and strategic benefits to our national farmers and co-op partners,” CEO John Boucard said in a release.

The AG Drone is not Tesseract’s first foray into agriculture. It builds on what Boucard called the Tesseract Solution, “a holistic suite of interconnected technologies designed to coalesce into one seamless common operating picture.” The suite, in turn, has four elements, or “pillars,” according to Boucard.

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