By COOPER SLOUGH
Hays Post

A small crowd gathered just west of Antonino on Saturday as Apis Remote Sensing Systems, a drone distributor based in Hays, took the opportunity to show the public what their products can do.

Co-owners Beau Dealy and Curt Moore say drones are an invaluable resource for today’s farmers.

At the moment, Apis carries two types of drones. The first is a carbon fiber wing called the AgEagle, which is launched via catapult and cruises at 400 feet at 40 mph. The AgEagle follows a preset flight path before landing softly at a predetermined location.

The second drone Apis carries is called the DJI Phantom, which is a quadcopter drone that carries a camera beneath the air frame.

The drones use sensors that capture NIR (Near Infrared) images, which are then stitched together by a computer to show a color-coded map measuring topography and temperature. That information then can be used to gauge crop health.

For more information, contact Beau Dealy at [email protected] or call (785) 261-9591.

To view photos from Saturday’s flights click here: Normal View Infrared View Topographical View

For video of the drones in action, check out the video above.