Unmanned Aerial Vehicle The latest drone news
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Shawnee County Commissioner Bill Riphahn joined the 27 News Morning show to speak about how the county is using specialized drones to rid our landscape of noxious weeds.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, a noxious weed is any plant that is designated by a State, Federal or county government as “injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property.” It can also be described as a plant that is growing competitively “out of place”.
Commissioner Riphahn said these drones allow them to do their job faster and more efficiently.
“These drones are faster than a human can spray,” he said.
He explained that when the drones run out of spray, they return on their own to base and get more. Then, the drone returns to the exact spot it left off and continues with the job.
“So, you don’t have as much skips or overlaps as you do with humans, and it’s quicker. They can do 14-20 acres in one hour,” he said.
Essentially, the drone acts like a Roomba for the outdoors. But, instead of picking stuff up, it’s dispensing it.
“It allows us to do a better job,” Riphahn said.
In addition to speaking about the use of drones, Riphahn also spoke on the latest proposal coming from Commissioner Cook, the latest update on the Auburn Road project and lastly, a quick update on budget processes.
For more on those topics, you can watch the interview above.
