Drones Can Help Scientists Find the Best Biofuel Plant

Drones can be used for a variety of purposes, whether we’re talking about filming from great heights, exploration and product deliveries. However, it looks like they can also help scientists in endeavors such as discovering the best type of sorghum for the production of biofuel. Apparently, a group of researchers wants to use an advanced a 25-pound autonomous helicopter equipped with LIDAR laser,thermal infrared and imaging equipment in order to survey and gather data on a 10-acre stretch of land. The drone would fly over the crops once every two weeks for 20 minutes at a time, during which it would gather precious data that can show researchers which sorghum variety is thriving the most in that particular environment.

As far as biofuel production is concerned, sorghum is one of the best solutions, and some experts say that it’s even better than corn. That’s because it can survive harsh conditions such as drought, which makes it much more resilient and reliable by comparison. There are quite a few varieties of sorghum, though, which is why scientists are looking to figure out which one would yield the most biofuel. Last year, the Department of Energy invested $30 million in teams put together for this important goal, and the team using the 25-pound drone has a high chance to come up with useful results, as the device can gather data on crops much faster than humans could.