UAVs in Agriculture: Perceptions, Prospects, and ”Probably Not”

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are changing workflows in a variety of different fields ranging from security to cinematography. In particular, agriculture is a field that is poised to strongly benefit from this technology. In this paper, we use an ethnographic field study to gauge the current perception of UAVs in the farming community. A Grounded Theory analysis of interviews with stakeholders was used to identify UAV trends, impressions, and interest. Our findings revealed relatively low familiarity with UAV technology among farmers but significant interest in future possibilities. Key concerns included the applicability of UAVs and the potential return on investment. Furthermore, government regulation of UAVs is a critical factor that is slowing adoption as legislative decisions wait to be made. Despite these concerns, stakeholders are curious to see the future value of utilizing this technology. These results contribute to our understanding of the role of UAVs in agricultural settings and inform future design implications.