NAVIGATOR PREPARATION DURING SPRAYING BY UAVS

Abstract

The article presents the results of research on the implementation of navigator preparation duringagricultural spraying, conditioning the safe and precise performance of the task. This assumptionwas confirmed during spraying with unmanned aerial vehicles carried out in 2021–2023. Theexperience gained and conclusions enabled the development of a concept of initial and directnavigational preparation for unmanned aircraft systems performing spraying. It is also possibleto use this algorithm to perform deactivation by drones. The results obtained from the conductedaerial tests (within two scenarios: agricultural spraying and decontamination) have also shown thatthe risk analysis methodology recommended by EASA (SORA) entails a number of limitations andcannot be applied during spraying as it causes gaps in safety management. Therefore, a proprietaryEPEP risk analysis method has been developed specifically for spraying, which allows the pilot,the operator of an unmanned aircraft, to perform a risk analysis and manage it accordinglyimmediately before performing the task, compensating or minimizing the hazards that should beat an acceptable level before spraying.