Look It's A Bird, It's a Plane? It's a Drone?

Pesticide applications could be done via drones by 2015, says U.C. Davis professor Ken Giles, who, with help from Yamaha, has been testing the use of small Yamaha helicopters with the idea that they may be applying pesticides in hillsides where it's often difficult to apply sprays with tractors.

Giles says it's possible to precisely position the spray.

One of five U.S. universities selected for research, U. C. Davis has been testing the helicopters in Oakville in Napa County.

The research helicopters require two people to operate them - one for piloting and one for spraying. During the test period, only water is being sprayed.

For more see the full story from AP from today's SF Chronicle.

Or for more in-depth coverage, visit the WSJ coverage here.