The FAA recently granted Texas-based drone manufacturer Hylio a regulatory exemption that allows 1 operator to simultaneously pilot 3 heavy-lift drones instead of requiring an operator and observer per 1 drone over 55 pounds. 

Defonet, a machine learning tool created by Ohio State University researchers, classifies defoliation in soybeans. The non-invasive surveying method and neural network could help assess the likelihood of a drop in production because of defoliation.