Hylio unveils new advanced agri-drone system

Hylio, an industry leader in developing autonomous crop-treatment UAS, has announced its most elite ag-drone to date, the HYL-150 ARES, designed for heavy use ag-drone operators. Manufactured in Texas, with U.S. and global parts, the NDAA compliant HYL-150 ARES is designed to handle a heavy payload, features robust and serviceable components, an ergonomic form factor, and Hylio's swarm-enabling AgroSol Ground Control Software for more efficient applications. 

Capable of spraying up to a 40-foot swath width, with a liquid application rate of up to 50 or more acres an hour at 2 gallons per acre, the HYL-150 can treat hundreds of acres per day. A swarm of two or more HYL-150 drones can treat or seed thousands of acres per day. When applying solid products or seeds, the HYL-150 can cover up to 120 acres per hour at a 20 pounds per acre application rate. The liquid payload capacity for the HYL-150 is 110 pounds or 13 gallons. For solid products, the weight capacity is the same and volume capacity is up to 21 gallons. Product can be applied via configurable hydraulic nozzles, rotary atomizers, or a rotary spreader device, which are easily interchangeable.

The HYL-150 can be flown in fully autonomous or manual modes. Using Hylio's proprietary agricultural UAS ground control software (GCS), AgroSol, operators can program treatment maps. Using an intuitive interface, operators can easily draw out boundaries, mark obstacles, and assign treatments parameters. Hylio Groundlink is Hylio's proprietary, NDAA compliant ground station solution. An integrated Windows tablet and RC controller allow users to seamlessly switch between autonomous and manual controls for one or multiple drones. An array of sensors delivers real-time access to vitals such as GPS position, flowrate, altitude, and more. All flight and treatment data are stored within user’s accounts providing access to as-applied maps, maintenance data, and more within the Hylio interface.

The HYL-150 ARES utilizes Hylio’s 18S30Ah LiPo Batteries that are specifically designed for rugged, outdoor use and fast-charging to maximize productivity. Featuring a convenient blade connector and locking mechanism, the battery easily and securely slides in and out of the HYL-150s battery dock for quick swapping between flights. The 18S 9KW LiPo Dual-Channel Charger capable of outputting 120A total, can charge a pair of batteries simultaneously in approximately 20-25 minutes, or one battery alone in 10-12 minutes.