Exploring the Utilization of Drone Technology to Promote Food Security

Food insecurity is when persons do not have access to sufficient food to meet one’s basic needs and optimal health. Food insecurity remains a global concern with between 690 and 783 million people facing hunger in 2022. Drone technology or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been utilized in agricultural applications to improve food production, such as soil and field analysis, crop mapping, livestock monitoring, and even seed planting. However, little research has been published on how this technology could be used to potentially deliver food to promote food security and alleviate hunger. An integrated, inter-disciplinary conceptual model was developed, spanning computer science, drone mechanics, and nutrition, to outline design considerations and factors, as well as potential strengths, costs, and risks, using the state of Virginia, US, as the context. The model can be utilized in engineering and science curriculum, as well as real world applications.