An agricultural drone demonstration at Elon University placed crop spraying and fertilizer application alongside artificial intelligence and aviation safety at the center of the 2026 Elon Drone Day program. The event, held on October 30, 2026, brought nearly 160 registrants to the North Carolina campus for presentations, demonstrations and networking.
A demonstration focused on farm operations
Robbie Cook of PAC Aerial Applications piloted a large agricultural drone over a stormwater management pond behind Elon University’s Schar Center. The aircraft, presented by Preston Cave of PAC Aerial Applications, is capable of carrying more than 10 gallons of liquid and was shown in the context of crop spraying and fertilizer applications.
The demonstration offered a practical example of how unmanned aircraft are being positioned for agricultural work. Rather than limiting drones to imaging and mapping, the program highlighted aircraft intended to carry agricultural liquids and support field operations. The event materials also identified autonomous navigation powered by artificial intelligence as one of the technology areas discussed during the gathering.
AI discussion included safety and human oversight
Artificial intelligence was a major theme of this year’s program. Sambit Bhattacharya, a professor of computer science and director of the Intelligent Systems Lab at Fayetteville State University, delivered the keynote address, titled “Preflight Checks for Intelligent Machines: What Drones Can Teach Us About Trustworthy AI.”
Bhattacharya’s presentation addressed the importance of safety, testing and human oversight in artificial intelligence. Those issues are relevant to agricultural drone operations as aircraft move beyond image collection toward tasks that involve carrying and applying materials in working fields. The event connected the technical discussion of AI with the operational setting represented by the agricultural flight demonstration.
A regional meeting for the drone industry
Elon Drone Day has been held annually since 2021. The event was organized by Randy Piland, Teaching Professor of Visual Communication, in partnership with the North Carolina chapter of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, or NC AUVSI.
Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, several universities and private companies attended this year’s program. The mix of participants gave the event a broader focus than a product demonstration alone, bringing regulators, educators, industry professionals, students and drone enthusiasts into the same forum.
- Agricultural application: PAC Aerial Applications demonstrated a drone designed to carry more than 10 gallons of liquid.
- Use cases: The program highlighted crop spraying, fertilizer application and AI-enabled autonomous navigation.
- Responsible deployment: The keynote focused on testing, safety and human oversight for intelligent machines.
For agricultural operators, the event’s significance was less about a single aircraft specification than about the range of capabilities being considered together: liquid application, autonomous flight and oversight of AI systems. Elon Drone Day presented those topics within a North Carolina drone community that includes government agencies, academic researchers and private operators.
