DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF DRONE FOR AGRI SPRAYING IN ARECANUT FARMS AND SOLAR PANEL CLEANING

ABSTRACT: This paper presents an extensive study on the design, development, fabrication and experimental validation of a tethered hexacopter drone system designed to perform dual operations: arecanut pesticide spraying and solar panel cleaning. Traditional agriculture and energy maintenance systems face challenges such as unsafe manual spraying, reduced solar efficiency due to dust accumulation, and limited endurance of battery-powered Drones. The proposed tethered system integrates ground-based fluid and power delivery to achieve uninterrupted operation, reduced payload mass, and improved flight stability. The work includes detailed structural design evaluation, power–thrust calculations, nozzle characterization, endurance comparison, and on-field performance tests. Results demonstrate that the system enhances operational safety, reduces pesticide consumption 15-20%, and improves PV efficiency while ensuring long-duration flights.