What is the RobotLAB Ag Education Drone Pack?
The RobotLAB Ag Education Drone Pack is built around the Vision Aerial Agriculture Drone System (ADS): a SwitchBlade-Elite 2.3 tricopter carrying a MicaSense Altum-PT sensor that captures synchronized multispectral, thermal, and high-resolution panchromatic imagery in a single pass. Unlike a beginner coding drone, this is a field-grade precision-agriculture platform — the same hardware used by working agronomists and survey crews — assembled and supported by RobotLAB so universities, agricultural colleges, and research institutions can teach modern remote-sensing and crop-science workflows on real equipment.
RobotLAB sells, leases, and supports the system as an authorized Vision Aerial reseller. The pack ships ready to fly: the SwitchBlade-Elite tricopter, the Altum-PT sensor, a ground control station with mission-planning software, flight battery and dual AC charger, a waterproof Pelican transport case, and a hardware and tool kit. With a sub-two-minute case-to-flight setup and a collapsible airframe, it is designed to move from classroom to field plot quickly for hands-on data-collection labs.
Because the platform produces research-grade outputs — NDVI, NDRE, CIR, and calibrated thermal maps — students learn the full pipeline: flight planning, multispectral capture, and the data analysis that drives irrigation, nutrient, and crop-health decisions. RobotLAB offers the pack for purchase or on a Robot-as-a-Service subscription, and backs deployments with setup, training, and ongoing service. Pricing on this listing is quote-based; call 1-87-RobotLAB for a current configuration and quote.
Key specs
| Manufacturer | Vision Aerial |
| Sold by | RobotLAB (authorized reseller) |
| Drone model | SwitchBlade-Elite 2.3 (tricopter) |
| Imaging sensor | MicaSense Altum-PT (multispectral + thermal + panchromatic) |
| Spectral bands | 5 multispectral bands + thermal + 12 MP panchromatic |
| Multispectral resolution | 2064 x 1544 px (3.2 MP) per band |
| Panchromatic resolution | 4112 x 3008 px (12 MP) |
| Thermal resolution | 320 x 256 px |
| Max flight time | Up to 50 minutes (typical ~30 min with payload) |
| Flight range | 16 km (10 miles) |
| Max payload capacity | 2.0 kg (577 g sensor in ADS package) |
| Airframe dimensions | 28.3 x 7.9 x 6.4 in |
| GPS accuracy | +/-2.5 m (non-RTK); +/-0.1 m (RTK optional) |
| Ingress rating | IP52 |
| Setup time | Under 2 minutes (case to flight) |
| Battery charge time | ~1 hour |
| Included | Drone, Altum-PT sensor, ground control station, mission-planning software, flight battery, AC dual charger, Pelican case, tool kit, Indefinite Flight Package |
| Deployment options | Purchase or Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) |
RobotLAB Ag Education Drone Pack in detail
Higher-Ed Precision Agriculture & Agronomy Programs
Agricultural colleges and university crop-science departments use the system to teach precision agriculture on professional equipment. Students fly real survey missions over test plots, capture multispectral and thermal imagery, and generate NDVI/NDRE maps to assess crop vigor, water stress, and nutrient deficiency — the same workflow used in commercial farming.
Agricultural Research & Extension Stations
Land-grant research stations and extension programs deploy the ADS for repeatable field studies: irrigation assessment, disease and pest early-detection, and crop-counting trials. The Altum-PT's synchronized thermal and multispectral bands eliminate post-processing alignment, giving researchers calibrated data for plant-level analysis across season-long experiments.
Environmental Science & Natural-Resource Training
Beyond row crops, the platform supports environmental monitoring, forestry, and land-management coursework. Its up-to-50-minute flight time and 16 km range let students survey large parcels for vegetation health, thermal anomalies, and conservation studies, building hands-on skills in remote sensing and geospatial data analysis.
How the RobotLAB Ag Education Drone Pack compares
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About the RobotLAB Ag Education Drone Pack.
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What exactly is the RobotLAB Ag Education Drone Pack?
It is the Vision Aerial Agriculture Drone System (ADS): a SwitchBlade-Elite 2.3 tricopter drone paired with a MicaSense Altum-PT multispectral and thermal sensor, packaged by RobotLAB for agriculture and environmental-science education. It captures research-grade imagery for precision-ag labs and crop-science research. For full configuration details, call 1-87-RobotLAB.
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How is this different from a classroom coding drone like the CoDrone EDU?
Completely different class. The CoDrone EDU is a small ~$3,200 indoor Python-coding drone for teaching programming to K-12 students. This Ag Education Pack is a professional field drone with a multispectral/thermal sensor used for real precision-agriculture data collection over crop plots. It teaches remote sensing and agronomy, not block coding. RobotLAB can help you pick the right fit — call 1-87-RobotLAB.
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What does the system actually measure?
The MicaSense Altum-PT captures synchronized multispectral, thermal, and high-resolution panchromatic imagery in one pass. From that data students and researchers produce NDVI, NDRE, CIR, and thermal maps to evaluate crop vigor, water stress, irrigation performance, and early disease or nutrient issues before they are visible to the eye.
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What is included, and how much does it cost?
The pack includes the SwitchBlade-Elite tricopter, the Altum-PT sensor, a ground control station with mission-planning software, flight battery, AC dual charger, a waterproof Pelican case, a hardware and tool kit, and the Indefinite Flight Package. Pricing on this listing is quote-based and is also available as a Robot-as-a-Service subscription. Call 1-87-RobotLAB for a current quote.
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Can students fly it, and is it hard to set up?
Yes. The SwitchBlade-Elite is a professional tricopter with intuitive controls and a sub-two-minute case-to-flight setup, so instructors can run field labs efficiently. RobotLAB provides setup support and training as part of a deployment. Note that operating a drone of this class for outdoor field work typically requires following applicable FAA Part 107 and institutional flight rules — RobotLAB can advise; call 1-87-RobotLAB.
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Can we lease it instead of buying?
Yes. RobotLAB offers the system on a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) subscription in addition to outright purchase, which spreads cost over a monthly fee and bundles support. This is popular with programs that prefer operating budget over a large capital outlay. Call 1-87-RobotLAB to compare purchase vs. RaaS for your institution.
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Who is this best suited for?
Higher-ed precision-agriculture and agronomy programs, agricultural research and extension stations, and environmental-science or natural-resource departments that want to train students on real remote-sensing equipment. It is not intended as an introductory K-12 coding drone. RobotLAB can scope the right package for your curriculum — call 1-87-RobotLAB.