# Drone Week: Innovation in agriculture and hydrogen-fueled drones

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2024-09-27
- Length: 1h 30m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-09-27-drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fueled-drones
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fuel

## Summary

Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio Drones, explains how his Austin-based company is scaling U.S.-manufactured agricultural spraying drones to fill the market vacuum created by the potential ban on Chinese competitors like DJI. Bentzion Levinson, CEO and co-founder of Heven Drones, details their hydrogen fuel cell technology that enables long-endurance flights of up to eight hours for infrastructure inspection, security, and delivery. The episode covers the regulatory shifts, swarm operations, and the technical advantages of hydrogen over lithium-ion batteries in heavy-lift drone applications.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-09-27-drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fueled-drones#t=8) Introduction: Meta Quest 3S, The Wild Robot movie, and RoboBusiness show promo
- [5:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-09-27-drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fueled-drones#t=330) News: Skydio X10 Dock, IFR Robot Installations, and Boston Dynamics Spot
- [23:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-09-27-drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fueled-drones#t=1409) Interview: Arthur Erickson and Hylio Drones on Ag-Spraying and the DJI Ban
- [50:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-09-27-drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fueled-drones#t=3052) Interview: Bentzion Levinson and Heven Drones on Hydrogen Fuel Cells
- [1:25:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-09-27-drone-week-innovation-in-agriculture-and-hydrogen-fueled-drones#t=5121) Closing Thoughts: Drone Autonomy and Future of Flight

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Hylio Drones (company)
- Heven Drones (company)
- DJI (company)
- Skydio (company)
- Boston Dynamics Spot (product)
- Meta Quest 3S (product)
- Kiva Systems (company)
- XAG (company)
- Rantizo (company)
- Jobi (company)
- Airbus (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode Fourteen – Aerial Robotics: taking flight](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2022-02-25-episode-fourteen-aerial-robotics-taking-flight) (Robot Talk)
- [Skydio CEO Adam Bry explores how autonomy and AI are reshaping drones; what happened after a Waymo killed a cat; revisiting the history of civilian drones](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/go-no-go/2025-11-11-skydio-ceo-adam-bry-explores-how-autonomy-and-ai-are-reshaping-drones-what-happe) (Go/No-Go)
- [Ep018: Faxploitation! Ikea RFID Hacking, Space Ads, Hydrogen Dones, And Blinkies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-05-10-ep018-faxploitation-ikea-rfid-hacking-space-ads-hydrogen-dones-and-blinkies) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [The All-Electric Trend Needs To Stop. There Are Other Power Options | Hard Tech #9](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-07-02-the-all-electric-trend-needs-to-stop-there-are-other-power-options-hard-tech-9) (Hard Tech Podcast)
- [Drones, Robots & the Low-Altitude Economy: A New Industry Is Born](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-05-12-drones-robots-the-low-altitude-economy-a-new-industry-is-born) (OnTrack)

## Citing this page

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