Four drones, four jobs
- Sweeper Drone collects materials from the ground
- Digger Drone digs autonomously
- Recon Drone scouts the world ahead
- Hauler Drone moves materials between points
Automation units
Sandustry Drones: Let the Game Do the Repetitive Work
Drones are research-unlocked units that take over the dull parts of the game. Each one plays a different role, from sweeping dropped materials to digging and hauling on their own.
Sweeper Drone
Digger Drone
Recon Drone
Hauler Drone
Official wiki numbers
Deploy Drones, Step by Step
Drones unlock in order across the research tiers, each for a Gold cost. Bring each one online as it removes a real chore.
Unlock Sweeper Drones at Tier 2
Unlocks Sweeper Drones for 800 Gold, which easily collect materials from the ground. This is the first drone and the closest to an early-game convenience.
Checkpoint: Sweeper Drones pick up scattered materials for you.
Add the Digger Drone at Tier 3
Unlocks the Digger Drone for 2,500 Gold, which digs autonomously. Point it at a job and it removes material without you holding down the tool.
Checkpoint: the Digger clears a patch while you watch.
Scout with the Recon Drone at Tier 4
Unlocks the Recon Drone for 2,500 Gold. Its job is to see what is ahead before you commit to a dig or an expansion.
Checkpoint: the Recon Drone reveals terrain ahead of your build.
Finish with the Hauler Drone at Tier 4
Unlocks the Hauler Drone for 3,000 Gold for automated material transport. It is the endgame of the drone line: logistics that runs by itself.
Checkpoint: the Hauler shuttles materials between points on its own.
When Drone Automation Stalls
A drone only pays off when it lands on the right job. Here is how to match each unit to the work and keep the line moving.
A drone sits idle instead of helping
A drone is only worth its Gold once it removes real busywork. Match the drone to the pain point — Sweeper for cleanup, Digger for volume — and the upgrade becomes obvious.
Powered drones sit still
The powered drones and buildings lean on the Energy system. Getting a Florinol Battery online is what makes drone automation practical in the late game.
Drones seem redundant with belts
Drones do not replace belts and filters; they pair with them. Belts move material continuously, while drones handle the pickup and repositioning that belts cannot. Together they close the gaps in a layout.
Drones in the Wider Automation System
Drones are one tool among many in the logistics layer. They pair well with belts, filters, and conveyor routing rather than replacing them.
Conveyor Belts and Filters
Belts move material continuously; drones handle the pickup and repositioning that belts cannot. Together they close the gaps in a layout.
Energy to fuel the late game
The powered drones and buildings lean on the Energy system. Getting a Florinol Battery online is what makes drone automation practical.
Core drone progression
- Sandustry exposes multiple drone types with different automation roles rather than one generic drone tool.
- The drone line spans several research tiers and costs, so it is a staged automation path.
- Drones complement logistics systems such as belts and filters instead of replacing them outright.
What still depends on your automation goals
- The best order to buy drones still depends on which manual task is wasting the most time in your current save.
- Late-game power and logistics requirements can shift across patches, so treat exact drone plans as version-sensitive.
- Drones still cannot rescue a broken core factory until inputs, outputs, and routing are already stable.
Featured Questions
Which drone should I unlock first?
The early convenience pick is the Sweeper Drone, because it removes scattered-ground cleanup before the heavier automation tiers arrive.
Why do drones feel weaker than belts?
Because they solve a different problem. Belts provide continuous routing, while drones handle pickup, digging, scouting, or hauling tasks around the edges of the line.
Why is my drone automation not paying off yet?
If the core line is still unstable, a drone only automates the mess. Stabilize production first, then use drones where manual busywork remains.