Eye Scab Project - Apple Scab
The Eye Scab project involves the use of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (UAV) in the field of precision agriculture. The project stems from the need of Trentino farmers to cope with one of the worst diseases that can affect the health of the apple tree: Punctuation.
Fruit of the collaboration with the University of Trento, the Edmund Mach Foundation and Consozio Frutticoltori Alta Valsugana; Metacortex employs its drone (i.e. APR or UAV) equipped with multispectral and thermal sensors for the identification and analysis of infections
RISK MONITORING
The goal is to use an APR to estimate the risk and degree of infection on a given apple plantation. To do this, the APR was equipped with a radiometric thermal imaging camera and a six-band multispectral sensor.
The APR is used in cooperation with the weather stations that provide the weather data in a specific area, to an accurate mathematical model that allows to estimate the dates of maximum concentration of the infections of the disease.
Trough APR it is possible (through targeted flights) to identify which specific areas are most prone to the pathogen by obtaining a precise map of the plants already infected and those potentially at risk. These results allow the farmer to carry out specific treatments using a lower dose of pesticides which translates into substantial economic savings and an improvement in the quality of the product.
The APR is used in cooperation with the weather stations that provide the weather data in a specific area, to an accurate mathematical model that allows to estimate the dates of maximum concentration of the infections of the disease.
Trough APR it is possible (through targeted flights) to identify which specific areas are most prone to the pathogen by obtaining a precise map of the plants already infected and those potentially at risk. These results allow the farmer to carry out specific treatments using a lower dose of pesticides which translates into substantial economic savings and an improvement in the quality of the product.
Equipment
REMOTE PILOTED AIRCRAFT
The need to carry high-tech sensors led us to choose a vehicle that could transport them with relative ease and that could allow a good degree of "fault tolerance" and stability even in the event of adverse conditions during flight. This led us to opt for the top of the range octacopter from the market leader DJI.
The need to carry high-tech sensors led us to choose a vehicle that could transport them with relative ease and that could allow a good degree of "fault tolerance" and stability even in the event of adverse conditions during flight. This led us to opt for the top of the range octacopter from the market leader DJI.
GIMBAL
This 2.3 [Kg] Gimbal allows to transport and stabilize the images coming from sensors that have a weight up to 3.6 [Kg]. Its incredible precision (maximum error of 0.02 [°]) allows to obtain a stabilized image even in the worst flight situations. The stabilizer can be directed by an operator through the use of a specific remote control, this involves maximum versatility during the image acquisition phases.
Thermal imaging camera
Some of the most relevant factors in the development of scab are Temperature and Humidity. In order to obtain these data during the flight of the APR it is necessary to equip the vehicle with a sensor that operates in the thermal infrared bands, also called thermal imaging camera.
One of the market leading sensors in thermal UAV applications is definitely the Tau2 640.
One of the market leading sensors in thermal UAV applications is definitely the Tau2 640.
THERMAL CAPTURE
Thanks to the addition of thermal capture to this sensor, it is in fact possible to obtain data with high radiometric and geometric resolution, providing a precise measurement of the electromagnetic radiation emitted and reflected by the investigated objects. This translates into the fact that each pixel of the acquired image is associated with a certain temperature.
Territory analysis
Thanks to the addition of thermal capture to this sensor, it is in fact possible to obtain data with high radiometric and geometric resolution, providing a precise measurement of the electromagnetic radiation emitted and reflected by the investigated objects. This translates into the fact that each pixel of the acquired image is associated with a certain temperature.
