UAV use forAgriculturein the UAE
Peter DawsonSenior Technical LecturerInstitute of Applied TechnologyAbu Dhabi
Topics Covered
• Farming in the UAE
• Reasons to use UAV’s
• How we see the health of crops
• What do we use
• Overflight results
• UAV applications in agriculture
Farming in the UAE
• Approximately 24,000 farms
• Two-thirds of Emirates water consumption
• 200,00 acres of land cultivated
Reasons to use UAV’s
• Global environmental concerns
• Cost savings
• Timely data
Methods
• Traditional
– Labor intensive
Methods
• Satellite
– 5m resolution possible
Methods
• Unmanned Aircraft
– 1cm resolution possible
Differences
“UAV technology allows us to view the landscape from an elevated perspective”
It gives us information that may not just be difficult to determine from ground level but, may well be impossible.
How do we see the health?
• NVDI–Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index
NDVI
What do we use?
• A digital camera
Accuracy of Data
• Accuracy depends on
– Image resolution
–GPS quality and accuracy
–Camera position and time
–Ground control points
–Flight Planning
Post Production
• Raw Data
• Computing power or “Cloud”
• Finally – the end product
–Actual data we can use
Overflight Results
Pivot irrigated potatoes and carrots
South Australia, Australia2014
Flight Plan
Distance: 29 kmAltitude: 400 ft (123m)Coverage: 390 acresTime in air: 31 minutes
Color Infrared Orthomosaic
Colorized NDVI Map (carrots)
Low High
Mechanical Issue
Platform Choice
• What is your budget
• What is the size of the project or farm
• What is the accuracy requirements
• Environmental considerations
• Take-off and landing area
UAV Applications
• Crop management
UAV Applications
• Livestock management
Food Stores
No reaction from cattle
Rumen bulges indicate fed condition
UAV Applications
• Water sources
Toxic Algae
UAV Applications
• Fence lines and facilities
UAV Applications
• Biomass
Higher Rice Biomass
Less Rice Biomass
Low/no Rice Biomass
Higher Rice BiomassLow/no Rice Biomass
UAV Applications
• Weed spraying and pest control
Types of UAV’s
• Fixed Wing
• Multi
• Hybrid
Questions &Answers
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