ASABE Technical Library - Abstract

Abstract. Vertical and short-field takeoff and landing capable unmanned aerial vehicles commonly referred to as drones can be equipped to carry various sensors ranging from active NDVI crop sensors to full spectrum and near infrared cameras. Drones are able to survey large areas of land without the inherent safety risks and high costs involved with the use of much larger manned aircraft. They can quickly provide real time imagery and sensor data in a nondestructive manner, regardless of terrain. Our research has demonstrated that advancements in guidance systems, batteries, and control systems have made UAV’s both a plausible and practical tool collect data remotely in agriculture and biological systems.

Precision agriculture requires real time data and the ability of UAV’s to fly over crops and quickly gather crop management data makes them a solution to this need. Advancements in guidance systems, batteries, and control systems have made these drones both plausible and practical and the researcher’s field results at local research areas have proven that they can be used effectively. These field results hold great promise for precision agricultural research as well as broader environmental and coastal preservation efforts.