Session 1K: Engineering the attachment of a remote sensor and antennae to a drone

Session Number

Session 1K: 2nd Presentation

Advisor(s)

Dr. Eric Smith, IMSA

Location

Room A129

Start Date

26-4-2018 9:40 AM

End Date

26-4-2018 10:25 AM

Abstract

Remote sensing of plant vitality and growth has been a major research field since the 1960s, and highly accurate multi-spectral sensors are necessary to provide useful data points for measuring healthy vegetation. Vegetation health and density within a given area is measured by the Normalized Difference

Vegetation Index (NDVI). NDVI determines plant vitality through the measure of chlorophyll activity; live green plants absorb solar radiation in a different manner than dead/less prosperous plants, and through measuring that radiation, remote graphical sensing can discriminate between areas of prosperous versus non-prosperous trees.

In order to create 3D models of these trees and measure their vitality simultaneously, it is necessary to engineer an attachment which will allow a NDVI sensor to move in tandem with a drone’s already existing camera. Here we show that there is the potential to create 3D models of trees while measuring their vitality at the same time. While remote sensing on its own has been an important element in ecological research for years, this concurrent data collection – both 3D modeling and NDVI collection – serves to enhance this remote sensing application and increase data analysis in the field.

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Apr 26th, 9:40 AM Apr 26th, 10:25 AM

Session 1K: Engineering the attachment of a remote sensor and antennae to a drone

Room A129

Remote sensing of plant vitality and growth has been a major research field since the 1960s, and highly accurate multi-spectral sensors are necessary to provide useful data points for measuring healthy vegetation. Vegetation health and density within a given area is measured by the Normalized Difference

Vegetation Index (NDVI). NDVI determines plant vitality through the measure of chlorophyll activity; live green plants absorb solar radiation in a different manner than dead/less prosperous plants, and through measuring that radiation, remote graphical sensing can discriminate between areas of prosperous versus non-prosperous trees.

In order to create 3D models of these trees and measure their vitality simultaneously, it is necessary to engineer an attachment which will allow a NDVI sensor to move in tandem with a drone’s already existing camera. Here we show that there is the potential to create 3D models of trees while measuring their vitality at the same time. While remote sensing on its own has been an important element in ecological research for years, this concurrent data collection – both 3D modeling and NDVI collection – serves to enhance this remote sensing application and increase data analysis in the field.