Utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Develop Innovative Approaches to Wild Blueberry Harvesting

新斯科舍省有1,000多个野生蓝莓生产商，管理着4万多英亩的土地， 每年有100万磅蓝莓。野生蓝莓是新斯科舍省最大的水果作物， 年出口额超过7000万美元。为了最大限度地提高浆果产量，种植者正在寻找创新的 如何改进通常从8月开始一直持续到9月下旬的收获作业。 Frostbyte Interactive是一家位于新斯科舍省的技术创新公司。他们的部门和品牌 Aerhyve目前专注于日益增长的精准农业领域，使用无人驾驶飞机 （无人机）获取可以转化为信息的数据。通过野生动物提供的行业支持 新斯科舍省蓝莓生产者协会，Frostbyte一直针对野外的系统性问题 蓝莓区Frostbyte希望与南加州大学应用地理信息研究小组合作 （AGRG）研究将空间分析工具应用于从无人机收集的数据的可行性， 提高蓝莓生产和采收的效率。 利用无人机，将在早春采集蓝莓田的航空影像， 生长前的田地和树冠高峰期。然后，通过取 在山顶树冠和原始地面之间。然后，可以使用植物高度数据来调整 当收获设备在田地中移动时， 丰收除了植物高度计算外，还将确定和绘制裸地面积，以评估 蓝莓不生长的地方。这种鉴定对减少杀虫剂和除草剂有影响 应用，从而为种植者节省了大量成本。

Nova Scotia has over 1,000 wild blueberry producers managing over 40,000 acres which generate over 40 million pounds of blueberries annually. Wild blueberries are the largest fruit crop in Nova Scotia and generates over 70 million dollars in annual exports. In order to maximize berry yield, growers are looking for innovative ways to improve the harvesting operation that normally begins in August and continues to late September. Frostbyte Interactive is a Nova Scotia based technology innovation company. Their division and brand Aerhyve, is currently focused in the growing field of precision agriculture, using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to acquire data that can be turned into information. With industry support provided through the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia, Frostbyte has been targeting systemic issues in the wild blueberry sector. Frostbyte would like to collaborate with NSCC's Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) to investigate the feasibility of applying spatial analytic tools to data collected from an UAV to increase the efficiency of blueberry production and harvesting. With the use of UAVs, aerial imagery of blueberry fields will be collected in early spring to measure pre-growth fields and again at peak canopy. The plant height will then be determined by taking the difference between the peak canopy cover and the original ground level. The plant height data can then be used to adjust the harvesting equipment as it moves across the field, thereby maximizing the yield of blueberries during harvest. In addition to plant height calculations, areas of bare ground will be identified and mapped to assess where blueberries are not growing. This identification has impacts on reducing pesticides and herbicides applications resulting in substantial cost savings to the grower.