Development of a UAV-based multispectral camera for precision agriculture applications

A&L加拿大实验室有限公司（以下简称A&L）从事精准农业已有20多年。A&L正在努力成为开发用于田间和温室应用的遥感设备以及为种植者解释这些数据的主要参与者。目前的市场需求是在农业部门使用更加机动、快速、适应性强和简便的遥感技术。A&L有必要建立自己的定制摄像系统，因为市场上没有一个既轻到足以安装在无人机上，同时又提供所需的传感能力。我们的项目是UNB和西方教授与A&L科学家/工程师和AAFC科学家共同努力，开发使用A&L相机和无人机用于各种精准农业应用的操作方法。该相机将有7个10纳米波段，以以下波长为中心：464,542,639,669,708,800和845 nm。具体的项目目标是：(i)开发第二代多光谱相机，增强温室和低重量无人机应用的性能；（ii）开发一种简化的方法，从基于无人机的相机获得的图像中绘制作物受损表面。这些信息是省级农作物保险机构要求的；㈢制定一种简化的方法，根据基于无人机的摄像机获取的图像检测马铃薯地的晚疫病；㈣制定一种简化的方法，根据安装在机械臂上的照相机获得的图像检测温室黄瓜上的白粉病、茎枯病和花叶病毒病；(v)开发一种简化的方法，根据无人机相机获得的图像绘制作物氮素状况。该项目是A&L与大学之间的几个Engage/Engage+项目的后续项目。该项目将资助5名博士生、2名硕士生和1名研究助理。

A&L Canada Laboratories Inc. (referred hereafter as A&L) has been involved in precision agriculture for over 20 years. A&L is working on becoming a major player in the development of remote sensing devices for both field and greenhouse applications and interpretation of such data for growers. There is current market demand for more mobile, fast, adaptable and easy ways to use remote sensing technology in the agriculture sector. It is necessary for A&L to build its own customized camera system, as none on the market are both light enough to fit on a UAV, while providing the required sensing capability at the same time. Our project is a joint effort between UNB and Western professors with A&L scientists / engineers and AAFC scientists to develop operational methods that use the A&L camera and UAV for various precision agriculture applications. The camera will have seven bands of 10 nm, centered in the following wavelengths: 464, 542, 639, 669, 708, 800, and 845 nm. The specific project objectives are: (i) To develop a second generation multispectral camera with enhanced performances for both greenhouse and low weight UAV applications; (ii) To develop a streamlined methodology for mapping crop damage surfaces from the images acquired by the UAV-based camera. This information is required by the provincial crop insurance agencies; (iii) To develop a streamlined methodology for detecting late blight disease in potato fields from the images acquired by the UAV-based camera; (iv) To develop a streamlined methodology for detecting powdery mildew, gummy stem blight and mosaic virus diseases on greenhouse cucumber plants from the images acquired by the camera mounted on a robotic arm; and (v) To develop a streamlined methodology for mapping crop nitrogen status from the images acquired by the UAV-based camera. The project is a follow-up of several Engage/Engage+ projects between A&L and the universities. It will support five Ph.D. students, 2 M.Sc. students, and partially 1 research associate.