Development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Precision Cattle Ranching

每年，许多不列颠哥伦比亚省的牧场主都会遇到在牧场外找回母牛/牛犊的困难，他们**花费了大量的人力寻找丢失的牛。将探索新的方法，通过无人机成功探测到牛，甚至有可能在范围内收集和移动动物。我们**将为养牛业开发配备射频识别(RFID)天线的无人机(UAV)，这些天线能够快速检测到拥有超高频(UHF)RFID耳标的牛的位置。该项目将展示数据的价值和质量，**动物对车辆的耐受性，以及集成的无人机/UHF-RFID系统在改善大规模放牧系统中肉牛管理**方面的价值。我们将测试携带无线电频率**天线的最佳类型的飞行器。飞行路线将通过航点软件预先编程，或手动飞行。将测试的**系统的一些功能包括：高度和距离限制、返回家园、自动起飞**着陆、自动避免碰撞，以及飞行器现场探测牛的准确性。此外，包括多光谱成像和红外热像**在内的附加机载传感器的价值将在无人机上进行测试。最后，我们将确定最佳类型的UHF-RFID标签**用于无人机多转子系统的牛耳。我们在不列颠哥伦比亚省戈尔德市的行业合作伙伴将提供场地位置和牛只，以展示这项技术。成功与否将取决于**无人机通过射频识别从空中成功识别牛的位置，以及成功将该位置与飞行器上的GPS匹配，并通过视频下行链路由无人机对牛进行视觉确认**。此外，我们将通过机上专用的**相机使用多光谱图像，通过对**测绘飞行期间收集的图像进行数据处理，进行范围和牧场评估。

Every year many British Columbia ranchers experience difficulty in retrieving cow/calf pairs off range, and**spend tremendous manpower looking for lost cattle. New methods will be explored for the successful detection**of cattle, and potentially even gathering and moving the animals on range, by unmanned aerial vehicles. We**will develop for the cattle industry unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are equipped with Radio Frequency**Identification (RFID) antennae that are able to quickly detect the location of cattle that have ultra high**frequency (UHF)RFID ear tags. The project will demonstrate the value and quality of the data, the tolerance of**the animals to the vehicles, and the value of the integrated UAV/UHF-RFID system for improved management**of beef cattle in extensive grazing systems. We will test the best type of craft to carry the radio-frequency**antennae. Flight paths will be either pre-programmed with waypoint software or flown manually. Some of the**systems' features, which will be tested, include: height and distance limits, return-to-home, auto-takeoff**landing, automated collision avoidance, along with the accuracy of field detection of cattle by the craft. In**addition, the value of additional on board sensors including multi spectral imaging and infrared thermography**will be tested on the unmanned aerial vehicles. And finally, we will determine the best type of UHF-RFID tag**to use in the cattle ears with the UAV multi-rotor system. Our industry collaborator in Golden, British**Columbia will provide the site locations and cattle in order to demonstrate this technology. Success will be**determined by successfully identifying the location of cattle from the air via radio frequency identification by**the UAV, along with successfully matching the location to the GPS on board the craft and visual confirmation**of cattle by the UAV via video down-link. In addition, we will use multi spectral imagery via a specialized**camera on board to do range and pasture assessment through data-processing of images collected during**mapping flights.