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

A&L Canada Laboratories Inc.（以下简称A&L）从事精准农业已超过20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此类数据的主要参与者。目前市场需要以更加移动的、快速的、适应性强的和简便的方式在农业部门使用遥感技术。A&L有必要建立自己的定制相机系统，因为市场上没有一款相机既轻到足以安装在无人机上，又能同时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相机和无人机进行各种精准农业应用的操作方法。相机将有七个10 nm的波段，以下列波长为中心：464、542、639、669、708、800和845 nm。项目的具体目标是：（一）开发第二代多光谱相机，其性能得到提高，可用于温室和轻型无人驾驶飞机;（二）开发一种简化方法，根据无人驾驶飞机相机获取的图像绘制作物受损面。省级农作物保险机构要求提供这一信息; ㈢开发一种简化方法，用于根据无人驾驶航空器摄像机获取的图像检测马铃薯田的晚疫病; ㈣开发一种简化方法，用于根据安装在机器人臂上的摄像机获取的图像检测温室黄瓜植株上的白粉病、茎枯胶病和花叶病毒病;以及（v）开发一种简化的方法，用于根据无人机相机获取的图像绘制作物氮素状况。该项目是A&L和大学之间的几个Engage/Engage+项目的后续行动。它将支持五个博士学位。学生，2个硕士学生，部分研究助理。*

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.****