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多年的历史。A&L正在努力成为田间和温室应用遥感设备开发的主要参与者，并为种植者解释这些数据。目前市场对在农业部门使用遥感技术的更灵活、更快速、更灵活和更容易的方式有需求。对于A&L来说，有必要建立自己的定制相机系统，因为市场上没有一种相机足够轻，可以安装在无人机上，同时提供所需的传感功能。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相机和无人机应用于各种精准农业应用的操作方法。相机将有7个10 nm的波段，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：(1)为温室和低重量无人机应用开发性能更好的第二代多光谱相机；(2)根据无人机相机获取的图像，开发一种简化的绘制作物损害面的方法。这些信息是省级农作物保险机构需要的；(3)开发根据无人机相机获取的图像检测马铃薯田晚疫病的简化方法；(4)开发根据安装在机械臂上的相机获取的图像检测温室黄瓜上的白粉病、胶状茎枯病和花叶病毒病的简化方法；(5)开发根据无人机相机获取的图像绘制作物氮素状况图的简化方法。该项目是A&L与大学之间几个Engage/Engage+项目的后续项目。它将支持5名博士生，2名硕士研究生。学生，以及部分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.