What is a UAV? A UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle , commonly known as a drone. It is also referred to as a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. What Can They Do? UAVs are used in agriculture primarily for aerial photography. However, the type of payload (camera or sensor) can vary depending on the specific application. Sensor types include Visual, Multispectral, Thermal, Lidar, and Hyperspectral (see far right for descriptions). Sensor Descriptions and Typical Agricultural Applications: Visual (High resolution camera: For aerial mapping and imaging); Multispectral (Multiple spectral bands: For plant health measurement (NDVI)); Thermal (Thermal Infrared (TIR) Sensor: For heat signature detection (ie livestock)); Lidar (Short range LASER rangefinder: For 3D digital surface modeling (topography)); Hyperspectral (Full spectral sensing: For small UAV applications (NDVI, water quality assessment)). Potential Considerations: Although prices are constantly decreasing, UAV purchase can be costly ($10k+); Transport Canada regulation compliance; Required operator training; Site limitations
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.