Robotany: a portable, low‐cost platform for precise automated aerial imaging of field plots

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Potter ◽  
Sylvia Tan ◽  
Rachel M. Penczykowski
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Aerial Imaging ◽  
Field Plots

scholarly journals UAV Based Imaging Platform for Monitoring Maize Growth Throughout Development

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara B. Tirado ◽  
Candice N. Hirsch ◽  
Nathan M. Springer
Keyword(s):  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ph Measurements ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Management Guidelines ◽  
Aerial Imaging ◽  
Maize Genotypes ◽  
Yield Trial ◽  
Field Plots ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACTPlant height (PH) data collected at high temporal resolutions can give insight into important growth parameters useful for identifying elite material in plant breeding programs and developing management guidelines in production settings. However, in order to increase the temporal resolution of PH data collection, more robust, rapid and low-cost methods are needed to evaluate field plots than those currently available. Due to their low cost and high functionality, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be an efficient means for collecting height at various stages throughout development. We have developed a procedure for utilizing structure from motion algorithms to collect PH from RGB drone imagery and have used this platform to characterize a yield trial consisting of 24 maize hybrids planted in replicate under two dates and three planting densities in St Paul, MN in the summer of 2018. The field was imaged weekly after planting using a DJI Phantom 4 Advanced drone to extract PH and hand measurements were collected following aerial imaging of the field. In this work, we test the error in UAV PH measurements and compare it to the error obtained within manually acquired PH measurements. We also propose a method for improving the correspondence of manual and UAV measured height and evaluate the utility of using UAV obtained PH data for assessing growth of maize genotypes and for estimating end-season height.

Low-cost aerial imaging for small holder farmers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya Jain ◽  
Anirudh Badam ◽  
Gireeja Ranade ◽  
Sudipta Sinha ◽  
Akshay Uttama Nambi S N ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Aerial Imaging ◽  
Small Holder Farmers ◽  
Small Holder

scholarly journals Workflow: From photo-based 3-D reconstruction of remotely piloted aircraft images to a 3-D geological model

Geosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 1393-1408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reuben J. Hansman ◽  
Uwe Ring
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Geological Mapping ◽  
Geological Model ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Aerial Imaging ◽  
Remotely Piloted Aircraft

AbstractGeological field mapping is a vital first step in understanding geological processes. During the 20th century, mapping was revolutionized through advances in remote sensing technology. With the recent availability of low-cost remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), field geologists now routinely carry out aerial imaging without the need to use satellite, helicopter, or airplane systems. RPA photographs are processed by photo-based three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction software, which uses structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo algorithms to create an ultra-high-resolution, 3-D point cloud of a region or target outcrop. These point clouds are analyzed to extract the orientation of geological structures and strata, and are also used to create digital elevation models and photorealistic 3-D models. However, this technique has only recently been used for structural mapping. Here, we outline a workflow starting with RPA data acquisition, followed by photo-based 3-D reconstruction, and ending with a 3-D geological model. The Jabal Hafit anticline in the United Arab Emirates was selected to demonstrate this workflow. At this anticline, outcrop exposure is excellent and the terrain is challenging to navigate due to areas of high relief. This makes for an ideal RPA mapping site and provides a good indication of how practical this method may be for the field geologist. Results confirm that RPA photo-based 3-D reconstruction mapping is an accurate and cost-efficient remote sensing method for geological mapping.

Intact soil-core microcosms compared with multi-site field releases for pre-release testing of microbes in diverse soils and climates

2001 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel V Gagliardi ◽  
J Scott Angle ◽  
James J Germida ◽  
R Campbell Wyndham ◽  
Christopher P Chanway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Soil Microbiology ◽  
Soil Core ◽  
Wheat Roots ◽  
Fallow Soil ◽  
Site Field ◽  
Intact Soil Core ◽  
Regression Slopes ◽  
Field Plots ◽  
Intact Soil

Intact soil-core microcosms were used to compare persistence of Pseudomonas chlororaphis 3732RN-L11 in fallow soil and on wheat roots with field releases at diverse sites. Parallel field and microcosm releases at four sites in 1996 were repeated with addition of one site in 1997. Microcosms were obtained fresh and maintained at 60% soil water holding capacity in a growth chamber at 70% relative humidity, a 12-hour photoperiod, and constant temperature. Persistence of 3732RN-L11 was measured at each site in field plots and microcosms at 7–21 day intervals, and in duplicate microcosms sampled at an independent laboratory. Linear regression slopes of field plot and microcosm persistence were compared for each site, and between identical microcosms sampled at different sites, using log10transformed plate counts. Microcosm persistence closely matched field plots for wheat roots, but persistence in fallow soil differed significantly in several instances where persistence in field plots was lower than in microcosms. Analysis of weather variations at each site indicated that rainfall events of 30–40 mm caused decreased persistence in fallow soil. Cooler temperatures enhanced persistence in field plots at later time points. Inter-laboratory comparison of regression slopes showed good agreement for data generated at different sites, though in two instances, longer sampling periods at one site caused significant differences between the sites. Soil characteristics were compared and it was found that fertility, namely the carbon to nitrogen ratio, and the presence of expanding clays, were related to persistence. These microcosm protocols produced reliable data at low cost, and were useable for pre-release risk analyses for microorganisms.Key words: microcosm, soil, microbiology, risk assessment, 3732RN-L11.

scholarly journals Monitoring Forage Mass with Low-Cost UAV Data: Case Study at the Rengen Grassland Experiment

2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 407-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Lussem ◽  
Jürgen Schellberg ◽  
Georg Bareth
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Image Data ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Forage Yield ◽  
Management Regime ◽  
Aerial Imaging

Abstract Monitoring and predicting above ground biomass yield of grasslands are of key importance for grassland management. Established manual methods such as clipping or rising plate meter measurements provide accurate estimates of forage yield, but are time consuming and labor intensive, and do not provide spatially continuous data as required for precision agriculture applications. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate the potential of sward height metrics derived from low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle-based image data to predict forage yield. The study was conducted over a period of 3 consecutive years (2014–2016) at the Rengen Grassland Experiment (RGE) in Germany. The RGE was established in 1941 and is since then under the same management regime of five treatments in a random block design and two harvest cuts per year. For UAV-based image acquisition, a DJI Phantom 2 with a mounted Canon Powershot S110 was used as a low-cost aerial imaging system. The data were investigated at different levels (e.g., harvest date-specific, year-specific, and plant community-specific). A pooled data model resulted in an R2 of 0.65 with a RMSE of 956.57 kg ha−1, although cut-specific or date-specific models yielded better results. In general, the UAV-based metrics outperformed the traditional rising plate meter measurements, but was affected by the timing of the harvest cut and plant community.

Decomposition of the metastable beta titanium alloy Ti-15-3

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 264-265
Author(s):  
Y. L. Chen ◽  
S. Fujlshiro
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Alpha Phase ◽  
Thick Sheet ◽  
Omega Phase ◽  
Beta Titanium Alloy ◽  
Beta Titanium ◽  
Beta Matrix ◽  
Metastable Beta ◽  
Very High

Metastable beta titanium alloys have been known to have numerous advantages such as cold formability, high strength, good fracture resistance, deep hardenability, and cost effectiveness. Very high strength is obtainable by precipitation of the hexagonal alpha phase in a bcc beta matrix in these alloys. Precipitation hardening in the metastable beta alloys may also result from the formation of transition phases such as omega phase. Ti-15-3 (Ti-15V- 3Cr-3Al-3Sn) has been developed recently by TIMET and USAF for low cost sheet metal applications. The purpose of the present study was to examine the aging characteristics in this alloy.The composition of the as-received material is: 14.7 V, 3.14 Cr, 3.05 Al, 2.26 Sn, and 0.145 Fe. The beta transus temperature as determined by optical metallographic method was about 770°C. Specimen coupons were prepared from a mill-annealed 1.2 mm thick sheet, and solution treated at 827°C for 2 hr in argon, then water quenched. Aging was also done in argon at temperatures ranging from 316 to 616°C for various times.

Chromic Acid Etching of Polyethylene

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
J. D. Muzzy ◽  
R. D. Hester ◽  
J. L. Hubbard
Keyword(s):  
Chromic Acid ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Acid Etching ◽  
Crystalline Morphology ◽  
Bulk Specimen ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Perfect Form ◽  
Molecular Length ◽  
Lamellar Texture ◽  
Cost Studies

Polyethylene is one of the most important plastics produced today because of its good physical properties, ease of fabrication and low cost. Studies to improve the properties of polyethylene are leading to an understanding of its crystalline morphology. Polyethylene crystallized by evaporation from dilute solutions consists of thin crystals called lamellae. The polyethylene molecules are parallel to the thickness of the lamellae and are folded since the thickness of the lamellae is much less than the molecular length. This lamellar texture persists in less perfect form in polyethylene crystallized from the melt.Morphological studies of melt crystallized polyethylene have been limited due to the difficulty of isolating the microstructure from the bulk specimen without destroying or deforming it.

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