scholarly journals Phenotyping of Corn Plants Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Images

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Su ◽  
Mingzheng Zhang ◽  
Dahong Bian ◽  
Zhe Liu ◽  
Jianxi Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Estimation Error ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Lodging Resistance ◽  
Height Estimation ◽  
Area Estimation ◽  
Corn Breeding ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Uav Images

Phenotyping provides important support for corn breeding. Unfortunately, the rapid detection of phenotypes has been the major limiting factor in estimating and predicting the outcomes of breeding programs. This study was focused on the potential of phenotyping to support corn breeding using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images, aiming at mining and deepening UAV techniques for comparing phenotypes and screening new corn varieties. Two geometric traits (plant height, canopy leaf area index (LAI)) and one lodging resistance trait (lodging area) were estimated in this study. It was found that stereoscopic and photogrammetric methods were promising ways to calculate a digital surface model (DSM) for estimating corn plant height from UAV images, with R2 = 0.7833 (p < 0.001) and a root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.1677. In addition to a height estimation, the height variation was analyzed for depicting and validating the corn canopy uniformity stability for different varieties. For the lodging area estimation, the normalized DSM (nDSM) method was more promising than the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) textural features method. The estimation error using the nDSM ranged from 0.8% to 5.3%, and the estimation error using the GLCM ranged from 10.0% to 16.2%. Associations between the height estimation and lodging area estimation were done to find the corn varieties with optimal plant heights and lodging resistance. For the LAI estimation, the physical radiative transfer PROSAIL model offered both an accurate and robust estimation performance both at the middle (R2 = 0.7490, RMSE = 0.3443) and later growing stages (R2 = 0.7450, RMSE = 0.3154). What was more exciting was that the estimated sequential time series LAIs revealed a corn variety with poor resistance to lodging in a study area of Baogaofeng Farm. Overall, UAVs appear to provide a promising method to support phenotyping for crop breeding, and the phenotyping of corn breeding in this study validated this application.

scholarly journals A Study on Obtaining Tree Data from Green Spaces in Parks Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Images: Focusing on Mureung Park in Chuncheon

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-450
Author(s):  
Do-Hyung Lee ◽  
Sung-Ho Kil ◽  
Su-Been Lee
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Field Survey ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Pinus Koraiensis ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Uav Images

Background and objective: The purpose of study is to analyze the three-dimensional (3D) structure by creating a 3D model for green spaces in a park using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images. Methods: After producing a digital surface model (DSM) and a digital terrain model (DTM) using UAV images taken in Mureung Park in Chuncheon-si, we generated a digital tree height model (DHM). In addition, we used the mean shift algorithm to test the classification accuracy, and obtain accurate tree height and volume measures through field survey. Results: Most of the tree species planted in Mureung Park were Pinus koraiensis, followed by Pinus densiflora, and Zelkova serrata, and most of the shrubs planted were Rhododendron yedoense, followed by Buxus microphylla, and Spiraea prunifolia. The average height of trees measured at the site was 7.8 m, and the average height estimated by the model was 7.5 m, showing a difference of about 0.3 m. As a result of the t-test, there was no significant difference between height values of the field survey data and the model. The estimated green coverage and volume of the study site using the UAV were 5,019 ㎡ and 14,897 ㎥, respectively, and the green coverage and volume measured through the field survey were 6,339 ㎡ and 17,167 ㎥. It was analyzed that the green coverage showed a difference of about 21% and the volume showed a difference of about 13%. Conclusion: The UAV equipped with RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) modules used in this study could collect information on tree height, green coverage, and volume with relatively high accuracy within a short period of time. This could serve as an alternative to overcome the limitations of time and cost in previous field surveys using remote sensing techniques.

scholarly journals Monitoring the Damage of Armyworm in Summer Corn by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imaging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
mingzheng zhang ◽  
Xinsheng Wang ◽  
Jinghao Xue ◽  
Wei Su ◽  
Dehai Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Automated Identification ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Corn Plants ◽  
Uav Images ◽  
Uav Image ◽  
Sentinel 2

Abstract Background: Monitoring armyworm (Mythimna separata Walker) damage in crops requires timely, rapid and accurate observations to avoid severe yield losses. Results: The Random Forest (RF) classifier was more effective at automatically and accurately monitoring armyworm damage compared with Support Vector Machine (SVM), Multilayer Perceptron Classifier (MLPC) and Naive Bayes Classifier (NB) classifiers. Furthermore, the incorporation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) image-generated digital surface model improved the performance of the RF classifier, increasing the F-score from 0.985 and 0.970 to 0.997 and 0.994, and increasing the Kappa coefficient from 0.955 to 0.990. In addition, we found that Band 3 (735 nm) of the UAV image and Band 6 (740 nm) of a coincident Sentinel-2 image were not sensitive to an armyworm infestation in this study. Conclusions: We developed an accurate algorithm for the automated identification of armyworm-damaged corn plants using UAV images at the field scale. The study also indicated the feasibility of the developed method for monitoring corn armyworm damage at regional scale when combined with Sentinel-2 images.

scholarly journals Identifying the Branch of Kiwifruit Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Images Using Deep Learning Method

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (13) ◽  
pp. 4442
Author(s):  
Zijie Niu ◽  
Juntao Deng ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Shijia Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Semantic Segmentation ◽  
Dynamic Monitoring ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Time Operation ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Uav Images ◽  
Segmentation Image

It is important to obtain accurate information about kiwifruit vines to monitoring their physiological states and undertake precise orchard operations. However, because vines are small and cling to trellises, and have branches laying on the ground, numerous challenges exist in the acquisition of accurate data for kiwifruit vines. In this paper, a kiwifruit canopy distribution prediction model is proposed on the basis of low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images and deep learning techniques. First, the location of the kiwifruit plants and vine distribution are extracted from high-precision images collected by UAV. The canopy gradient distribution maps with different noise reduction and distribution effects are generated by modifying the threshold and sampling size using the resampling normalization method. The results showed that the accuracies of the vine segmentation using PSPnet, support vector machine, and random forest classification were 71.2%, 85.8%, and 75.26%, respectively. However, the segmentation image obtained using depth semantic segmentation had a higher signal-to-noise ratio and was closer to the real situation. The average intersection over union of the deep semantic segmentation was more than or equal to 80% in distribution maps, whereas, in traditional machine learning, the average intersection was between 20% and 60%. This indicates the proposed model can quickly extract the vine distribution and plant position, and is thus able to perform dynamic monitoring of orchards to provide real-time operation guidance.

Optimal model-free fuzzy logic control for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle

2021 ◽  
pp. 095441002110253
Author(s):  
Hossam E Glida ◽  
Latifa Abdou ◽  
Abdelghani Chelihi ◽  
Chouki Sentouh ◽  
Gabriele Perozzi
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Fuzzy Logic Control ◽  
Estimation Error ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Multiple Model ◽  
Optimal Model ◽  
Model Free ◽  
Logic Control ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

This article deals with the issue of designing a flight tracking controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle type of quadrotor based on an optimal model-free fuzzy logic control approach. The main design objective is to perform an automatic flight trajectory tracking under multiple model uncertainties related to the knowledge of the nonlinear dynamics of the system. The optimal control is also addressed taking into consideration unknown external disturbances. To achieve this goal, we propose a new optimal model-free fuzzy logic–based decentralized control strategy where the influence of the interconnection term between the subsystems is minimized. A model-free controller is firstly designed to achieve the convergence of the tracking error. For this purpose, an adaptive estimator is proposed to ensure the approximation of the nonlinear dynamic functions of the quadrotor. The fuzzy logic compensator is then introduced to deal with the estimation error. Moreover, the optimization problem to select the optimal design parameters of the proposed controller is solved using the bat algorithm. Finally, a numerical validation based on the Parrot drone platform is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method with various flying scenarios.

scholarly journals Improved Accuracy of Riparian Zone Mapping Using Near Ground Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Photogrammetry Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1997
Author(s):  
Joan Grau ◽  
Kang Liang ◽  
Jae Ogilvie ◽  
Paul Arp ◽  
Sheng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Agricultural Watershed ◽  
Riparian Zones ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Low Resolution ◽  
Channel Network ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

In agriculture-dominant watersheds, riparian ecosystems provide a wide array of benefits such as reducing soil erosion, filtering chemical compounds, and retaining sediments. Traditionally, the boundaries of riparian zones could be estimated from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) or field surveys. In this study, we used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and photogrammetry method to map the boundaries of riparian zones. We first obtained the 3D digital surface model with a UAV. We applied the Vertical Distance to Channel Network (VDTCN) as a classifier to delineate the boundaries of the riparian area in an agricultural watershed. The same method was also used with a low-resolution DEM obtained with traditional photogrammetry and two more LiDAR-derived DEMs, and the results of different methods were compared. Results indicated that higher resolution UAV-derived DEM achieved a high agreement with the field-measured riparian zone. The accuracy achieved (Kappa Coefficient, KC = 63%) with the UAV-derived DEM was comparable with high-resolution LiDAR-derived DEMs and significantly higher than the prediction accuracy based on traditional low-resolution DEMs obtained with high altitude aerial photos (KC = 25%). We also found that the presence of a dense herbaceous layer on the ground could cause errors in riparian zone delineation with VDTCN for both low altitude UAV and LiDAR data. Nevertheless, the study indicated that using the VDTCN as a classifier combined with a UAV-derived DEM is a suitable approach for mapping riparian zones and can be used for precision agriculture and environmental protection over agricultural landscapes.

Growing status observation for oil palm trees using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images

2021 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 95-121
Author(s):  
Juepeng Zheng ◽  
Haohuan Fu ◽  
Weijia Li ◽  
Wenzhao Wu ◽  
Le Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Palm Trees ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Uav Images

scholarly journals Canopy Top, Height and Photosynthetic Pigment Estimation Using Parrot Sequoia Multispectral Imagery and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Norway Spruce Forest Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Kopačková-Strnadová ◽  
Lucie Koucká ◽  
Jan Jelenek ◽  
Zuzana Lhotakova ◽  
Filip Oulehle
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Photosynthetic Pigment ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Needle Age ◽  
Vegetation Indexes ◽  
Pigment Contents ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Uav Images

Remote sensing is one of the modern methods that have significantly developed over the last two decades and nowadays provides a new means for forest monitoring. High spatial and temporal resolutions are demanded for accurate and timely monitoring of forests. In this study multi-spectral Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images were used to estimate canopy parameters (definition of crown extent, top and height as well as photosynthetic pigment contents). The UAV images in Green, Red, Red-Edge and NIR bands were acquired by Parrot Sequoia camera over selected sites in two small catchments (Czech Republic) covered dominantly by Norway spruce monocultures. Individual tree extents, together with tree tops and heights, were derived from the Canopy Height Model (CHM). In addition, the following were tested i) to what extent can the linear relationship be established between selected vegetation indexes (NDVI and NDVIred edge) derived for individual trees and the corresponding ground truth (e.g., biochemically assessed needle photosynthetic pigment contents), and ii) whether needle age selection as a ground truth and crown light conditions affect the validity of linear models. The results of the conducted statistical analysis show that the two vegetation indexes (NDVI and NDVIred edge) tested here have a potential to assess photosynthetic pigments in Norway spruce forests at a semi-quantitative level, however the needle-age selection as a ground truth was revealed to be a very important factor. The only usable results were obtained for linear models when using the 2nd year needle pigment contents as a ground truth. On the other hand, the illumination conditions of the crown proved to have very little effect on the model&rsquo;s validity. No study was found to directly compare these results conducted on coniferous forest stands. This shows that there is a further need for studies dealing with a quantitative estimation of the biochemical variables of nature coniferous forests when employing spectral data acquired by the UAV platform at a very high spatial resolution.

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