Best use of UAV for potatos (and best UAV overall)

I've been researching agricultural UAV's overall but im looking for the best benefits on potatoes;

I want to divide this post on 4 different topics that i have not been able to find on any specific site:

1.- best UAV: I believe we do need to consider several aspects:

- fly at least 100 acres per flight (around 50 hectares for us at any metric system country :P) (heli or winged?)

- probably be able to flt 100 mt + heights (to be able to take the least possible pictures at the best possible resolution, remember we are making desitions on this info)

- be Rough enough to withstand harsh conditions (will probably be landing on dirt and such)

- automated UAV for ease of use.

2.- imagery: basically which camera should we use?

- i keep working around 4 different cameras: an RGB combined with a NIR to make NDVI analysis... a Multispectral (which i understand does the same thing but with better red spectrums) thermal cameras and finally DIY modified cameras (like GoPros)

- which camera would do the job? is it worth it working with a camera worth a couple thousend of USD??

3.- Post flight software: i keep going back to pix4d but i find it so expensive so i dont know if agisoft is enough? or maybe look at companies like agribotix for analysis?

4.- real life Use and benefits: i believe this would be the best topic of all: can we really monetize the agricultural UAVs?

- pre sowing work

- during crop analysis (i believe a frequent fly would give enough comparison to take desitions based on this images)

- real life scenarios in which you have beneffited from flying a UAV over your fields :)

i hope this discussion is not so extense that we have to divide it on 4 different topics but please advise...

BTW english is not my first language so sorry if i am writing something wrong :)

Thanks a lot for your input.

I have been looking a lot on the LA300 UAV from Lehmann Aviation do you think this might be able to do the job? i find it at a great price (comparing it to other AG UAV's, but im not fully convinced, would you give me some input on this?

i saw the Mapir before but i thought it was a gopro modified camera LOL, so i might go back to check this again, and by your recomendation i probably will be using this camera considering the cost. (btw for the NDVI on Mapir do i need only the NDVI blue? or would i need the visible light too?)

thanks for your input on agribotix... i was convinced y would be doing it by myself but i dont think i have the time nor the equipment to do this... so ill consider agribotix for the processing... (i'll take a look at readytodrone)

and about the real life use i do have a couple of ideas myself, but i want input from other people experience :)

thanks again for your support

For more than 10 years Lehmann Aviation develops and manufactures ultra-rugged and cost-effective utility drones for the most demanding missions arou…

Replies

- RG > MarioSpeedwagon August 27, 2015 at 1:01pm
  
  Thanks for your feedback, really useful. 3D NDVI would be interesting!
- Roberto garza > MarioSpeedwagon August 27, 2015 at 7:56am
  
  Thanks a lot for your input.
  
  I have been looking a lot on the LA300 UAV from Lehmann Aviation do you think this might be able to do the job? i find it at a great price (comparing it to other AG UAV's, but im not fully convinced, would you give me some input on this?
  
  i saw the Mapir before but i thought it was a gopro modified camera LOL, so i might go back to check this again, and by your recomendation i probably will be using this camera considering the cost. (btw for the NDVI on Mapir do i need only the NDVI blue? or would i need the visible light too?)
  
  thanks for your input on agribotix... i was convinced y would be doing it by myself but i dont think i have the time nor the equipment to do this... so ill consider agribotix for the processing... (i'll take a look at readytodrone)
  
  and about the real life use i do have a couple of ideas myself, but i want input from other people experience :)
  
  thanks again for your support
  
  Lehmann Aviation | Utility Drones since 2005
  
  For more than 10 years Lehmann Aviation develops and manufactures ultra-rugged and cost-effective utility drones for the most demanding missions arou…
- RG > Roberto garza August 27, 2015 at 12:52pm
  
  Roberto, if you are interested in getting Orthophoto, DEM, Timelapse on your imagery email me at ruchit@harvesting.co . We have a processing service up and running which is already producing some great results in record time (using scalable cloud infrastructure)
- Moderator
  
  MarioSpeedwagon > Roberto garza August 27, 2015 at 8:00am
  
  Quick response, heading out the door-
  
  No experience with the LA300, hopefully someone else can offer feedback there.
  
  The MAPIR is a modified SJCAM. If you want to use one camera, use the "NDVI Blue+NIR". There are limitations to adapted cameras (better explained in Ned Horning's thread), but this will serve as a good starting point for you.

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Agricultural UAVs

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