THE STATE OF DRONES FOR AGRICULTUREMANOJ KARKEE, LAV KHOT, SINDHUJA SANKARAN
Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural SystemsBiological Systems Engineering Department
Washington State University
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CPAAS
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
CPAAS: CENTER FOR PRECISION AND AUTOMATED AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS• Located in Prosser, WA; Directed by Dr. Qin Zhang
• 15+ affiliated faculty members • Cross-disciplinary environment: extension educators, horticulturists,
biologists, economists and engineers
• Facilitates collaborative, systematic research in precision agriculture, automation and mechanization
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
CPAAS ACTIVITIES
• Basic and Applied Research • Graduate Education • Field Days; Tech Expos • Educational Tours • National and International
Collaboration
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
Horticultural Technologies
Mechanization Technologies
Automation Technologies
Precision Agriculture
Socio-Economic Studies Agricultural Health & Safety
CPAAS RESEARCH DISCIPLINES
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
SOME RESEARCH PROJECTS• Apple and Cherry Harvesting • Apple and Raspberry Pruning • Intelligent Bin Transport System • Automated Weed Control In Vegetables • Robotic Hop Twining • Water and Nitrogen Stress Sensing • Solid Set Canopy Delivery System • Post Harvest Fruit Quality Assessment
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
UAS FOR AGRICULTURE
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
UAS…..
• Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Also called UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and Drones
• Hardware Platform
• Fixed wing and multi-copters
• Communication and Navigation
• Ground Control/Operator, Auto-guidance, Auto-pilot • Sensors (e.g. cameras, lasers, multi-spectral sensors)
• Data collection, processing, storage
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
SCALE OF UAVS
Source: WSU Magazine
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
UAS FOR AGRICULTURE
• General interest in smaller, low cost platforms
• Applications can be categorized to
• Passive Applications • Remote Sensing • Crop Monitoring • Production Management Aid
• Active Applications • Precision chemical application • Cherry tree drying • Bird control
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
IT IS A PRIME TIME FOR AGRICULTURE• AUVSI -“Precision Agriculture will lead civil UAS.”
March 2013• WA state second to CA in UAS industry growth
Plant-by-Plant resolution from
UASs.
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
RESEARCH AREAS
• Validating Applications with Proven Values
• Color and NDVI maps
• Plant Stress Maps
• New/Emerging Applications
• Identifying new/particular diseases
• Bird Deterrence
• Technological Development • Increasing stability and endurance of low cost platforms
• Improved stitching of images
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
REMOTE SENSING WITH UAS
• Remote Sensing Platforms
• Fixed Platforms
• Ground Vehicles
• Satellites
• Aerial Vehicles – Manned and Unmanned
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has Potential for • Higher Resolution Data
• More Frequent Flights
• Lower Altitude Flights
• Safer Operation
• Flexibility and Maneuverability
• Lower Cost
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
SENSING/MONITORING FOR SPECIALTY CROPS
• Mapping Plant/Canopy Level Variability • Mapping Variability in Bloom Density • Monitoring Effectiveness of Pest Control Strategies • Real-time monitoring for field management • Developing high resolution terrain models
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
UAS RESEARCH AT CPAAS/WSU
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
• 2013 Survey of 252 farmers in Washington State • Bird damage in WA estimated at $80 million! • Collaborators indicated 50% crop loss to migratory
birds in 2010
BIRDS: A BIG PROBLEM FOR WA AG
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
UAV FOR BIRD DETERRENCE
• OSU collaborators performed preliminary studies • More work for conclusive results
• System preparation at WSU with two UASs • A fixed wing and a hex-copter
• Planned test flights in 2015
3D Robotics Aero-M; Fixed Wing UAS
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
FLYING OVER A VINEYARD
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
LIQUID HYDROGEN FUELED UAS
Work of Jacob Leachman, WSU
The State of Drones for Agriculture: Applications
L. Khot, S. Sankaran, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering
Resolution: ~30 m/pixel ~2 m/pixel ~2 cm/pixel
▪ UAS benefits: Low cost, timeliness, high resolution imagery (sensing)
Imaging
Non-imaging
Ag Producti
on Managem
ent
1) Stress monitoring (biotic & abiotic) 2) Irrigation management 3) Inventory management 4) Crop emergence & yield estimation 5) Vine Vigor-Quality harvest
1) Surgical spraying 2) Crop loss management (cherry drying) 3) Bird deterrence
Yield ≈ f(Genetics, Environment, Farming Practices) + Ɛ
Precision Agriculture Crop Phenomics
UAS Sensing to Detect Vine Vigor & for Quality Harvest
ADAR 5500 remote sensing system (NIR, R, G), Johnson et al. (1998) Images: CRUSH project, NASA Ames Research Center
Team: Khot, Sankaran (August 2014) Collaborators: S. Jennifer, M. Means; St. Mitchell Wine Estates, Patterson, WA
UAS Sensing to Detect Vine Vigor & for Quality Harvest
UAS Sensing to Monitor Vine Physiology Sub-surface Micro-irrigation (SSMI)
Team: Jacoby, Sankaran, Peters, Keller et al. (Wine Advisory Committee, ERI, USDA-ARS)
Precision SSMI to regulate wine grape physiology (Red wine grapes) Comparison of SSMI to standard surface drip application (Concord juice grape & white wine [Chardonnay])
Mini-rhizotron camera- root monitoringSub-surface micro-irrigation Vine physiology
Crop Sensing for Early Anomalies Detection During Production
Potato Virus
Potato Early Dye
In-field Sensing and Decision Support System to Prevent Cherry Fruit Cracking due to Rainwater
Yamaha RMAX Type II G unmanned helicopter
WSU ARC-ERI (2014-2016) Team: Khot, Peters, Zhang, Granatstein & Whiting
July 23, 2014 - Chelan, WA - 40 year old Tobey Vigil of Beaverton, OR was killed on the job when the helicopter he was piloting crashed…..He was using the “helicopter to hover over cherry orchards, using the blades down draft to blow rain water from the cherries of an orchard.”
Overhead sprinkler
Downwash
Rain gauge
LWS
Anemometer
Cherry tree
900 MHz link
In-field Sensing and Decision Support System to Prevent Cherry Fruit Cracking due to Rainwater
Top
Middle
Bottom
Crosswind
Disease Detection & ManagementCrop Stress Management
Team: Lav Khot, S. Sankaran, Reza Ehsani, Stefano Musacchi
Precision Spraying Inventory and Yield Estimation
Estimating crown diameters in citrus orchards to predict fruit yield
Estimating container-grown ornamental pear trees in nurseries
Plant phenomics is the study of plant growth, performance and composition. In other words, expressed plant traits. Critical for variety development.
Average period for developing varieties = 10-15 years.
Breeding and Genomics Programs
✓ Global population is continuing to grow and may surpass 9 billion by mid of this century.
Plant Breeding Programs in Washington
Breeding programs at WSU and USDA-ARS labs. ✓Wheat ✓ Lentil ✓ Dry Peas ✓ Chickpeas ✓ Barley ✓ Potatoes ✓ Hops ✓ Apples ✓ Pear ✓ Peach ✓ Cherries ✓ Grapes ✓ Rice ✓ Beans ✓ Fuel crops
We demand on plant systems for food, fiber and fuel.
Phenotyping BottleneckIn last two decades, advancements in sequencing and molecular technologies have significantly improved plant breeding approaches; however current phenotyping approaches are slow, expensive, labor-intensive, subjective, and sometimes destructive.
UAS in PhenomicsHigh-
Throughput Phenotyping
Soft White
Hard Red
Soft White Club
Team: S. Sankaran, Lav Khot, Arron Carter
100 200 300 400
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Susceptibility to viral infections
Potato crop emergence and canopy closure
500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
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Team: S. Sankaran Lav Khot, Rick Knowles, Lisa Knowles, Mark Pavek, Sagar Sathuvalli
UAS Economic Impact ✓ DOD Spending
http://www.auvsi.org/resources/economicreport
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
FAA AND FLIGHT AUTHORIZATION
• Certification of Authorization (COA) for each research flight • Comprehensive process • Description of what, where and why • Ground school competency for operator(s) • Takes several months to more than a year • Comprehensive reporting and renewal process • Limited experiments may be possible with tethering
• No provision yet for commercial flights in Ag • Congress has mandated FAA to develop new regulations by
fall 2015 • Less stringent regulations expected for smaller UAVs in Ag
FAA – Federal Aviation Administration COA – Certification of Authorization
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
POTENTIAL ADOPTION MODELS• In-house Technology
• Semi-autonomous • Acquire hardware • Fly as needed; upload data • Contract data management and processing service
• Autonomous • Acquire hardware, software and storage (local or cloud) • Dedicated in-house operator(s) • Contract maintenance and consultancy service
• Service Companies
• On-demand imaging and data processing • Per-acre cost
4:37 AM
Thank You
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
MORE RESEARCH/APPLICATIONS
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
WATER AND NUTRIENT STRESS SENSING
Tetracam small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)
• Research in Potatoes• Oregon State University; Hermiston, Oregon• USDA Ag Research Services; Beltsville, Maryland
• Water Stress in Nuts• UC Davis
Upadhyaya et al. (2014)Hunt et al. (2014)
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
ACTIVE UAS USE: AUTONOMOUS SPRAYING
• 90% of crops sprayed by UAS in Japan.
• Similar application in trial in CA Vineyards; UC Davis
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
AUTONOMOUS SPRAYING IN NAPA VALLEY
Image Source: http://www.uasvision.com/
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
FRUIT YIELD ESTIMATION IN CHILE
Octo-copter with a Multi-spectral Camera
Wulfsohn and Lagos (2014); Region O’Higgins, Chile
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
TOWARD ADOPTION
Washington State Grape Society (WSGS); Annual Meeting; Grandview, WA; Nov 13 2014
4:37 AM
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS
• Technology Developers
• Aerospace; UAV Companies
• Imaging Service Providers
• Image acquisition, processing, cloud • Integrated companies
• Both hardware, imaging and data processing
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