GPS World

Tag: vegetation mapping

  • WingtraOne offers RedEdge-MX vegetation camera option

    Photo: MicaSense
    Photo: MicaSense

    The WingtraOne vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing mapping drone now carries the RedEdge-MX multispectral sensor for vegetation mapping.

    The WingtraOne is a VTOL drone that allows for flexible take-off and landing, with automated vertical take-off and landing even on gravel or in forest isles.

    The WingtraOne provides wide coverage for comprehensive and high-quality multispectral image gathering, with coverage of up to 160 ha (395 ac) with 8.2 cm (3.2 in)/px GSD at 120 m/ 394 ft in one flight.

    The Terrain Following feature provides for intuitive flight planning with fully automated functionality, the company said.

    The RedEdge-MX features a patent-pending DLS 2 and a calibrated reflectance panel that enhances radiometric calibration and provides useful data for comparison of results over time, improving crop and stand monitoring.

    The camera captures five narrow spectral bands: red, green, blue, near infrared and red edge. It generates plant health indexes and RGB (color) images from one flight, and is calibrated for precise, repeatable measurements.

    Standard data outputs are compatible with almost all processing platforms.

    Learn more about the bundle here.  

  • TopoDrone-100 Captures Near Infrared Mapping Data

    DroneMetrexNIRfarm

    DroneMetrex has captured high-quality near-infrared (NIR) mapping data with its TopoDrone-100 UAV. DroneMetrex said in a news release that this is the first time such high quality NIR imagery has been captured by a UAV.

    High-quality NIR data is a tool to detect chlorophyll. Because chlorophyll is emitted by all vegetation to various degrees, experts from land and forest departments, agronomists, vignerons and pastoralists will be able to discriminate between health and vigor of vegetation and between different types of vegetation. The data collected helps determine vegetation stress, disease, pest infection, irrigation faults and nutrient variations.

    “We say ‘unique high-quality mapping’ because the data are both radiometrically and geometrically unparalleled from a drone,” said Thomas Tadrowski, managing director of DroneMetrex. “From the one-flight sortie, TopoDrone-100 users are able to perform vegetation analysis mapping as well as accurate 3D contours/DTM mapping. The pixel resolution is unsurpassed. The data geometry is unsurpassed. The radiometric mapping is unsurpassed.”

    DroneMetrex offers its Extended Spectrum Mapping (ESM) camera modification as an option with the TopoDrone-100. After ESM modification, the camera is supplied with three external screw-on lens filters. Simultaneously using the NIR filter and a high-accuracy L1/L2/L5/GLONASS/COMPASS (BeiDou-2) PPK direct georeferencing solution, the TopoDrone-100 captures three-band imagery, with the near-infrared band recording unparalleled radiometric quality and chlorophyll discrimination.

    The high radiometric quality is achieved because DroneMetrex specialists perform the necessary camera modifications themselves, and have designed the external filters specifically to match the requirements of accurate, discriminative vegetation mapping, DroneMetrex said.

    DroneMetrexVeg01NIR
    Burnt vegetation.
    DroneMetrexBurntVeg01NDVI
    Burnt vegetation NIR.