August, 2019
Upgraded to TRL7 by WP3 leader
ThirdEye: Flying Sensors to support farmers’ decision making
Farmers are confronted more and more with the consequences of climate change. Water shortages, higher temperatures, shifting seasons, more extreme events, amongst others, pose a threat to crop production by amplified droughts, heat stresses, and diseases. Farmers are therefore looking for improved real-time information of their current crop status and forecasts to support their decision making.
Flying Sensors, sometimes referred to as drones, provide high resolution information on crop status. Our innovation provides this information at: (i) an ultra-high spatial resolution, (ii) an unprecedentedly flexibility in location and timing, (iii) a spectrum outside the human eye. The latter is very important since this information shows potential threats to crops such as droughts, diseases, fertilizer stress, about 10-days earlier compared to the human eye observation.
Technology demonstrated in relevant environment.
Representative model or prototype system, which is well beyond that of TRL 5, is tested in a relevant environment. Represents a major step up in a technology’s demonstrated readiness. Examples include testing a prototype in a high-fidelity laboratory environment or in a simulated operational environment.
Representative model or prototype system, which is well beyond that of TRL 5, is tested in a relevant environment. Represents a major step up in a technology’s demonstrated readiness. Examples include testing a prototype in a high-fidelity laboratory environment or in a simulated operational environment.
The Flying Sensor approach information has been tested, validated and demonstrated the different components of the system at very different boundary conditions and in the frame of different projects (REDSIM, GEISEQ, DMIAT, ThirdEye – see FutureWater website for details). The current innovation integrates these components into one single service which has been validated and demostrated at different test sites (i.e. experimental farms).
How does it work?
Flying Sensors (drones) are equipped with high resolution cameras that collect information in the near-infrared spectrum. Compared to the human eye, crops stress can be seen in the near-infrared about 10 days earlier providing farmers ample time to respond. Special focus will be put on disease detection by looking at in-field scale variability and the evolution of a stress location over a couple of days. The latter will be done by innovative image analysis and forecast procedures.
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